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It is not difficult or strenuous. Well, other than the rough truck ride to the canyon. The Native Americans control the site and are excellent guides. When I was there the number of people going through was small enough so people didn't get in the photo.
Of course, you don't want to be in the canyon if it is raining, nor will they let you, as that would be strenuous. Next time you are in the area, give it a try. Pretty challenging to take photos that haven't been taken before, but still plenty of fun. I have not been in there with a medium format camera, and that would be a kick.
Peter has some great shots, and can tell you more about issues that are more up to date. I was there three or four years ago.JackAn equipment issue:
When taking photos near roaring waterfalls, several of us experienced equipment problems with bladders. The S2 never failed, but next time I will wear earplugs.JackThe material is soft to the touch microfiber of some sort.
Net it feels good and is quiet.I got my first M6 in the early 80's and preferred to use vests for photography back then.
I bought this vest then as the perfect combination of usable pockets and style. I ended up not using it as I preferred to downplay the brand of whatever gear I was using. I guess I could have put tape over the Leica name!The back of the vest has a full length red plastic zipper that would hold a small tripod or a wind breaker.
The label says designed for Leica rather than designed by Leica.If I don't sell it, if I ever go to a Leica Historical meeting I will wear it then.
JackKipper,
So far your shot of the dead trees is one of my favorite images from that location.
Both David and I posted wide-angle shots of the location, and Joe privately showed me some excellent work. The dead trees was the best subject for all three of you.However I did go back and of course try and convert one of my huge merges into a triptych. I prefer it as a triptych, but I usually do.
JackDoug,
As you might notice from my other postings, I too prefer pockets over bags. I wear a sport coat as my purse, and it is because it has many handy pockets. On the Fall trip I used a rain jacket and a hunting jacket which had large pockets.I had vests in the past. But I concluded they are clunky and the pockets are not big enough for S lenses. Yes the vest allows for more weight hung from a shoulder rather than a belt, but why not use a sport coat instead.
So I am not going to suggest a vest for you to buy from a catalog. Instead, I am going to offer you a vest I no longer use. A very limited addition Leica Vest. I get a kick out of it, but I don't use it. It should be recycled to someone who will use it. Not too subtle, so maybe you don't want it, but perhaps some reader desires it. It will go to the highest offer to help finance my Micro Prism finder. Trust me, this has enough pockets for anyone, including three inside and one huge one on the back. The label says “designed by Leica”
JackMark,
Just for our learning, would you reexport one of your images from LR with sRGB selected so we can see the difference please.Meanwhile here are a few shots of you.
The one of you in the falls is my favorite. You were wearing the right color for the shot. I captured your right arm in movement.
For others viewing this, There was a good awareness of not getting in another's shot. This shot was one that I was purposely framing Mark in the shot, as I had already gotten the shot without other photographers. I might add that an additional reason to shoot some sites early was to get there before a bus load of people descended on a site. There was one suspension bridge that one could onely shoot time exposures from if no other photographer moved. The bus load crossing that bridge ended that shot. Mark and David did a wonderful job of scouting not only the locations to shoot, but the proper timing.
JackHaving seen the new display vs my old one, this replacement is worth losing the camera for a bit.
JackJoe,
I like them all, but your rocks in the water at Mirror Lake with the trees on the left was a look I like a lot, and missed myself. Good for you.
JackJackOne of the joys of digital has been the ability to “add filtration” in the post process.
That is certainly true with B&W when any filtration can be added later.But Rodger, you described exactly the three pluses of filtration in the field.
I used to use polarizers for blue skies. Not needed in the digital world. But in fall when you want the leaves highlights reduced, the polarizer was useful. And as you said useful on water. Also useful when stacking with a ND filter to get darker. However, I shoot a lot of panoramas, and a polarizer can make merging more difficult as it is more of a blending challenge. Net, I used the polarizer in a more limited way than others.
The Variable Density filter was used regularly. I had a soft variation, David Farkas also had a “hard” version that I saw him use very nicely once. None of us had these ND's to start with, all of us bought and used them by the end. As stated elsewhere, I had used these years ago with a Pentax 67 but thought they were more useful as colored VariDensity filters then. Colored VD filters in a digital would are as unnecessary as are B&W filters. Back then the filters were plastic and I felt they degraded the glass of the lens, so I did not like to use them. Glass panels make a big difference.
David's system was so precise, I enjoyed using it. David and Josh should do a video on how effective his system is, because words clearly can't explain how nice his system is. You live near to him, so just stop in his shop sometime and get a demonstration. Hey, have Josh video the demonstration. I sure was glad he had enough to sell to us all. The fact that we then all used it suggests you really ought to try it for your landscape. By the way, often on water, we would turn the filter up side down to cut the brightness of the water versus the foliage.
The exception in the use of VariableD filters is this shot that we all joked needed a V shaped variable density filter. Here we all were using the S2 exposure bracketing ability and working exposure blending or HDR in post. So it wasn't like we were not shooting for Exposure Blending, it's just that few have been posted yet as the process is time consuming. I did this shot as fast as possible just for this post, and I need to revisit the shot to finish it. So I hope viewers don't jump on the image yet. The group shot was exposed for the map sign, and the blown out clouds were quickly and clumsily toned down in post.
So, the variable density system costs several hundred dollars. What is you time worth in avoiding post work? David, after you get some micro prism finders in stock, work on a V shaped variable density ND filter please.
JackDavid,
I had to laugh at your Kent Pond photo when I saw it was taken over 60 seconds.
When I took it, it only took 1/3 second.
And why was that? Because I recall you got lost getting to the site. Mark had told you exactly where to turn we thought. So you arrived in true darkness rather than dusk. I still remember your van with head lights on flying down the dirt road 15 minutes after we had arrived. The light had dropped off quickly. You set up your tripod more quickly.But hey, you got the shot! A key learning from the trip was the ability to keep shooting when it is truly DARK.
I include below this shot that Mark and I worked on before Kent Pond. You were in the van in front of us and said you wanted to study your map as where to take the next shot. Mark in our van merely laughed and said the next shot was behind us. So we backed up a quarter of a mile and got this merged panorama of trees above the highway. The cropped close-up shows you conferring with the other van on where we should go next to take a autumn shot, a shot Mark had already figured out by backing up.
The triptych is the slicing and dicing of the panorama. Is is good for 3 two foot by two foot panels. I was using a 120mm. Mark shot this with a 180mm so if he used his shot to get the triptych, he would have less cropping and waste. So his triptych could go in 3 foot by 3 foot panels.
The next shot I recall was then at Kent Pond, a very good choice, but for you in the dark.
BTW, had a wonderful time, and thank you for scouting out all the good spots a year earlier.
Jack
Ok, I can add a few shots. The second is a rain survival demonstration:
Yes the 400mm is a nice set up.
For more see:
http://www.macdonough.net/Weather/S2-in-the-field/19511368_CQcD7M#P-1-10Jack
