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View Full Version : Help me plan my vacation! Scotland/UK or Yellowstone?



Mike Chini
13-Oct-2006, 19:30
So...I'm going to take 3 or 4 weeks in November to photograph. It's not the best time of year but it's all I can manage. I want to do something significant so I've narrowed it down to 2 options. I'd love to hear any thoughts on whether or not this is the time of year to be visiting these places. Internet searches have turned up little:

1. Yellowstone and the southwest. One week in Yellowstone and then down to the SW to hit Sedona, the Grand Canyon et al.

2. Scotland. I've always wanted to travel to Scotland to photograph. 2 weeks in Scotland and then one week in Britain and Ireland.

I'm open to any suggestions and any advice is appreciated!

robc
13-Oct-2006, 19:46
So...I'm going to take 3 or 4 weeks in November to photograph. It's not the best time of year but it's all I can manage. I want to do something significant so I've narrowed it down to 2 options. I'd love to hear any thoughts on whether or not this is the time of year to be visiting these places. Internet searches have turned up little:

1. Yellowstone and the southwest. One week in Yellowstone and then down to the SW to hit Sedona, the Grand Canyon et al.

2. Scotland. I've always wanted to travel to Scotland to photograph. 2 weeks in Scotland and then one week in Britain and Ireland.

I'm open to any suggestions and any advice is appreciated!

this outfit are offering something a little different. http://www.virgingalactic.com/

robc
13-Oct-2006, 20:43
late autumn in the UK usually means wet.

http://www.meto.gov.uk/climate/uk/index.html

Donald Miller
13-Oct-2006, 20:59
You are probably getting into snow season in Yellowstone...at least the potential is pretty high. The southwest is really nice now. I live in the Phx metro area and we are experiencing daytime temps in the low to mid 80's now. November will be a little cooler...maybe in the 70's...usually fairly dry this time of year.

Frank Petronio
13-Oct-2006, 21:03
Spain

John Kasaian
13-Oct-2006, 21:13
What kind of subjects do you want to shoot? What other kinds of things interest you? The weather in the mountains can shut you down in November, but then Novembers can sometimes be quite mild. If you don't mind risking the possibility of having to ride out a storm for a five days in a Motel 6 you might find Yellowstone a very rewarding opportunity.

I don't know anything about Scotland, but the South West should be a safe bet. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon will probably be closed but there is plenty more to the Grand Canyon, Utah and Arizona to see, explore and be inspired.

Have a great trip!

Brian Vuillemenot
13-Oct-2006, 21:14
My vote would be to skip Yellowstone and just concentrate on the southwest. Yellowstone will be too cold and snowed in, and there's more than enough in the southwest to keep you busy for a long while. Start off in the four corners area, do all the classic redrock/ancestral Puebloan landscape photography sites (Monument Valley, Arches, Canyonlands, Canyon de Chelly, Chaco Canyon, etc.) and then head for the desert regions of southern New Mexico and Arizona (White Sands, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, Saguaro, Organ Pipe, etc.). Of course, there's countless other awesome destinations along the way that will keep you more than occupied.

adrian tyler
13-Oct-2006, 23:40
i'm from scotland, it's a great destination for landscape but november is not the best time, chances are rain and cloud. you'll need to work hard and get very few opportunities, but you will get them.

however, i'm with franks suggestion, also, i live in spain and the "alpujaras" in the sierra nevada will be simple stunning early november.

Colin Robertson
14-Oct-2006, 01:54
I'm in Scotland. Right now it gets light around 8.30 am, and the sun is down by 7pm. By mid November you'll have 8 hours (or less, depending on weather) of workable daylight per day. It's been flat, grey and wet for days. Hills are running wet, ground squelching underfoot . . . If you want dark, brooding landscapes, or night shooting, come on over. Best time to come here for shooting is April/May, or possibly August/September. We love our little country, but if I had time off in November I'd be going someplace else . . .

Andrew_4548
14-Oct-2006, 05:44
If you're in Scotland end of October / start of November, then there's an LF gathering around Glencoe - approx twenty or so of us are heading that way to see if we can get a shot or two in the bag, hopefully showing some Autumn colour... (between the downpours anyway)

Walter Calahan
14-Oct-2006, 07:11
Costa Rica

http://www.goin2travel.com/costarica/resources.htm

I lived in Montana. Yellowstone snowed in. Everything closed, except West Yellowstone, that has as much character as a strip mall.

I went to school in London. Rain and overcast. Scotland is way up there, so sun (if you ever see it) rises late and sets early. Check on-line resources for actual time for Inverness if you don't believe me.

C. D. Keth
14-Oct-2006, 08:56
How brave are you? Yellowstone is stunning in the winter, but it's difficult to get to the places you might want to photograph. If you could rent a snowmobile and go about on that (be safe about it, lots of extra gas, survival gear, et cetera) you could come out with some really unique shots without the crowds Yellowstone has in the summer now.

Jan_6568
14-Oct-2006, 09:13
1. Yellowstone and the southwest. One week in Yellowstone and then down to the SW to hit Sedona, the Grand Canyon et al.


