The Shot: San Luis Valley

Canon 5D, 70-200/2.8, 100mm, 1/15, f/11, ISO 100, tripod, Lightroom 4

It takes over 30 minutes to get from Alamosa to Great Sand Dunes, which gives one time to think and observe. I came across this location along the way. There's a KFC sign right next to it, which is probably what most people notice, but it also makes a good landmark. Regardless, the specific location is 37° 28.427'N, 105° 46.970'W. There's a nice, wide shoulder, but make sure to pull off as much as you can since the cars are zipping along at a good clip on this unwavering portion of US-160.

This is obviously a sunrise shot, with the Sun coming up to the right of Blanca Peak. I'd hoped to capture more clouds, or to get a more active sky above the peaks, but that's all the more reason to return and try again. This shot could probably also work at sunset with Blanca Peak fully illuminated, though you'd have to ensure that the tree is darkened such that it would silhouette against the background.

Sunrise shots can be challenging in San Luis Valley with the mountains and extreme weather to the east. Don't even bother with sunrise at Great Sand Dunes, which buttes right up against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Luckily there are plenty of other rewarding locations in the area. Nearby Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge even has some water that can make for a good foreground on a still morning. There's plenty of time to explore in the middle of the day when the light is bad.

Get out there.

The Shot: Great Sand Dunes National Park

Canon 5D, 70-200/2.8, 200mm, 1/125, f/8, ISO 200, polarizer, tripod, Lightroom 4

This was somewhat inspired by QT Luong's post. In other words, the best shots of the dunes are not on the dunes. In fact the location is quite accessible. I always get annoyed with obscure directions to photo locations though when GPS is so ubiquitous. Timing is everything, so there's no time to reposition.

In this case, proceed to 37° 41.240'N, 105° 33.213'W along CO-150 about an hour before sunset. Any later, and the shadows of the dunes may be too long.

Use a polarizer. This is very important for getting the right light reflecting off the sand dunes at this angle. You'll see the immense difference as you rotate the polarizer into position.

For this shot, I was using a 70-200/2.8, but I was shooting at f/8, so you don't need the 2.8ness; a cheaper, more travel-friendly f/4 or 5.6 should be fine. I was shooting zoomed all the way in to 200mm. I tried a 400mm lens, but that didn't allow me to get the mountains in the background. You could probably get away with a 300mm, but that wouldn't get you as much width in the frame. Obviously, I cropped some of the top and bottom of this photo a bit in post.

As you can see by the sand coming off the tops of the dunes, the wind was whippin'. It was pretty relentless too. I recommend using a very solid tripod. Normally people go for lighter tripods, but you'll be right along the road for this shot, so a heavy, solid tripod should actually work in your favor. If you can, use your vehicle as a wind block too. Even with a good tripod, I still had a few shots come out blurry due to camera shake; the lens hood is great at catching those gusts of wind.

The San Luis Valley is an amazing place, even without the dunes. I highly recommend a visit. Happy shooting!

Ptarmigan Trail

This is one of the most photogenic hikes I've been on recently. The trailhead is at 39° 38.108'N, 106° 3.210'W (directions here). After the first small section of trail, you'll encounter a road with a big white arrow pointing to the left. Follow the arrow and proceed 350 feet up the road where you'll re-encounter the trail. From here on, following the trail is pretty straight forward. It's steep initially, but will level out about 0.7 miles in. You'll be rewarded with some of the most amazing views of the Gore Range and Dillon Reservoir, as well as wildflowers and groves of pine and aspen.

Fort McHenry Radio

This isn't really photography related, but I thought I'd post something about it since I can't seem to find it elsewhere on the Internet. One dark, early morning commuting through the Fort McHenry Tunnel, I noticed that certain radio stations would stay on the air even as I was passing through the tunnel. "Surely not,"¹ I thought to myself; I was underground, under the water. There must be a repeater.

I pointed this out to a friend of mine, and he figured that since the stations coming through were from Baltimore, maybe they had enough power to make it into the tunnel. I had my doubts, but I didn't have any evidence to the contrary.

