Adventures in Canyon De Chelley

I talk a lot about my day job. One of the reasons is that I am proud of what I do. Another reason is that my day job takes me to some wonderfully beautiful places. Being a landscape photographer, that makes it doubly rewarding. A couple of weeks ago I was asked to go Ft. Defiance, Arizona for a particularly difficult job. Of course my camera goes everywhere with me. I expected to be done Thursday night which would give me Friday as a travel and photo day. So during my evenings in the hotel room I used Google Earth to look for a place to go. Canyon De Chelley called my name.

Canyon De Chelley is a National Monument that resides in the Navajo Nation. The National Park Service and the Navajo Nation work together to manage the canyon. People have lived in the canyon for 5,000 years. I can certainly understand why.

I typically get out of bed early but this particular morning I was awake at 2:45 AM. Too excited to sleep I got up and headed toward the canyon. The 90 minute drive gave me even more reason for excitement as I watched a fantastic thunderstorm just to the north of me. The storm appeared right where I imagined the canyon to be. Wet roads closer to the canyon confirmed that the storm had been there. The speed limit was tough to maintain. When I finally reached the park entrance I had to further maintain my patience as I had chosen the last overlook as the location for my sunrise shoot. And based on the lightning it was the right place for the storm as well.

There are 7 overlooks on the south rim of the canyon. The last one is the Spider Rock overlook. When I reached the parking lot I could still see the lightning to the east, but I also saw the moon shining bright. I jumped out of the car prepared to run down the path I had seen. The cold air of the morning shocked me. My desert dweller uniform of shorts and a t-shirt wasn't going to cut it this morning. Searching through my sparsely packed suitcase I quickly put a polo shirt over my t-shirt, stripped off my shorts and threw on a pair of khakis. Then down the path I ran.

If you've never tried to mount a camera to a tripod, in the dark, while shivering violently, then you may not have a point of reference here. But I imagined crowds laughing, full belly laughs, if they were only fortunate enough to see this spectacle. I'm pretty sure the laughing I did hear was only my own. It got pretty quiet when I finally had everything set up properly. But the quiet didn't come until long after I had found myself laughing maniacally while shivering in dark. Trying to put everything together. Photos of the canyon seemed impossible for what seemed liked forever at the time. Looking back it was probably only 30 seconds.

Mentally timing the lightning I decided I wanted an exposure in the 10 to 15 second range. The moon was bright enough to make it possible to get the storm, which by this point was fairly small to the east, and the canyon. Making a couple of adjustments to the exposure and composition this is the result.

The storm moved off as the sun continued to rise. So the great color I had been hoping for never materialized. I took quite a few exposures hoping for better lightning but it was really too far away by the time I reached the park. So now I was looking for light. I grabbed my things and went to the end of the path so I could see the canyon in both directions.

The sun light started streaming into the canyon as I made my way to the end of the cliffs. The light from the sunrise on orange rocks is never disappointing. So I set up on the edge and waited for the light. I'm not sure how my wife knows when I am standing on the edge of a cliff but she always does. With my eye to the viewfinder and my mind concentrating on balance, the stillness is shattered by my ringing phone. I have spent hours training for just this scenario and I know exactly what to do. Unfortunately the lack of sleep and the numbing cold have dulled my senses and slowed my normal cat-like reflexes. So I step toward the edge, one hand reaching for the tripod and one for the phone. My 3 Legged Thing tripod suddenly has 5 legs and I can't figure out which ones belong to me. All 5 of them are leaning the wrong way. Why am I in tennis shoes instead of boots I wonder as my feet slide around the rocks. I can hear the phone echoing from the distant canyon walls and I am sure that all 40 Navajo families living in the canyon are now fully awake. Luckily, gravity temporarily released it's hold on me and I was able to stumble up the rocks while maintaining a bear hug on the tripod.

After a quick good morning to my wife I carefully went back to the edge to chase the light. Looking away from Spider Rock I caught this scene.

A glance back toward Spider Rock gave this.

Once the sun was high enough to change the light I thought I might stop at a few of the other overlooks on my way out of the park. As I got to my last stop I realized that my activities during the sunrise had warmed sufficiently to switch back into my shorts. A quick look around assured me I was still alone. As I pulled on my shorts in the parking lot another car arrived. A man and his two kids got out and started speaking to the lady sitting by the path selling her art.