Hi Mike,
honestly, I did not find Grand Canyon and Sedona as prime photography locations in the Southwest area. I know - this is not a common opinion. I have been to Sedona last Christmas/New Year and did not take any image, during last trip to GC North Rim I took only one and, I must admit, it was an image of old death tree trunk in a ponderosa pine forest, could be taken anywhere.
In my experience, even though GC and Sedona are indeed great places for sightseeing, there are many better landscape photoraphy locations in the area. For instance slot canyons of Grand Staircase Escalante, Paria Rimrocks, Paited Desert, Capitol Reef to mention only some of them.

cheers,

Jan

Mike Chini
14-Oct-2006, 09:15
Thanks everyone for the very helpful responses!

First off, while cold doesn't bother me, rain and darkness do! So that may force me to put off Scotland. Nonetheless, I find that traveling to places at unusual times often results in unique shooting opportunities. The reason I chose these 2 possibilities is that both offer tons of unrestricted shooting opportunities.

John - I don't really know what I'll be shooting! I have many open (endless?) projects on which I'm working and can pursue numerous ones almost anywhere. What I'm really looking for is:

a mimimum of tourists!
to be left alone and not harassed while photographing!
peace and quiet
an occasional pint (or some amazing undiscovered single-malt!)

Mike Chini
14-Oct-2006, 09:18
Jan-

Good to know. Thanks. That wouldn't surprise me one bit. Sometimes the most extraordinary photographs are taken in the most 'unextraordinary' locations!

Well, if I do choose to go W/SW, I haven't narrowed down exactly where I'll go to shoot. Nonetheless, I do want to see the GC desperately if only for a day or two!

Alan Rabe
14-Oct-2006, 18:36
Take what I call the grand tour. Start at Moab, UT.
Arches,
Canyonlands
Goblin Valley state park
Capital reef
The escalante
Bryce
Zion
Paria/Buckskin Gulch - usually empty in November
This kind of ends the grand tour, There are all kinds of spots in between the above so get a map like Delomes Utah Atlas and Gazetter and check it out.

From here you can hit the Grand Canyon. The main Park on the North rim will be closed at this time of year but you can get to the west part. Fire point and Thunder river aren't part of the main park area. Depending on the Snow they have good roads to them. The South rim is always open and unless you are going on to Sedonna is a bit out of the way when coming from the north.
Then if you wish you can hit Sedonna, Actually the best place in this area is up Oak Creek Canyon, West Oak Creek is one of my fav's. I used to live in Phoenix and it and West Clear creek were where 2 of my favorite spots.
After this you might want to hit Monument Valley. It is a magical place and in late November has few visitors.

Best of luck, have a good time and ENJOY

Alan.

Bobf
15-Oct-2006, 02:50
The thing about Scotland at that time of year (or anywhere else in the British Isles for that matter - and for most times of the year) is that you could get 10 days of glorious weather, or you could get two weeks of non-stop rain and wind; there is absolutely no way of knowing in advance. The UK Weather Centre (www.metoffice.co.uk) has some of the most powerful supercomputers outside of the military and still gets the 48 hour forecast wrong half the time...

However, if you are interested in other than landscape shots, there are a host of indoor (church, cathedral, castle etc) opportunities should the weather drive you indoors, not to mention a large assortment of nice warm pubs...

The North West of Scotland is generally considered the most photogenic. Not trying to put you off, but if I were touring I'd wait until April or May when there is a better chance of good weather and snow is likely on the peaks. In any event, you will need to hire a car to get around.

Good luck, Bob.

squiress
15-Oct-2006, 07:10
I love to visit England and Scottland in the timeframe you are considering. However I can't recall not getting at least drizzled on almost every day we've been there during this period. Still, there have been numerous times even then when sun has come out and made for many nice photographs. Tourist numbers are definitely down, but not out. You still will see many at the most famous stops. Getting out and away from major spots should almost guarantee some quiet time.

Stew

Colin Robertson
15-Oct-2006, 10:27
okay- see what's happening here right now; www.lochnessexperience.co.uk

Jan_6568
15-Oct-2006, 10:32
Jan-

Good to know. Thanks. That wouldn't surprise me one bit. Sometimes the most extraordinary photographs are taken in the most 'unextraordinary' locations!

Well, if I do choose to go W/SW, I haven't narrowed down exactly where I'll go to shoot. Nonetheless, I do want to see the GC desperately if only for a day or two!

Mike,
I do agree. In my personal experience when I attempt to photograph in locations such as famous national parks I usually do not make any images at I get "calendar" type landscapes. For me the only exception was Point Lobos. I prefer to photograph more "usual" scenes, even though for a European living in Southwest it is not too easy.

GC is indeed a stuning place to see. However, there is so much to see around the area. If you decide to visit this area I would suggest to go to www.americansouthwest.net. You may like to take the opportunity to visit other places next to GC.

cheers,

Jan

Kirk Gittings
15-Oct-2006, 13:09
I agree with Jan about Sedona. I go there often, sometimes on business, sometimes just because it is so beautiful and I am in the neighborhood. But as a B&W photographer, I have yet to make an image there except details of some petroglyphs. It just never "comes together" for me enough to make an image.

Eric Woodbury
15-Oct-2006, 13:10
The SW is certainly nice that time of year. Nobody around. The weather is nice. If you don't like the temperature, drive south a bit. Good choice. Can't speak to Scotland. Yellowstone you never know. There is a time in the fall when access is closed. At least they did it this way when I was there. It is between the time that you can use cars and when you can use snowmobiles. They don't clear the roads there, so there can be a time when cars don't work and snowmobiles don't either. You need to check with the park service on this one.