A few months ago I was driving through the tunnel yet again, but this time I'd left the radio in scan mode since none of my presets had anything good on. Sure enough, the tuner landed on 107.1 MHz about half way through the tunnel. A female voice simply repeated, "This is the Maryland Transportation Authority radio rebroadcast system for bore 3 of the Fort McHenry Tunnel. This is only a test."

So not only is there a repeater for the tunnel, there's actually one for each bore of the tunnel. I haven't done an exhaustive search for stations that they're repeating, but so far I've found 100.7 and 102.7. I'm sure there are more.

I also haven't checked to see if there's something similar for the Harbor Tunnel. My guess is that it's really there to provide emergency broadcasts to people that might be stuck in the tunnel during the regular bumper-to-bumper delays. Obviously it also provides entertainment, probably helps relieve some people's claustrophobia, and may give workers something to listen to while they're doing maintenance.

Ok, that was a lot of words for not a lot of content. The picture above was taken (haphazardly) with a Leica M6 on Kodak Tri-X. Normally I wouldn't post such a poor photo, but it seems to capture a bit of the grittiness of commuting in this area. It's also my only photo that's remotely relevant to this article.

Happy shooting and commuting!

¹Insert Airplane quote here.

From Industry to Charm

Really these pictures could have been taken in any industrial area. These pictures happen to be from Baltimore. I still believe in Baltimore. Between 1950 and 2012, the population dropped from about 1.1 million to around 600 thousand. But I think the city is well over that statistic. Today it's more about the art, the business, the waterfront, the history, and of course, the charm.

If all you know of Baltimore is what you've seen on The Wire, you know nothing. I dare you to walk up Charles Street from Federal Hill to Penn Station and not fall in love.

These pictures were not taken anywhere near Charles Street. At no point was I afraid that some thug would take away my Leica though. Just put that image out of your head.

Arizona on Film

I already wrote my post on our trip to Arizona a while back, but I've been meaning to post some of the film shots that I took with the Xpan while I was there. I used almost all of my remaining Kodak E100VS in the process. I'm sad to see this film go out of production; it has some of the best sunrise and sunset color I've ever seen. Using it almost seems wrong. However, the Xpan was made for the wide open desert vistas, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to shoot one of my favorite films in one of my favorite cameras. Film can't live in the freezer forever.

Baltimore Grand Prix 2012

So here's a post that's way overdue. Last September I finally got to go to the Baltimore Grand Prix (ok, "Grand Prix of Baltimore"). If you get a chance to go, I highly recommend it. Here's what you'll need to get these shots:

• Canon 1D Mark II
• Canon 400/5.6 L USM
• CF or SD cards
• Plenty of water!

Just stand as close to the fence as possible and shoot through the fence at your widest aperture and you should be good to go. This is where a shallow depth of field really helps you out. The fence is so close that it blurs right out of the picture. In many cases, there were two fences between me and the track, spaced about four feet apart. With such a long focal length, I was still able to shoot through both fences without a problem. I'd still recommend switching the lens to far focus range (8.5m to infinity) to keep the camera from being tripped up by the fence though.

Also note that "tickets" aren't on that list. All of these shots were taken from the public viewing areas outside of the track. It actually amazed me that some of the best viewing areas were left totally free.

That's not to say that I wouldn't recommend tickets. The general admission will get you plenty of cool places to watch the race, and plenty of free schwag. Unfortunately, almost none of the viewing locations lend themselves to racing photography. On the other hand, if you're looking for shots of spectators, you won't be disappointed. There's plenty of good people-watching in the general admission areas.

If you can swing it, I'd also recommend getting the paddock pass. It's inside the convention center, which is a great place to cool off and watch the drivers and race teams prep the cars. In some ways it's a show unto itself. If you're into getting portraits of the drivers, this is the place to be. Just have the high ISO ready, as the lighting is fairly poor (1/30 f/2.8 at ISO 1600).

As a final note, here's a nine-shot composite image of turn 12 during the American Le Mans Series race. Each shot was a 2 second exposure at ISO 50, f/32.

