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Author Topic: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query  (Read 6427 times)

DickKenny

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Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« on: October 05, 2012, 06:32:39 am »

I'm visiting San Francisco next spring with 5 or 6 days to spare. Too short a time to confidently scout and shoot foreign lands, but maybe just the right amount of time to join an organised photo tour/workshop. Any recommendations based on personal experience of such trips and their organisers would be most welcome. More interested in insights into standard of organisation, and knowledge of location, than the precise area mentioned in headline; but obviously those two national parks are where I have my sights set. So far.

Many thanks in advance for anything you feel you can share.
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sierraman

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2012, 09:21:18 am »

I'm visiting San Francisco next spring with 5 or 6 days to spare. Too short a time to confidently scout and shoot foreign lands, but maybe just the right amount of time to join an organised photo tour/workshop. Any recommendations based on personal experience of such trips and their organisers would be most welcome. More interested in insights into standard of organisation, and knowledge of location, than the precise area mentioned in headline; but obviously those two national parks are where I have my sights set. So far.

Many thanks in advance for anything you feel you can share.

Contact Bret Edge. He knows that area as much as anyone and is a fine photographer. www.bretedge.com   :)
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nma

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2012, 10:42:34 am »

Instead of a workshop or tour, I recommend a local photoguide. In the Moab/Canyonlands/Arches/Deadhorse Point area, I recommend Jon Fuller (www.moabphototours.com), a very fine photographer and teacher who has a deep knowledge of the local scene, including little-known remnants of the ancient Indian culture (petroglyphs, pictographs, caves, canyons, etc which are very photogenic). I have heard that Bret Edge is good, too.  I found that scheduling a full day with Jon allowed me to visit places I could not go by myself (real off-road destinations) and Jon helped me organize an itinerary for places I could go by myself.
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PDobson

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2012, 01:25:47 pm »

Hiring a guide sounds like a great option for you. It's my experience that the best parts of Moab are tucked away off the beaten path. To see those areas, you either need a good guide or be prepared for some serious adventuring.

I personally prefer to go adventuring myself, but it gets kind of crazy. On a visit to the aptly named Mysteries, we tried to make a loop through the towers by connecting two canyon systems separated by a short traverse. Towers with names like Atlas, the Citadel, and Gothic Nightmare rose above us. Cliff bands constantly frustrated our progress. We ended up getting through via a section we dubbed the "sketchy death traverse". Despite this, (or maybe because of this), the Mystery Towers are now my favorite part of the Moab area. Last spring, I even took my parents there. Once your know the area, it becomes a causal three mile hike in a completely otherworldly landscape.

In short, find someone who knows what they're doing and go someplace special. You'll have an amazing time in a landscape that doesn't even feel like it could exist on Earth.

Phillip
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marcmccalmont

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2012, 11:21:34 pm »

Bret Edge +1
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

DickKenny

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2012, 03:50:15 am »

Excellent. Thank you all very much for responding with what looks to be solid advice. Luckily, I have some flexibility over the timing of my visit to United States. Within the broad span of spring, is there any particular period better than other. I'm leaning towards Canyonlands. Given say three or four days total, is it worth trying to spread this over both there and Arches? Or better to concentrate on one?   

Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.
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marcmccalmont

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2012, 11:44:08 am »

4 days you can do Arches, Canyonlands and Dead Horse state park hitting the highlights of each
Consider it just the Moab area
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

aross007

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2012, 07:14:44 pm »

Dick,

My only thought about when to go to Moab would be that early in the spring it is liable to be cold, and late in spring it is liable to be hot.  It is always beautiful.  The other thought I had was that in making your travel plans, you should remember that Moab is almost 1000 miles from San Francisco, and about 200 miles from Salt Lake City, the nearest large airport.  You will need to factor in significant travel time.

Alan
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dreed

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2012, 06:50:07 am »

I'm visiting San Francisco next spring with 5 or 6 days to spare. Too short a time to confidently scout and shoot foreign lands, but maybe just the right amount of time to join an organised photo tour/workshop. Any recommendations based on personal experience of such trips and their organisers would be most welcome. More interested in insights into standard of organisation, and knowledge of location, than the precise area mentioned in headline; but obviously those two national parks are where I have my sights set. So far.

You'll be in San Francisco and you want to ignore California and travel to Utah?

The reason for that would be...?
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bretedge

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #9 on: October 20, 2012, 12:08:31 pm »

Huge thanks to Marc, sierraman and nma for mentioning me as an option for a local photography guide.  I very much appreciate it!

Dick:

There are three of us in Moab who offer private photography tours and workshops: Eric Odenthal, Jon Fuller and me.  We're all local, we all know the area very well and we're all experienced photographers.  No matter who you choose you'll surely have a fantastic experience while adding several stunning photographs to your collection. 

The advantages of hiring a local guide as opposed to someone from out of town are obvious: we know the area in every season, at every time of day.  To put it bluntly, we're intimate with the Moab landscape.  Some locations are best photographed in certain seasons, others only if you've got a great sky, etc.  Photographers who haven't worked an area at every time of the year won't know the little nuances of the landscape that can make or break a photograph.  Hiring a local guide allows you to take advantage of our knowledge.

Here's a little bit about me: I've been photographing the Moab area for 10 years, living here for 6.5.  I'm a professional nature and adventure photographer and owner of The Edge Gallery on Main St. in Moab.  I'm a certified Adult Training Generalist with over 15 years of experience in training and educating adult professionals.  I've led private and group photography workshops for over 5 years throughout the Rocky Mountain region. 

Here are links to each Moab are photography guide:

Eric Odenthal - Windgate Adventures
Jon Fuller - Moab Photo Tours
Bret Edge - Bret Edge Photography

Best of luck to you. Enjoy your time in Moab!

markadams99

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2012, 04:41:14 pm »

I've stayed in Moab a few times and often get to a photogenic spot before sunrise (typically a 30-60 minute drive + short walk), wander around for a while in the morning and back to Moab for a bite and a kip, then out again in the mid-afternoon and back after dark. November and February suit my clock for sunrise and sunset (about 07.30 and 17.30). The locations are mostly empty, the air is clear, there's snow on the peaks, renting an apartment is cheaper.

By the way I enjoyed your site - the shots of your boxers with cows are hilarious.

DickKenny

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Re: Arches/Canyonlands tours/workshops query
« Reply #11 on: October 21, 2012, 05:58:36 am »

More good advice; with all the positive pointers being eagerly soaked up. Great community. Cordially, dk
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