Wait! What lady?

I surely didn't see her there. And I don't know what she saw. But she didn't strike up a conversation as I walked past her. I wandered around on the rocks for a while then found this quiet place to relax and enjoy the view. In the top center of this photo you can just make out one of the cliff dwellings from the ancient ones that lived here 800 years ago.

Overall a pretty decent morning. I usually like to scout a place before attempting a sunrise shoot. But I have found that Google Earth really does a good job if you can't be there in person. I really look forward to my next trip in this area. For now I am spending a little time at home with my family. I think they are happy to see me.

Oh yeah! On my next trip. I hope to leave the phone in the car.

The big letdown.

I love landscape photography. I know, it's difficult in today's world to take a photo that someone else hasn't already taken. And make it look different, or maybe even better. I'm okay with that. I will continue to try and improve my own techniques and style. It is twice as difficult when you live in an area like where I live. A suburb of a major metropolitan area, in a desert. Especially when desert landscapes don't interest me that much. At least not all of them.

A friend of mine came into town last weekend. We took a dream trip up to northern Arizona and part of southern Utah. It was mostly desert. But it was desert that every landscape photographer dreams of. I took a hundred good photos, a few bad ones and a few great ones. The trip was awesome.

There were four days of shooting and traveling. And there were four days of good company with someone that loves the camera as much as I do. I've been taking my time developing the photos since I came home. I think it is because I want them to last. I also haven't cleaned the red dirt off of my camera, lenses or any of the other equipment that went with me. In fact, I haven't even opened up my camera case. Why should I? I am home. And I am feeling the big letdown.

I love my home. Our house is safe and comfortable. It is cool in the summer. The people I love the most are here and I enjoy being with them. But it is uninteresting to my camera lens. I doubt there will be any fine art photography happening here in my family room. So I am already planning my next trip. I feel the need to go again. I feel it after every great photography trip. I suspect it will always be this way.

So today I will open up the case. Clean everything, charge the batteries and put it all back together again. The whole time I will be dreaming of the great landscapes out there. Later this evening I will do a little cyber scouting. A week from tomorrow I have to be in Show Low, Arizona early in the morning for my day job. That means a Sunday travel day. Maybe a sunset at the lake I know up there. Or a hike in a canyon.

Whatever I decide to do it will feel wonderful. A break from the routine in a beautiful area. My viewfinder to my eye. How lucky am I to have a day job that takes me on these wonderful adventures? I will do my best to make it wonderful, for I know when I get home I will feel it again.

I have been developing some ideas of getting out of that funk a little more quickly. When I work out the small details I let you all know. In the mean time tell me what you feel when a photo shoot ends. Or a trip that you've loved. How do you keep the camera interested in things that are there every day?

Camera lenses.

Soon after I got my first Nikon digital SLR kit, I got my first Nikon prime lens. That was the Nikon 35mm lens made for APS-C sensors. Or as Nikon designates them, "DX". What I didn't know at the time was that the lens was going to change my perspective on photography. Was it for the better?

Most of my friends, and most of the professional photographers that I meet, use zoom lenses. Zoom lenses allow the photographer to attach one lens to his camera and change the focal length to either zoom in for a close up shot or to zoom out for a wider angle shot. Prime lenses simply don't zoom. If you are using a prime lens and you want a close up shot you have to move closer to your subject. You want a wider angle shot? Move farther away.

If you read all of the lens tests, reviews and personal opinions. Well, then you would never buy a lens. Lenses are all very similar to my golf game. Full of flaws. On the other hand. They almost all perform well in the right hands. Those will be the hands that have taken the time to learn each lens they use. Which every photographer should do with all of their equipment. So I say buy and use whatever will make you happy.

 So what makes me happy? I am primarily a landscape photographer. I don't need zoom lenses. I can usually move my feet to put the camera where I want it with the proper prime lens attached. For me they are easier to learn how to use effectively. And they afford me the opportunity to get a fantastic photo for a lot less money than a professional grade zoom lens costs.

That first 35mm lens taught me something that I had never realized. I can see the world in different focal lengths. If I attach a lens to my camera I can see everything in front of me in that focal length. I can look at a scene and decide how I want to capture it. Is it best with a wide shot or up close? I put on the lens of choice and move to compose my photo. It's a small part of my process. But it is one of my favorite parts.