It's amazing to see the variation in the tracks. Many of the wider and shallower turns (presumably sub-optimal) were due to other cars that were going through the turn at the same time. Here's a normal exposure from the same vantage point:

Of course the 1D Mark II scored again. A camera that I bought used in 2005 is still making great images in 2012. You shouldn't have any trouble finding one for well under $1000. Happy shooting!

Arizona Itinerary

Yes, it was a thousand miles. Yes, it was totally worth it.

Late last month we took our first trip out to Arizona using a nine-day itinerary that we put together back in 2010. Our original plan was to escape the cold of Maryland that March. Then we realized that the high desert of Arizona wasn't actually all that warm in early spring late winter, so we filed the itinerary away.

Before I continue though, I'd like to point out that this itinerary can be done in five days as well. So if you don't have nine vacation days, don't worry. Just change the two-night stays in Kayenta, Chinle, and Holbrook to one-night stays. What's more, you'll still get to be in the key locations at sunrise and sunset.

View Larger Map

Day 1:
Fly into Phoenix and drive to Cameron, stop for gas and supplies in Flagstaff. Cameron Trading Post has a nice hotel and a good restaurant, so I'd recommend staying there. Seriously, try the Navajo Taco. If you're really hard core, you can head over to the Grand Canyon for sunset (we didn't do this).

Day 2:
Get an early start and visit the south rim of Grand Canyon, which is about 45 minutes away from Cameron. The earlier you can get there, the better since the light is nicer, and the temperature is lower. Take the middle of the day to drive to Kayenta, then hit up Monument Valley for sunset.

Day 3:
Head up to Monument Valley for sunrise, then do an early hike around the Wildcat Trail. Take plenty of water. Parts of the trail are sandy and therefore strenuous. Chill in the hotel for the hot part of the day, then head back to Monument Valley for sunset. I'd recommend booking a sunset tour with one of the local Navajo guides, which should run about $75 per person. Ask for the guide who plays his flute at the Big Hogan during the tour.

Day 4:
Gas up the car and drive down to Chinle (watch out for bulls and horses in the street), then hit up the north rim of Canyon de Chelly. Be sure to bring your binoculars to get a better view of the ruins.

Day 5:
Take an early hike from the south rim down to the White House ruins. Again, bring plenty of water, most of which you'll drink on the way back up to the top. When you get back to the top, hop in the car and preview the rest of the south rim. Wait out the heat in the hotel, then head back out for sunset pictures at Spider Rock.

Day 6:
Take your time and make your way to Holbrook. Be sure to stop at the Hubbell Trading Post and Painted Desert along the way. I'd also recommend stopping at the Painted Desert visitor center to watch the film on how the park formed. Take some time in the evening to check out old Route 66 in Holbrook. Heck, you can even stay in a tepee at the Wigwam Motel.

Day 7:
Petrified Forest. Take the morning to check out the amazing colors in the Crystal Forest, then head north to the Blue Mesa, Puerco Pueblo ruins, and Newspaper Rock. If you're into train-spotting, then this is also a great location since there's almost always train traffic along I-40. Again, escape the heat in the hotel, then head back to Blue Mesa for sunset pictures.

Day 8:
Listen to some Eagles and head over to Winslow. Hit up the Old Trails Museum, stand on "the corner", and walk old Route 66. Gas up the car and head south along AZ-87 (Bee Line Highway) to Phoenix. It's a fairly mundane drive at first, but it eventually opens up into an amazing mountain road. Be sure to stop and check out the saguaro cactus at Ballantine trail near mile marker 210.

Day 9:
Fly out of PHX.

Other Tips:
Don't forget to make your hotel reservations in advance. There aren't a lot of options in towns like Cameron, Kayenta, and Chinle, especially if you care about the quality of your accommodations.

If you decide to book any tours or reservations, be sure to clarify whether Daylight Saving Time (DST) is in effect. Arizona does not observe DST, but the Navajo Nation does. I would also recommend not reading the time from your cell phone. Basically, most cell phones are configured to use the time of the nearest cell tower. The problem is that you don't know whether the nearest cell tower is actually in the Navajo Nation, so you don't know if your phone is giving you the correct time.

