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Thread: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

  1. #21

    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    Went through in early February a couple of years ago and hit a period with absolutely clear air and blue skies. Those were conditions for a long shot down the canyon that needed a long lens. A wide one, or very wide one like your 155, would have had to be tilted way down to avoid having half a frame of blank sky. For a major trip like you're undertaking I wouldn't want to be wishing I had also brought along a longer lens l6 to 18 inches - you can leave it in the room on any day when you don't need it. Also, as Sal noted, no matter what condition you are in, don't underestimate coming from sea level to 7000 feet. It will take you a couple of days to acclimate unless you are driving out. I live at 6000 feet and I can really feel it when I go up only 4000 feet more. If you are driving remember that Mother Nature has nasty ways of spoiling your plans. Enjoy your trip.

  2. #22

    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    Quote Originally Posted by Steven Ruttenberg View Post
    Thank You

  3. #23

    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    Quote Originally Posted by Chauncey Walden View Post
    Went through in early February a couple of years ago and hit a period with absolutely clear air and blue skies. Those were conditions for a long shot down the canyon that needed a long lens. A wide one, or very wide one like your 155, would have had to be tilted way down to avoid having half a frame of blank sky. For a major trip like you're undertaking I wouldn't want to be wishing I had also brought along a longer lens l6 to 18 inches - you can leave it in the room on any day when you don't need it. Also, as Sal noted, no matter what condition you are in, don't underestimate coming from sea level to 7000 feet. It will take you a couple of days to acclimate unless you are driving out. I live at 6000 feet and I can really feel it when I go up only 4000 feet more. If you are driving remember that Mother Nature has nasty ways of spoiling your plans. Enjoy your trip.
    I understand . Thank you for the sage advice. I have to travel light and will be at the south rim only. Four days does not give much time to really "do it all" I expect I will come back again in spring or fall. I do hope for some snow, That will make this Canadain feel at home. I have done mountains in winter and I do know it will be a couple of days to get used to the altitude. Taking it easy for two days then maybe more adventurous the last two. But weather is variable and "bad weather" can be really good. I will bring the longer lense later. I am sort of at my carry on weight limit already.

  4. #24

    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    I have COKIN filters in grads. I will be doing digital first to see what is best set up , I mean when each 8x10 Velvia or Provia is $30 I want to make sure the composition and exposure will work. Bracketing 8x10 is only for the very very rich. Thank You for posting pics and links to pics. ( my digital is D800e with zeiss 21mm and 15mm)

  5. #25
    Alan Klein's Avatar
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    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    Here's a Google map of the area my wife and I used to drive around. https://goo.gl/maps/s2FN1LRQoRxzPgd78
    We came in from the east and stopped at the Watchtower first. You can walk from El Tovar along the views and get great views pretty much everywhere. There's a pretty good restaurant along the way, I forget which one. It's right on the overlook so we got pictures after dinner. Not sure which one was taken where, but here are some shots. They're all digital, however. Have a great time.
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/alankl...7694819890421/
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/alankl...7694819890421/
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/alankl...7694819890421/

  6. #26
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    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    One of the things that makes this forum great is that people of experience are willing to speak plainly. One of the things I like about forums in general is that I don’t have to take the advice offered to me even when 1.) I ask for it, or 2.) it’s correct.

    OP, congratulations on coming back from cancer. I had cancer last year, too, and before and after the resulting (entirely successful) surgery, realized that I needed to revise my thinking. My goal now is to die young—as late as possible. I’m back to reasonable fitness—not where I was 20 years ago when I did the Ironman—but pretty good.

    That said, the older I get, the more I pay attention to altitude. I travel constantly and get to calibrate my understanding of altitude effects. The advice you are receiving may not be necessary, but it’s still worth considering and comes with experience and good intentions.

