[LargeFormat] Glorious weekend....

[Clive Warren]

At 15:10 15/05/01 -0700, Karl Wolz wrote:
>If you're of a mind to shoot at ANY location, a couple months is
>appropriate.  It takes time to learn one's way around and to get through
>with shooting the trite and mundane postcard stuff that you can't help
>feeling obligated to point the camera at.  After a time, you begin to
>identify with the region, and only then can you actually get down to
>shooting meaningful photos (that's me, anyway).
>
>The best shots (other than a lucky grab shot or two) that I have seen of the
>Grand Canyon were taken by a person who worked there all summer as a ranger,
>and who always had his 4x5 with him.  Incredible atmospheric effects and
>views from locations that only a resident would know about.
>
>BTW, I'd love to spend my summer in the UK, where it is considerably cooler
>than our 110 degree temperatures.
>
>Quite pleasant in October.  If you're planning on spending time in the
>desert itself, September is really too early.  The edge is taken off of the
>desert heat, and most likely not any snow up north or in the higher
>elevations yet, though evenings can be nippy, with the dry desert air.  I'd
>like to spend a bit of time in Zion when it's not packed canyon wall to
>canyon wall with tourists.  Perhaps this year, if you make it over, you'll
>see fit to drop me a line (hint, hint). ;-)
>
>Karl
huge snip
> >
> > Had hoped to be using the 65mm SA in the US on a repeat trip this
> > year......  looks as though it will be next year unless something fairly
> > dramatic happens to my work schedules over the next few months.
> >
> > Keep thinking that a couple of months would be a more appropriate time to
> > spend in the South West :-)
> >
> > Cheers,
> >              Clive

Karl,

Came very close to calling you on my way through last May - did publish the 
trip schedule on the web and listened out on the CB (channel 32 of course!) 
at the specified time every day.  It's difficult to plan exactly when 
sometimes the weather closes in and you just have to make tracks - Zion was 
very wet on the last visit and I couldn't wait to head East and out of the 
driving rain....  Attempted to update the web-based schedule from Ruby's 
Inn at Bryce but the Internet connection kept falling over. There were some 
unusual events in Zion which I didn't capture - huge waterfalls heading 
from the top of the canyon  down to the road running through the 
bottom.  Guess that anyone living in the more arid parts of the South West 
would have been transfixed by them.

The rain did keep the tourists away though - one disappointment was the new 
bus stops along the canyon road.  All part of taming the wilderness and 
managing the flow of people through Zion but does detract from the natural 
splendour of the place. Keeping the buses out of your photos may be a bit 
of challenge also....

You're right that a couple of months is really a better timescale for 
photographing any new area.  Unfortunately that doesn't always fit in well 
with work commitments, particularly when it also takes up to a week to 
recover from the jet lag and depression brought on by the change back to 
British weather :-)  You may find the lower temperatures and humidity here 
in the UK initially refreshing, but after a while it does get to you......

We have had a couple of great weekends for photography here (about time) - 
unfortunately this was the first opportunity for sorting out the garden 
whilst keeping dry so had to tame the jungle instead.

Still thinking about September/October and if the trip does go ahead it 
would be good to meet up with peops on the list.

Cheers,
            Clive