Thinking about locations---what fun!

[John Kasaian]

In aviation, "hanger flying" is a venerable institution. Its also fun. I think I found the LF equivalent.

Ouday and Cusay, my physical therapists as well as my orthopedist think I'll be able to get on skis this year after all. I am jazzed about that. I've figured out a way to take the 8x10 sking( the tripod was the major issue, but I'm going to try a lighter, more compact model) the holders are already loaded and the lens selected. I'm spending a lot of my time thinking about where and when I want to go. Weather is an issue--I want weather. The pilots I fly with on aerial work won't fly around any of the local 14'ers if there are clouds for fear of icing. Not a problem on skis. but of course theres no way I'll get to 14k on skis either. Still theres plenty of granite that looks great with snow and big honkin' clouds. I've been looking at

http://www.edgehill.co.uk/

and getting even more excited about the prospects as I find it an inspiring website for mountain photography. I pulled down Vittorio Sella and Bradford Washburn off my book shelf, threw another log on the fire (even though its not really cold enough in Fresno for a fire tonight) and am seriously thinking of brewing a mug of green tea to accompany the images and inspiration.

I even invested in a new pair of wool boot socks!

I'm not asking any questions or inflicting my opinions, I just wanted to share my excitement. Perhaps this winter will be a bust snow wise in the Sierras. Maybe not. Perhaps the 'dorff will prove too cumbersome to take sking. Maybe not. Perhaps I'll get a bunch of photos to make it all worthwhile. Maybe not. But just thinking about being up in the snow, the sun, the red fir, clean air, and aromatic cedar with the clouds swirling about granite peaks somewhere is, for now a very delightful thought.

OK I will ask a question: Do you know of destinations you think about where just thinking about the place is nearly as much fun as actually going there? If so, what is it that makes it so? Is it simply the photographic possibilites that the area represents? or is it something more complex?

[robc]

so happens I've been to most of those places at edgehill as a skier but also to chamonix for some paraglider flying. The arete(spelling?) from aiguille du midi wasn't prepared for the skiers when I was there. Walking down without crampons and a paraglider on your back is an experience I won't forget. One slip left and its two miles straight down to chamonix. One slip right and at least the crevasses will catch you before you've gone too far.

The air up there is a little thin for getting airborne and I will never forget running downwards with the instructor screaming at me to "brake" as I hopped over each crevasse before finally taking off. The glide down the vallee blanche was exquisite before turning out into the main chamonix valley with a 1000m vertical to play with. Glancing down a helicopter was directly below.

Then there is Zermatt and the Matterhorn which has a magnetism all of its own. A spiritual home if ever there was one.

www.visualperception.net/

funny thing is that this view of the matterhorn, which is one of the best in my opinion, is to be had standing in the middle of the village. Then there is the gipfel lift to the klein matterhorn summit where you can scan a great deal of the italian, french and swiss alps with Breithorn on one side and Cervinia on the other. It is memories and communing with nature which make a place special.

[Scott Bacon]

Thinking about and planning an outing to a new destination has always been part of the fun for me. The photo possibilities as well as the sense of adventure are just two of the things that lure me back to the mountains again and again. Even something as simple as hiking a new ridge trail, as a friend and I are doing tomorrow, gets the juices flowing. I poured over maps and flew around with Google Earth for hours last night. Today the bag gets packed and then its off to the snow in the high country early tomorrow morning - really early - more than 4 miles to hike before dawn...

[paulr]

the tetons are gorgeous in the winter, and the approaches not too long (but very steep). only drawback is ferocious avalanch hazard much of the winter. but people who know what they're doing, and some that don't, ski tour and ski mountaineer there all the time. you can get up into an alpine wonderland very quickly.

[Randy Becker]

I don't ski (bad knees) but I love large format photography. I teach it at our community college and I can say without hesitation that planning or "hangar flying" is very much part of the fun.

My favorite place to go is Zion National Park in southern Utah. I'm only a couple of hours away and can make it a day trip. Three weeks ago was my latest trip to try to catch the fall colors and I was happily suprised that I timed it perfectly. My wife went with me this time and she even liked the experience and we are now having several of her images framed for our home.

As far as I am concerned, planning and anticipating is very much a part of any kind of photography.

Now all we need is our own phrase like the flyboys' "hangar flying"... "room shooting" ????

Best regards and happy shooting to all.

Randy

[james mickelson]

I've been doing a lot of driving and flying to Montana the past 6 mos and there are some very nice farm and ranch scenes I'd love to shoot. Unfortunately I never have the time to stop for even a quick snapshot. I love old buildings and downtown Billings, Mt. has loads of them. Cowboys are another passionate dream of mine. Hands, boots, stirrups, saddles, hats and other regalia, ect are awsome in black and white. Adam Jaheil, Jay Dusard, ect. I need more film time in Bodie in the snow as well as Yosemite. The docks and mothballed ships down in the Bay area sound good too. There are areas around Fresno, Pixley, Stckton, the Central Valley, that are incredible for photography. Roman Loranc has some really beautiful images from the Valley. I('d love the time to go shooting up there with you as I hope you've wandered around there and know where all the old farms and ranches are there. And 8x10 is a wonderful thing to shoot. Good hunting.

[Ed K.]

For me, a large part of the battle is planning and scouting, and visiting the same areas at different times throughout the year. Sometimes, the "off times" yield some really unexpected scenes. While the other shooters are waiting for winter or spring ( beautiful, yes! ), the enormous thunder clouds of summer can be quite compelling in scenes. Nature is at work all year, each day there is a new show.

We plan our journeys to maximize the amount of shooting and minimize the hurried driving around all day, chasing the scene. It is so disappointing to drive over a thousand miles, yet take few shots. Such times are scouting though, and they are food for much research when returning home. When the days are not yielding our dream scenes, we shoot tons of digital photos and take GPS tracks as well as notes on how things look, or who we met that day. In this sense, scouting is fun too, and it is an important part of the whole planning process.

If you like the planing, you might really enjoy trying out "Google Earth". Sure, the USGS site has some more detail, however making maps can be a pain and the views from space are old. The Google Earth stuff is only about 3 years old. It is AMAZING to fly around intended destinations, see all the resources one might otherwise miss, and in many cases see the correctly named National Forest Service unpaved roads. Helps too to see topography in 3d where data is available. I also use MS Flight Simulator to fly around places. The sun and moon positions in it are quite accurate, and when added terrain data is put into it, many city areas are very realistic. I can fly around in the Jet Ranger simulator before renting the real thing. Other than the vibration and weather variables, the Flight Sim is extremely close to the real thing, and useful for working out angles, time of day and elevations.
Google Earth is free, and it can fly you in 3d to anywhere on the planet. In some areas, detail is amazing.

Good hunting! Hope you get lots of marvelous photos! I'd like to see some of your 8x10 ski photos, as I don't ski. Should be interesting stuff!

[FpJohn]

Hello:

Mount Edith Cavell, Banff in the winter on a full moon.

'Best to you all in the New Year.

Yours
Frank

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

There is a Mayan site in the state of Veracruz that is, for some reason, always overlooked and in fact very few foreign tourists go there, mos people like to go to Palenque or the sites in the Yucatan peninsula.

Well let me tell you, Tajin is just about as beautiful as any of the other sites and it is usually less crowded. If I can the a$$holes at INAH to give me a tripod permit sometime this Century I have been dreaming of going there for the past year.