    I was at the South Rim a couple of years ago before, during, and after snow. I can’t show the images (they weren’t large format), but snow is magic in the desert. I used a 24-105 zoom in a 24x36 camera, and needed both ends. That would be like your 155 on the short end, but is much longer than any reasonable lens for 8x10 on the long end. The moral to that story is that there are photos to be made with whatever lens you have.

    Now, enjoy your trip—I’m envious. And enjoy the forum, and for that I recommend assuming the best intentions and responding with the best intentions.

    Rick “one of your friendly moderators” Denney

  7. #27

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    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    Quote Originally Posted by rdenney View Post
    ...I was at the South Rim a couple of years ago before, during, and after snow. I can’t show the images (they weren’t large format), but snow is magic in the desert. I used a 24-105 zoom in a 24x36 camera, and needed both ends. That would be like your 155 on the short end, but is much longer than any reasonable lens for 8x10 on the long end...
    Actually, considering horizontal angle of view, a 105 on 35 is the same as a 719 on 8x10. Edward Weston used a Turner-Reich triple convertible lens, a 12",21",28"


    on his 8x10, the 28-inch component of which is 711mm, pretty close to 719. A Kodak 8x10 could handle that 28 inches at infinity, as well as focusing closer if a longer replacement bellows has been fitted. My 8x10 Phillips Compact II can only stretch as far as needed for the 600mm Fujinon C I've occasionally used with it. Also, except for winter when a front just moved through, my experience at Grand Canyon has been that there's too much smog/haze to effectively employ the longest lenses.

    At Mike Johnston's blog not too long ago someone commented that they found the following correlations:

    • Wide angle lenses = "feel"
    • "Normal" lenses = "observe"
    • Long focal length lenses = "inspect"

    My preference for somewhat longer than normal lenses normal (210 on 4x5, 450 on 8x10) is consistent with the Meyers-Briggs results obtained when taking that vocational aptitude test multiple times over a long corporate engineering career. I was always informed that my optimum job would be "inspector." This also likely explains my interest in large format and maintaining sharpness everywhere in images.
    Last edited by Sal Santamaura; 9-Jan-2020 at 15:06.

  8. #28
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    Quote Originally Posted by rdenney View Post
    ...

    That said, the older I get, the more I pay attention to altitude. ...

    Rick “one of your friendly moderators” Denney
    And, alas, as we get older our tolerance for attitude decreases.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  9. #29
    Alan Klein's Avatar
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    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Klein View Post
    Here's a Google map of the area my wife and I used to drive around. https://goo.gl/maps/s2FN1LRQoRxzPgd78
    We came in from the east and stopped at the Watchtower first. You can walk from El Tovar along the views and get great views pretty much everywhere. There's a pretty good restaurant along the way, I forget which one. It's right on the overlook so we got pictures after dinner. Not sure which one was taken where, but here are some shots. They're all digital, however. Have a great time.
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/alankl...7694819890421/
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/alankl...7694819890421/
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/alankl...7694819890421/
    I went through my vacation shots and found these taken from Desert View Watchtower. Lots of people making fools of themselves with selfies. But a nice walk that kind of extends out. It should be more deserted when you're there. The first picture is a better look at the actual view.

    Grand Canyon 4 by Alan Klein, on Flickr
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 20180423-DSC03315.jpg  

  10. #30

    Re: Need Advice Re : First ever visit to South Rim of GrandCanyon in January

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Klein View Post
    Here's a Google map of the area my wife and I used to drive around. https://goo.gl/maps/s2FN1LRQoRxzPgd78
    We came in from the east and stopped at the Watchtower first. You can walk from El Tovar along the views and get great views pretty much everywhere. There's a pretty good restaurant along the way, I forget which one. It's right on the overlook so we got pictures after dinner. Not sure which one was taken where, but here are some shots. They're all digital, however. Have a great time.
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/alankl...7694819890421/
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/alankl...7694819890421/
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/alankl...7694819890421/
    Thank You This is inspiring.

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