Also remember to pick up some extra jugs of water in Phoenix or Flagstaff. You never know what kind of cooling problems you or your car are going to have out in the desert. We didn't use up all our water, but the guys at the rental car return gladly took our unopened bottles.

Test Rolls

As some of you know, I bought a Leica kit late last year. I've been gradually putting the gear through its paces. Of course the main item I was after was the M6. However, a Leica CL was also included. When I bought it, the former owner told me that the CL was actually his favorite camera to shoot with. At the time, I found this hard to believe with an M6 sitting right there. However, after taking it out and about in downtown Baltimore, I'm starting to see why.

Patrick Joust was nice enough to give me a couple rolls of (very) expired T-MAX 400 at the Film in Baltimore meetup last March. I thought the CL would be the perfect test case.

I do have to say though, that this film was in bad shape. The lead sticking out of the canister was much lighter than the film inside the canister, and the film was so brittle that I actually snapped off the tip when I was loading it into the camera. It's interesting going out to shoot when you know that none of your shots may be coming out. As you may have noticed though, I like exploring, so even if the shots didn't come out, I could still write it off as "scouting."

In the end, NCPS did a great job developing and scanning the film. It came out a bit grainy, but hey, this was just a test.

So the CL may not have the amazing build quality or cache of an M6. It's a practical photographic tool that accepts great Leica glass like the 40mm Summicron. And for a price that leaves some room for actual film and travel. Sounds like a deal to me.

That First Roll

There's a lot to be said about the first roll of film that comes out of a new camera. Simultaneously bringing all your experience to bear on a new photographic tool. The feeling of uncertainty that comes with film, followed by the satisfaction of getting that first roll back from the lab. It's completely intertwined with the act of photography itself.



Occasionally it results in disappointment. The first time I went out to shoot with my Xpan, I completely botched the film loading process. After walking all over downtown Baltimore to finish a whole roll, I opened up the back of the camera only to find the film lead just sitting there. In the end, I simply had to write off the whole thing as a "scouting opportunity" and move on. It wasn't until just a couple months ago that I returned to some of those places for a do-over:



Of course, the real reason for this article is my first roll through the Leica M6, which I acquired about a month ago. This thing certainly lives up to the name. The meter only worked for about the first half of the roll before the cold killed the batteries. No matter though, because this is a fully mechanical camera. As long as you can set the shutter speed and aperture, it will gladly keep shooting.

I'll admit, eyeballing the exposure was a bit intimidating at first, growing up in an automatic age. A little practice with a free Exposure-Mat and soon I was memorizing f/8 exposures for all kinds of situations.

I was also afraid that the pictures wouldn't have enough contrast since I didn't have any E39 filters. I almost always use a 49mm Orange(G) filter on my Xpan to add contrast. Lo and behold, the legendary Leica lenses came through, adding their own creamy contrast.



The sheer simplicity of it really is mind-boggling. And nothing else in photography feels quite like the smooth, manual action of winding the film crank on a quality camera. Just wow. Need a Leica alternative? Fear not, the winding action on the venerable Nikon F3 is extremely impressive as well.

But I digress, this is supposed to be about photography, not mechanics. It's that clean, featureless simplicity that allows the photographer to focus on being a photographer.

Here's to another amazing tool in the toolbox.

Awesome Batch

You know it's a good sign when your scanned film comes back from the lab, and the CD jacket has "Awesome batch!" handwritten on it. Needless to say, this required immediate attention. Here are some of the highlights, including semi-recent trips to Philadelphia, DC, and Baltimore.

















I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend.

FotoWeekDC

Just a quick post to remind everyone that FotoWeekDC starts this weekend. If you live in the Baltimore/DC area, you owe it to yourself to head down and check out some of the great lectures and exhibitions. It's also great to be around other people who love photography. We see plenty of photo-enthusiasm online, but physically being there takes it to a whole new level. I hope you can make it.

Unlimited Color

I know the blog has been lacking color lately. Fortunately, there's an unlimited supply of color photos that I've been meaning to put up. These are a few shots from my trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton in July, 2008. Obviously, they're a little overdue. As always, more on Flickr. Enjoy!