I spent some time this past month selling some of my DX lenses. I did it to finance the purchase of a couple of new lenses for my kit. Yes. They are both prime lenses. And they fill gaps in my focal lengths. One of the lenses I sold was the original 35mm. I was a little sad to see it go. I think it changed my life for the better.

Blog updates.

First of all, if you haven't read any of my previous blog entries stop right here. Wait! Don't leave my blog. Go back and read some of my previous entries so you know what I am talking about. In the mean time, here is an update on some of the things I have talked about in the past.

Dave: Dave is my tripod. No,  I didn't name him. The company that made him, 3 Legged Thing, named him. I promised an update after I had used him for a while. Dave's been on a couple of trips with me. And he performs better than expected. Very stable. Durable enough to make the trips. I've carried him on airplanes and packed him in my luggage. He fits well in both the overhead bin and in my suitcase. He's been on the beach. I have taken him apart and cleaned him right in my kitchen. Dave is my go to guy right now. Highly recommended. Warning: Make sure you discuss where you clean him with your spouse before you begin. Some wives may not be happy about you getting sand all over their kitchen.

Filling the bag: Dave was on my list of things to acquire. Now that I have him I have added another lens to the list. While visiting a friend this year I got a chance to use his Nikkor AF 35mm f/2 lens. While the reviews for this lens don't paint it as a stellar performer I thought it was brilliant. One of my favorite landscape shots of the trip was taken with this lens. This lens will probably replace a Nikkor AF-S DX Micro 40mm f/1.8 that currently travels mounted to my D7000. It also has the honor of being the only DX lens in my kit. With a retail price of about $360US for the 35mm how can you go wrong?

Edit: I have edited this to remove Elements from the line that Adobe is using in their Creative Cloud line. It is Photoshop. Photoshop Elements is still available for single license purchase at this time.

I've been away from home for a few weeks so it seems I am a little behind with my thoughts here. As I stay home and occupy my time in my day job it is summer here in Arizona. That makes it harder to go out and shoot the landscapes I love so much. Stay tuned. There will be more soon.

Why can't I take it with me?

This week I have been packing my photography equipment. I'm preparing to go to Colorado. A friend of mine is retiring from the Army after 22 years. I'm excited to see him. I'm excited to meet his family and other friends. I'm very excited that he will no longer be in harms way. And I am also excited because we will be staying in the shadows of Pike's Peak. Lot's of clouds and mountains and water. In other words, a lot of landscapes just waiting to be photographed. So what do I take with me?

My first reaction was to empty my storage and pack everything. Why not? I'm driving. I have plenty of space in the car. Why can't I take it with me? What if I need it while I am there?

If you read any of the photography forums you will regularly run across people asking questions about what camera body and lenses they should take with them to specific locations. Good solid questions for those without the experience in certain environments and situations. The difference is that I feel that I have been there. I know what equipment I want in most landscape situations. I was asking myself the wrong question.

As I looked at each piece I was packing I began to ask myself a different question. Why should I take it? If I don't use it here I am probably not going to use it there either. Everything went back in the closet. I'm taking the lenses that I know I want to use. My old friends. I mix and match them on the two bodies that I love. They are all that I need.

So I am all packed and ready to go. But as I write this I begin to wonder why I even keep the things I don't use. Maybe I will think about that when I get back. It's not like they are going anywhere.

Meteors. Sunrises. And changing plans.

The Lyrid Meteor showers are in town everyone. Ever since I was a teenager I have loved watching the sky and seeing the meteors. My favorite time of year is during the Perseids in August. This year they peak on August 11th and 12th. But here in April we have the Lyrids. They peak tonight. I have to go work at my day job tomorrow so I decided to go out last night and try to capture one.

There were several problems with going out last night. First was my daughter's prom. It was last night and she and her friends had asked me to take photos. They weren't scheduled to get home until 12:30. That worked out okay. The moon was the next problem. It was up and bright and scheduled to set at 3:00 AM. That made 3:00 AM to 4:00 AM the best time to view the meteor shower. So my plan was to go to Lake Pleasant and find a high spot for meteors, then go to the lake shore for the sunrise.

