Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Landscape Photography Locations => Topic started by: ph_anto on April 29, 2009, 02:15:31 am

Title: Four corners area
Post by: ph_anto on April 29, 2009, 02:15:31 am

What do you think about the Southwest in the first 2 weks of september?

Title: Four corners area
Post by: dalethorn on April 29, 2009, 08:07:58 am

Quote from: ph_anto

What do you think about the Southwest in the first 2 weks of september?

If you shoot in the daytime the sun can be very harsh - filters may help. Just after sunrise or before sunset can be good, but the hills and rocks throw long dark shadows, so you may find some locations work best at one end of the day and not the other.

Title: Four corners area
Post by: dspeed on April 29, 2009, 08:54:16 am

Quote from: ph_anto

What do you think about the Southwest in the first 2 weeks of september?

The good:
The tourists should be clearing out.

The lesser good:
It's going to be hot.
Few clouds.
Early sunrise, late sunset.

Title: Four corners area
Post by: Kirk Gittings on April 29, 2009, 10:42:13 am

August is our "monsoon" season with storms moving through and nice clouds, but some of that may linger into early September.

Title: Four corners area
Post by: ph_anto on April 29, 2009, 03:08:15 pm

Quote from: Kirk Gittings

August is our "monsoon" season with storms moving through and nice clouds, but some of that may linger into early September.

i've done a lot of trp in the Southwest but always in the first half of october.this year i don't know if i can go in the same season.what do you think about tourist in this area in september?

Title: Four corners area
Post by: Kirk Gittings on April 29, 2009, 04:01:42 pm

Quote from: ph_anto

i've done a lot of trp in the Southwest but always in the first half of october.this year i don't know if i can go in the same season.what do you think about tourist in this area in september?

September is not a big tourist month because the kids have just gone back to school.

Title: Four corners area
Post by: JeffKohn on April 29, 2009, 04:11:13 pm

Quote from: Kirk Gittings

September is not a big tourist month because the kids have just gone back to school.

This is why my favorite travel months are Sept - Oct and April - May. Places are much less crowded.

Title: Four corners area
Post by: framah on April 29, 2009, 05:35:50 pm

You buying??  

I like to go out there in October myself.

Title: Four corners area
Post by: Kirk Gittings on April 29, 2009, 06:33:45 pm

Quote from: framah

You buying??  

I like to go out there in October myself.

I agree completely. I prefer early winter clouds and they seem to be best in NW New Mexico in October, though it is reeeeally hard to predict these days. You just have to roll the dice.

One of my favorite events is the Shiprock Navajo Fair. I first went there many years ago on assignment to photograph the rodeo for Sunset magazine. I have been back many times since:

Quote

The Oldest Navajo Fair on the Navajo Reservation. The annual Fair is held in Shiprock, New Mexico at the Shiprock fairgrounds the first weekend of October. The event usually includes exhibits, rodeo, pow-wow, traditional song & dance, parade and carnival. The main attraction is the Ye'ii Bi Chei ceremony conducted for the first time of the year any where on the Navajo Nation. The famous "Yei" rugs, depicting the Yei deities, have traditionally been woven in the Shiprock area.

Title: Four corners area
Post by: Adam Schallau on April 30, 2009, 12:25:51 pm

Kirk mentioned August being the monsoon season and sometimes it hangs around into early September. The Monsoon storms can really add a lot of drama to the southwest landscape.

Keep in mind that in September the "Mitten Shadow (http://adamschallau.com/gallery/7838721_YkyaB/1/507936698_ucSEa)" event occurs at Monument Valley (http://adamschallau.com/keyword/monument+valley#508615685_gQDEn).