Dream It! Plan It! Do It! - Photographing the National ParksNational Park Maps are the BEST for day...
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Dream it! Plan it! Do It! Visiting and Photographing the National Parks By Ron Wybranowski www.ronwybranowski.com
Transcript of Dream It! Plan It! Do It! - Photographing the National ParksNational Park Maps are the BEST for day...
Dream it! Plan it! Do It!
Visiting and Photographing the National Parks
By Ron Wybranowski
www.ronwybranowski.com
Dream It! Plan It! Do It!
America The Beautiful Images from Familiar Tripod Holes
How to Plan a Trip
National Parks of the West Images from Not-So-Familiar Tripod Holes
America the Beautiful
How to Plan a Trip
All these slides can be downloaded from:
www.ronwybranowski.com
Plan It!
Goals for this Presentation
Tips & Tools for planning your trip to the National Parks
Help You make the most of limited time
Anticipate grand viewing & photo opportunities
Increase odds of getting your “Definitive” images and seeing the iconic sights
Leave behind a planning guide for others
Inspire others to just Do It!
When I traveled…..
Since 2001 - 16 trips – 101,454 miles 1997 GMC High-Top Conversion Van or Ford Edge 10 Trips alone totaling 284 days (14 to 31 days) 226 Nights in campgrounds ($Free to $20/day) Average Cost without Gas = $33/day Blue Highways – Journey into America
Do It!
Plan it!
Decisions to Make
Who's going? All serious photographers?
Where?
How much time? Days or Weeks?
Fly or drive?
Motels or campgrounds?
Budget?
Plan It! Some Ideas – Just Google Them!
The Grand Circle – 3-5 days – Las Vegas
(Zion – Bryce – Grand Canyon – Monument Valley)
http://www.grandcircle.org/
Grand Teton – Yellowstone – Salt Lake City or Bozeman, MT
Jackson Hole Travel
Search the web for photo tour itineraries
Zion - Byrce - Capitol Reef Itinerary
First trip is a “Survey Course”
Subsequent trips are “Follow-On Courses”
Plan It!
A Truism about our National Parks...
Access is designed to take you to the
most familiar, iconic sights......
...Roads, Pullouts, Overlooks, Trails
Plan It! Photo Travel Guides
Photograph America – Robert Hitchman
109 Twelve Page Guides - $140 or $8/pdf
http://photographamerica.com/
Plan It! Photo Travel Guides
Two Weeks in the Desert
Plan It! Photo Travel Guides
Two Weeks in the Desert
http://photographamerica.com/
Plan It!
National Park Service http://www.nps.gov/
State Governments – Tourism and State Parks
State of Utah website www.utah.com – Best of the Bunch
Bureau of Land Management https://www.blm.gov/
National Monuments
https://www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/antiquities/monumentslist.htm
Arizona Highways - http://www.arizonahighways.com/
America's Byways -
Ask your friends and other photographers for suggestions
Research the Locations
Plan It!
Save Web Page Links in Favorites Folders
Research the Locations
Plan It!
Save Web Pages as PDF files in a Travel Folder
Download & Install Primo PDF from http://www.primopdf.com/
Open a web page
Select Print Preview
Change Printer to PrimoPDF
Save PDF into a Travel Folder
Selected Web pages will then be available without Web access
Research the Locations
Plan It!
Plan It!
National Parks Photography
By
Tim Fitzharris
Research the Locations
Plan It!
A Guide to
Colorado’s Best
Photographic Locations
By Andy Cook/Shar Scofield
Research the Locations
Plan It!
Research the Locations
Plan It! The Smokies
Research the Locations
Research the Locations
• Starter Kit - includes Auto Touring, Waterfalls and Day Hikes
• Travel America
• Wildflowers
• Wildflower Pilgrimage
• Wildflower Walks in the Smokies
• Common Spring Wildflowers
• Common Summer Wildflowers
• Bloom Schedule on the Blue Ridge Parkway
• Animals… Bear, Elk and almost Tame Deer
• Waterfalls in the Smokies
• Soco Falls
• North Carolina Waterfalls by Kevin Adams
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Plan It! The Smokies
Plan It!