For the meteors I chose my 24mm lens. I also decided that the Milky Way galaxy was close enough to the source of the meteors that I wanted to try and capture it with a meteor. So I concentrated on long exposures centered on the Milky Way. I saw probably 12 or 15 meteors last night. Only one of them was in my view finder. Luckily it was while the shutter was open. My family is especially happy with this photo because they didn't have to endure the night with me.

 Once the sun began to come up enough to make the stars appear less bright I packed everything up and set out for the lake. Without any clouds in the sky I decided to look for an alternative photo. The sky promised to be orange in the east as the sun rose. I have been waiting for the right opportunity to get a saguaro cactus in silhouette with a sunrise or sunset. So I rushed out to a nearby saguaro forest that I know is fairly open facing east. I grabbed the camera and tripod and went into the forest to find the right giant.

I had a plan when I left the house last night. Plans don't always work out. Sometimes you have to be flexible and take what the earth is willing to give you. I think it was a pretty successful morning.

You can see the full sized photos on flickr at: M. Chris Brandt's Photography.

You may also follow me on Facebook at: M. Chris Brandt's Photography

Filling the bag.

I recently wrote on my Facebook page that I had read a book in which the author had been told to always have something to want. I wish I could find the book now and give him proper credit. But I haven't been able to locate it. Odd since I still own almost every book I have bought over the past 30 years. On Facebook I asked what it was that my friends wanted. I received some very good answers. Most were much more broad than I had expected. Maybe that's because I know exactly what I want.

I have spent a lot of time getting my photography kit set up just the way I want it. There are currently three things left to acquire to make the kit perfect in my mind. I hope to have them all before the end of the year. After that I am not sure what to do. It's possible that my subconscious made me ask the question of my friends so that I could use some of their ideas. I need something else to want. For now, this is my list. In order of importance to me.

1. Travel tripod.

My every day tripod is too big to take on a trip with me. I use an Induro tripod that I like very much. It's just doesn't fit in a normal sized suitcase. So now when I travel it stays home. Loving landscapes and night photography I just can't work without a tripod. After about two years of research I have finally decided what I had to have in a travel tripod. First it has to be small. I don't care if it is light. I just want small. But I also want strong. In today's market tripods typically come with either carbon fiber legs, or magnesium allow. Carbon fiber is lighter but magnesium alloy is stronger. I ended up deciding on a fairly new British company called 3 Legged Thing. They name their systems after rock stars and I chose Dave. It will hold up to 26 pounds (the included ball head is rated for 88 pounds) and folds up to about 16.7 inches. I was warned about British engineering. But I am taking a gamble on them anyway. You can find Dave here...

3 Legged Thing's Dave

2. One more lens.

Really, just one more. At least that is what I tell my wife every time I ask for another lens. I shoot almost exclusively prime lenses. I tend to see the world in that focal length when I do that. But I have a big gap between 85mm and 300mm. I have friends with 105mm and 135mm lenses which I have intermittently drooled over. But there is still a gap. And I don't want to carry 27 lenses. So I decided to change it up a little and add a telephoto zoom lens to the kit. Nikon has been making a 80-200mm F/2.8 for, well, forever. This version currently sell since 1997. It's a professional lens without the benefit of vibration reduction (VR). The most recent version is still built like it was in 1997 and it is a tank. Metal, large and heavy. But by all accounts it is sharp. And for now, the last lens I need. You can check it out here...

Nikon's AF-Zoom 80-200mm F/2.8D ED

3. Ball head.

I mentioned earlier that I use an Induro tripod for my daily photography. A friend of mine recommended Induro after he had received one as a gift. I believe from his sister. Anyway, I bought Induro's Adventure Series AKB2 tripod. The tripod comes with a ball head and a nice carry case to protect it. I have used and abused it. I love the legs, but as my talent and camera have grown I find I need a little more precision in the ball head. What else would I put on an Induro tripod but an Induro head? The BHD2 head was made to fit my legs. It was also made to handle almost 40 pounds of camera/lens. More than I can currently put on it. And the price is great. If I am going back to Induro that should tell you something. I expect the same quality that I have seen in my current system. Check out the Induro line-up here...

Induro Tripods

So what is the next thing to want? I don't know yet. Maybe what I will want is something to want. What do you think?

You can see some of my photos on Facebook at M. Chris Brandt's Photography or on flickr at M. Chris Brandt