Preparing for a Photo Trip

I made this image in February in Big Bend N.P.  The sun was setting and we were standing on a high overlooking of the Rio Grande River.  The river divides the U.S. and Mexico.  In this photo Mexico is on the left and the U.S. on the right.  It takes a lot of work and planning when going on far away photography trips.  Many things I take for granted when photographing at home are now thrown into the mix of the decision process.  Equipment and gear management can be problematic when living on the road for a few weeks.  Many of these trips require backpacking and tent camping to be in a remote location at the best time of day when the light is right for photography.  In my planning I need to consider my maximum amount of equipment with the least amount of weight for my trip.  Often times it comes down to if I am going solo or have my wife as my hiking companion as to how much equipment I will take.  In my film days I would hike with a 4x5 view camera that required bulky film holders and a heavy tripod.  On my day hikes I would try to estimate how many sheets of film I might expose that day and try to pack my gear to match the trail and the terrain I was in.  Carrying a limited amount of film require that I didn't duplicate exposures and waited until the light was at its best.  With my digital equipment the concerns are different.  The equipment is much lighter but the gear and accessories can be more numerous.  The biggest concern is keeping everything powered up and maintaining battery life. I usually buy several batteries that I keep as spares but still find myself searching for a receptacle in a campground or public washroom to plug in my charger.  The amount of accessories that I bring along seems to always be increasing.  The various power cords for electronic equipment is in a constant state of change and with each new piece of equipment comes a new cord with a different connector.  This can be a source of frustration especially when a power adapter or a certain type of cord is left at home.  Other things like filters, memory cards, cellphone, laptops, and other devices can add to the complication of trying to travel light.   We are preparing for a two week, three state trip next week to the Northwest U.S.  As I go through my equipment I set it out on a table and pair everything up so I am certain not to forget a vital component.  These trips are always fun but it takes a lot energy before, during, and after the trip.  I will celebrate my 69th birthday while on this trip and realize the limitation of age is coming into play in my life but the desire to explore is endless. 

Terlingua Cemetery

This image is from a series I have been working on with nighttime photography.  This image is comprised of two images blended together in Photoshop.  With the first image I use a light painting technique to light the crosses and grave sites.  This exposure was around five minutes giving me enough time to navigate around with my flashlight and paint in the areas of the scene I wanted lit.  It was a full moon night and the stars were not visible.  I made a separate night sky exposure of just the open sky on a later date when the sky had plenty of stars.  The first exposure on the full moon night gave plenty of detailed to the distance mountains, giving depth to the image.  Making these kind of images takes some planning.  I usually scout out the location in the daytime to plan my composition and lighting for when I am there in the dark.  Once I am at the location at night I first make a test exposure at a high ISO to see the composition and make any adjustments that are needed.  I use a Sony mirrorless camera and with the live view and manual focus features, it makes determining my focus point fairly easy.  Night photography can be fun with some proper planning and being carful when moving around in the dark.  If you have any questions about this technique contact me and I will try to answer your questions.