Freeman Patterson - http://www.freemanpatterson.com/
Freeman Patterson Newsletter
Andre Gallant - http://www.andregallant.com/
William Neill - http://www.williamneill.com/info/
Guy Tal - http://guytal.com/
Muench Photography, Inc. - http://muenchphotography.com/
John Shaw - http://www.johnshawphoto.com/
Tom Till, Moab - https://tomtill.com/
Tom Murphy - http://www.tmurphywild.com/
Thomas D. Mangelsen, Jackson, WY Mangelsen – Images of Nature
Henry Holdsworth, Jackson, WY - http://www.wildbynaturegallery.com/
TopPhotos.net - http://www.topphotos.net/index.htm
Research the Locations
Photographers’ Galleries on the Web
Plan It! Map It!
Plan your Trip – Write it Down
Parks to Visit
Time at each Park
What you want to see at each Park
Travel Time & Miles between Park
Scenic Locations along the way
Best Times
March, April, May – Flowers & Greenery
September, October, November – Fall Colors, Early Snow
Less Crowded – Easier Accommodations
Plan It! Map It!
http://www.utah.com/itineraries/grand_circle.htm
Plan It! Map It!
Travel Calendar with Date, Activity, Overnight, Miles, Odometer
Great Smoky National Park – Fall 2013
Tue Oct-16
1 Tue Oct-16 North Andover to Newport, TN Days Inn in Newport - 110639298294 934 934
2 Wed Oct-17 Newport to Big Creek CG to Mouse Creek Falls to
Cataloochee for Elk and scenery
Cataloochie - Site 6 44 978
3 Thu Oct-18 Full day around Cataloochee - Caldwell Fork Trail Cataloochie - Site 6 0 978
4 Fri Oct-19 Cataoochie to Maggie Valley to BRP at Soco Gap -
Balsam Road up the mountain to Mingo Falls to
Oconaluftee Visitor Center to Smokemont
Smokemont Site D043 43 1021
5 Sat Oct-20 Newfound Gap Road at sunrise to Clingman Dome to
Roaring Fork Road to Grotto Falls to Newfound Gap
Road for Sunset at Morton Point
Smokemont Site D039 0 1021
6 Sun Oct-21 Newfound Gap Road to Clingmans Dome for sunrise to
The Sinks and Meigs Falls to Tremont Road to Cades
Cove-Abrams Falls in the afternoon
Cades Cove CG Site C65 38 1059
7 Mon Oct-22 Cades Cove at sunrise-Horse in Fields or Wildlife in
Cove to Tremont and Middle Fort of Little River
Cades Cove CG Site C65 0 1059
8 Tue Oct-23 Cades Cove at sunrise-Parson Branch Road or Rich
Mountain Road to Waynesville- Meet Dayton mid-day
Chuck Dayton & Sara Evans, Waynesville 64 1123
9 Wed Oct-24 Waterfalls and Vistas With Dayton Chuck Dayton & Sara Evans, Waynesville 0 1123
10 Thu Oct-25 Sunrise with Dayton - Deep Creek at mid-day Deep Creek - First Come First Served 36 1159
11 Fri Oct-26 Deep Creek & Indian Creek Trails Deep Creek - First Come First Served 0 1159
12 Sat Oct-27 Blue Ridge Parkway Linville Falls CG Open on Sat 10/27 MM316 115 1274
13 Sun Oct-28 Blue Ridge Parkway Meadows of Dan MM180 141 1415
14 Mon Oct-29 Shenandoah National Park Big Meadows CG 244 1659
15 Tue Oct-30 Big Meadows CG to North Andover Home 619 2278
***** *****
15 Days Total 2278
Plan it!
Map it!
Google Maps
Download maps to iPhone or iPad for use without wifi
Google Earth
Bing
Plan It! Map It!
Plan It! Map It!
DeLorme State Atlas – About $20 per State at Amazon
Plan It! Map It!
National Park Maps are the BEST for day use!
You will use these most often. Handed out at the Entrance or Visitor Center
http://home.nps.gov/applications/parksearch/geosearch.cfm
Plan It! Map It!
And these Park Newspapers - also handed out at NP Entrance & Visitor Center
Sample at: Grand Canyon Guide Newspaper
Plan It! Map It!
Ask the Rangers in Visitor Centers
What's Happening?
