Posted by Rick Russell on April 22, 2010 at 4:05 PM
I am traveling to Arizona and Utah to photograph May 9 - 14. I presently am considering a visit to the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, the Moab area NP's, and the Monument Valley area. At this point the only thing that is definite is a visit to the Hunt's Mesa on the 13th and 14th. It may be worth noting that I am shooting large format, and therefore want to avoid windy areas. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, e.g., I am considering visiting the Green River Overlook, but am not sure if it is easily accessible by car, and whether sunrise or sunset is the preferable time to shoot. Thank you in advance for any suggestions you might have.
You've picked far too many places for the length of time you have, IMHO. I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice here, but I think it starts by picking one area and allowing enough time for getting to know your way around, shifting weather patterns, and hopefully, decent photographic coverage. You could easily find plenty to do by going straight to Moab. And yes, GR O'look is accessible by car. If you see the lens hood that I dropped over the edge to the White Rim, please send it to me.
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on April 22, 2010 at 4:27 PM
Rick, the Green River Overlook in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands has a paved road that takes you almost to the edge. If you are thinking about the overlooks for the confluence of the Green and Colorado, these are not accessible by vehicle.
I prefer the evening light for that location.
You will pass the Willow Flat campground on your way to the overlook, it's a convenient place to stay, especially if you are interested in a sunrise shoot at Mesa Arch.
You are covering a LOT of territory in 5 days, especially with LF gear.
They'll pay for themselves right away in that you can plan your trip wisely and learn some great tips,
saving you lots of time, energy and money.
When you factor in the time spent at Hunt's Mesa, then your plate is indeed a bit too full. I would recommend sticking around N. Arizona for your trip. The guidebooks noted above will show you quite a few places to shoot in the Page area. You'll still want both books, as the photogenic attractions are right on the border of the two states.
For instance, I would spend two days shooting both the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons during the 10AM-2PM window for best light, and then mornings/evenings photographing around Page. That's an optimum use of your time!
And the optimum way to shoot the Upper Canyon is with a guided photo tour. The guide knows the times and places for light beams and other areas of interest. No need at all for a guide in the Lower Canyon.
I would highly recommend hiring a guide for a sunrise/sunset tour of Monument Valley. So much better than driving the loop during the flat hours of the day. The Park doesn't allow private vehicles inside during the 'magic' hours.
Lots of folks here (myself included) have used Tom Phillips' guide services and have been very satisfied with him.
Edit: You may already have engaged Tom and/or his crew for Hunt's Mesa. Still worth checking out for sunrise (on the 13th?)/sunset (on the 14th?) tours.
The entire Colorado Plateau is susceptible to wind, sometimes quite strong during Spring and Summer. Skies are more often than not clear blue all day long then, as well.
You just have to take your chances there.
Bear in mind that Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time while the Navajo Nation does (except for Antelope Canyon), so plan accordingly.
Posted by Darren Huski on April 22, 2010 at 5:51 PM
Rick, as Dave said that is too much for the time you have. You could do Grand Canyon, Page, and Monument Valley or you could goto Arches and Canyonlands. But trying to do all of that is too much although you might be able to do 2 days at Monument Valley and then head upto Moab and concentrate on Canyonlands.
I did a winter trip week to MV, Page, and Grand Canyon a few weeks back. See some images and posts on my blog linked below. If you dig back to 2008 on my blog you can see my Canyonlands stuff. All of them are great locations.
In Canyonlands I like Willow Flats (no water) campground and mornings at Mesa Arch and in neighboring Dead Horse Point SP. I like sunset at Grandview and Green River Overlook.
I shot large format at all those locations. Mesa arch is very much worth it buyt get there at least one hour before sunup to get a good spot.
Rest easy knowing any choice you make will be a fantastic location!
Have fun!!!
Posted by Rick Russell on April 22, 2010 at 11:28 PM
Thank you all for your comments and suggestions! To clarify, I have already arranged with Tom Phillips for the sunrise photos of the Totem Pole and then overnight at Hunt's Mesa on May 13-14. As I am driving from Southern California, I had planned to visit the rim of the Grand Canyon at sunset on May 8 and sunrise on May 9(my wife has agreed to an additional day on the front end of the trip). I then have late morning on May 9 until a sunset shoot on Wednesday, May 12 to visit other areas.
I then have late morning on May 9 until a sunset shoot on Wednesday, May 12 to visit other areas.
These dates reinforce my belief that your limited time would best be spent in and around the Page area, incl. the two midday shoots at both sections of Antelope Canyon. You'll want those books in order to find exact locations for the other scenic photo ops nearby.
Best of luck and light on your trip...sounds like a real good one!
Note that even though Tom's outfit provides sleeping bags and pads for the Hunt's Mesa expedition, you may want to bring your own if you have good quality gear. Also, sanitation facilities are non-existent way up there, so be prepared.
Discussion
6 repliesRick Russell
I prefer the evening light for that location.
You will pass the Willow Flat campground on your way to the overlook, it's a convenient place to stay, especially if you are interested in a sunrise shoot at Mesa Arch.
You are covering a LOT of territory in 5 days, especially with LF gear.
'Photographing the Southwest: Volume 1--Southern Utah'
'Photographing the Southwest: Volume 2-Arizona'
They'll pay for themselves right away in that you can plan your trip wisely and learn some great tips,
saving you lots of time, energy and money.
When you factor in the time spent at Hunt's Mesa, then your plate is indeed a bit too full. I would recommend sticking around N. Arizona for your trip. The guidebooks noted above will show you quite a few places to shoot in the Page area. You'll still want both books, as the photogenic attractions are right on the border of the two states.
For instance, I would spend two days shooting both the Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons during the 10AM-2PM window for best light, and then mornings/evenings photographing around Page. That's an optimum use of your time!
And the optimum way to shoot the Upper Canyon is with a guided photo tour. The guide knows the times and places for light beams and other areas of interest. No need at all for a guide in the Lower Canyon.
I would highly recommend hiring a guide for a sunrise/sunset tour of Monument Valley. So much better than driving the loop during the flat hours of the day. The Park doesn't allow private vehicles inside during the 'magic' hours.
Lots of folks here (myself included) have used Tom Phillips' guide services and have been very satisfied with him.
Edit: You may already have engaged Tom and/or his crew for Hunt's Mesa. Still worth checking out for sunrise (on the 13th?)/sunset (on the 14th?) tours.
The entire Colorado Plateau is susceptible to wind, sometimes quite strong during Spring and Summer. Skies are more often than not clear blue all day long then, as well.
You just have to take your chances there.
Bear in mind that Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time while the Navajo Nation does (except for Antelope Canyon), so plan accordingly.
I did a winter trip week to MV, Page, and Grand Canyon a few weeks back. See some images and posts on my blog linked below. If you dig back to 2008 on my blog you can see my Canyonlands stuff. All of them are great locations.
In Canyonlands I like Willow Flats (no water) campground and mornings at Mesa Arch and in neighboring Dead Horse Point SP. I like sunset at Grandview and Green River Overlook.
I shot large format at all those locations. Mesa arch is very much worth it buyt get there at least one hour before sunup to get a good spot.
Rest easy knowing any choice you make will be a fantastic location!
Have fun!!!
Thank you for you comments and suggestions.
Rick Russell
Best of luck and light on your trip...sounds like a real good one!
Note that even though Tom's outfit provides sleeping bags and pads for the Hunt's Mesa expedition, you may want to bring your own if you have good quality gear. Also, sanitation facilities are non-existent way up there, so be prepared.