Wildlife Sightings
Flowers in Bloom
Condition of Trails and Back Roads
Passes to some trails
National Parks
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Ranger stations in Big Water, Kanab, Cannonville, Escalante
Paria Contact Station for Passes into the Wave
and South Coyote Butte
BLM Website
Plan It! Map It!
AAA Indian Country Map (free) Be sure to get Indian Country Guide Map
if you go to the Southwest!
Plan It! Map It!
What to do! May Be Available on-line
State Maps and Brochures at Visitor Centers (free)
Plan It! Map It!
Where to Stay! – What to do! - Available from AAA
AAA Maps and Guides (free)
Plan It! Map It!
Where to Stay!
Accommodations in the Park
Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons
Be Warned! You may have to book 6 months or more in advance!
Xanterra Parks & Resorts handles many National Park Reservations
http://www.xanterra.com/
Accommodations in Gateway Towns
Flagstaff, Springdale, West Yellowstone, Cody, Jackson
Ruby's Inn outside of Bryce http://www.rubysinn.com/
Advantage to Staying in National Park Campgrounds
You're very close to Nature!
My Best Two Day Photographing in the West
The Wave in North Coyote Butte
My Best Two Day Photographing in the West
White Pocket & South Coyote Butte with:
Paria Outfitters – Steve and Sue Dodson (928) 691-1047
Plan It! Fly It!
Use Google Earth to
fly your route
Get a lay of the land
Identify landmarks
Identify popular
tripod holes
- Get Co-ordinates
http://earth.google.com/
Plan It! See It!
Use Microsoft’s Bing
to see your destination!
Get a lay of the land
Identify landmarks
Identify popular
tripod holes
http://www.bing.com/maps/
Plan It!
Print Sunrise/Sunset Calendar
Sunrise/Sunset
Moonrise/Moonset
Phase of the Moon
Twilight
http://www.sunrisesunset.com/custom_srss_calendar.asp
Before you go!
Plan It!
http://www.sunrisesunset.com/custom_srss_calendar.asp
TWIA = 18º
TWIN = 12º
TWI = 6º
Plan It!
Learn to operate you camera
Actually read the manual!
Learn all the menus
Learn how to adjust ISO, Aperture, Flash, etc.
Always use your camera to Reformat the cards
"Remember: If you can’t make good photographs close to home,
then you won’t make good ones at a more exotic location either."
Joe LeFevre
Before you go!
Plan It!
Purchase a National Parks Pass - $80 Lifetime for Seniors
$80/year for others
http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm
Make a Copy of Everything in Your Wallet
Bring a copy of your Auto Insurance Declarations Page
Insure your gear with Personal Articles Floater on your Homeowners’ Policy ($50 for $5,000 All Risks Coverage)
Before you go!
Plan It!
If you leave the US then get Certificate of Registration for Personal
Items Taken Abroad at US Customs station on our side of the border
Bring your laptop - WiFi connections are readily available
Set laptop to Secure – Turn off File Sharing & Print Sharing
Encrypt or delete sensitive files
Before you go!
Before you go!
Have a “photo game plan” for every site
Make a final list of the 5-6 images that you absolutely want to capture!
Camera Gear
Nikon D810, D7000 and D7100 Infrared
Nikon 24-79 f2.8
Nikon 18mm-200mm Image Stabilization
Nikon 105mm f4 macro
Nikon 200-500 f5.6 & Nikon 1.4 Teleconverter
Nikon 70-200 f2.8
Extension Tube Set
Polarizing and Neutral Density Filters
HP Laptop with Two External 2TB Hard Drive
One Manfrotto Tripod with ball & gimbal heads
One Very Loud Alarm Clock
A Final Word or Two….
• For me, Photography is a solitary, contemplative pursuit.
• “Silence alone is worthy to be heard”
Henry David Thoreau, January 21, 1853
• “Good Fortune favors the prepared mind.”
~Louis Pasteur
• Life is short. Eat desert first!
Do It!
National Parks of the West
Some Not-So-Familiar Places to See and Photograph!
Paria Canyon – Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness
The Wave – White Pocket – South Coyote Butte
Escalante – Cottonwood Creek Road – Paria Wilderness
Arches, Slot Canyons, Saguaro, White Sands
The Badlands
Glacier, Canada, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone
And one last word…
“Life is short. Eat dessert first.”
