Photo/Travel Blog by Tom Dempsey – What's New

March 23, 2008

Tips for visiting Alaska

Filed under: Alaska, Travel Advice, photo tips — Tom Dempsey @ 12:18 pm

For an illustrated summary of my Alaska tips in PDF format, click here: “Alaska via Air, Sea & RV”

Below right: The Alaska Range reflects in Summit Lake (3210 feet elevation) on the Richardson Highway.

06AK_3150-Summit-Lake-3210ft_Alaska-Range.jpg

Suggested Alaska Itinerary:

  • If you have 1 week: A great way to see Alaska in a short visit is to fly to Anchorage, rent a camper or RV, and drive for a week or more (about 600+ miles) to see everything on the Kenai Peninsula, which is a great microcosm of Alaska.
  • If you have 2 to 3 weeks: Do the above, and add a ~1200+ mile driving loop seeing Valdez, Fairbanks, & Denali National Park (red tundra fall colors in Denali reach their peak from the end of August to early September, ~350 miles one way from Anchorage). 
    • I recommend booking a side trip (off the Richardson Highway) to visit McCarthy and Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark (use the Kennecott Shuttle to avoid 120 miles round trip on a rough potholed road; although the road has improved over the years).
  • If you have 3 to 4 weeks (same as above except spend more time for hiking, relaxing, and sidetrips).
  • Alaska Time Zone = Seattle (or Pacific Time Zone) minus one hour.

Camper, Motorhome or RV Rental:

Traveling with a pickup camper or RV has distinct advantages over tenting or lodging, if your goal is to experience the great Alaskan outdoors:

  • Car + Tenting is the cheapest way to see Alaska. However, Alaska is a bit too rainy & buggy to sleep in a tent regularly (unless you are young or hardy). Tenting subjects you to the whims of weather.
  • Car + Lodging:
    • Car plus lodging costs about as much as renting an RV.
    • Disadvantages of staying in hotels/accommodation:
      • Lodging often must be reserved well in advance in popular areas of Alaska.
      • Lodging can be scarce in the beautiful areas where you may most want to experience nature, whereas RV camping or overnight parking areas are much more plentiful.
    • Advantages of camping:
      • Campground slots are very much easier to obtain spontaneously, versus finding lodging. The only campgrounds we needed to reserve ( during our trip August 15 to September 8, 2006 ) were Teklanika (RV) and Wonder Lake (tent) in Denali NP.
      • Camping puts you in closer contact with nature than a hotel room. An RV is just as comfortable, and more convenient, than a hotel room.
      •   Once you unpack your luggage into an RV, you don’t need to manually lug your belongings around for the rest of the trip.
  • Pickup Camper or RV: http://www.photoseek.com/06AK_7118-Steller-sea-lion_AK-Sealife-Center.jpg
    • A pickup mounted with a camper shell will take you over rougher roads to more places than a motorhome or RV.
    • A pickup camper gets much better gas mileage than an RV, but its daily rental rate can be higher than a small RV. The net cost may end up about the same for pickup camper versus RV, even in the off season.
      • Save 20 to 30% on your motorhome RV rental by renting before or after high season, which runs from about July 1 to August 15.
      • When I priced pickup campers in 2006, they offered no off-season price savings.
    • In 2006, we used the following excellent value RV rental company:  ClippershipMotorhomes.com
      • Clippership Motorhomes: free airport pick up (907) 562-7051 or 800-421-3456. 8-5 pm every day.
      • 20 or 22-foot Economy Class $2200 for 24 days August 15 – September 8, 2006 = $90/day plus gas (includes 8% MOA tax & 3% state tax), 2400 free miles then $.15/mile; housekeeping package $15 each. Reserve with deposit $250, then upon arrival pay $250 more deposit.  All gravel roads are prohibited, though you can of course drive into gravelled campgrounds or short access roads. It only gets 9 miles per gallon of gasoline or less. Ouch!
      • Includes: Sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, pots and pans, knife, fork and spoon for each traveler, pancake turner, measuring cup, baking pan, scrubber, cooking spoons, can opener, grater, colander, paring knife, butcher knife, coffee pot, mixing bowls, pot holders, cutting board, potato peeler, broom, dust pan, water hose, level, trash can and instruction manual. Add the convenient HOUSEKEEPING PACKAGE: $15.00 per person: dishes, glasses, pitcher, kitchen towel, dish cloth, first aid kit, dish soap, paper towels, toilet paper, bath soap, toilet chemical, matches and hangers.
  • Fly to Alaska + Rent a Vehicle:
    • Flying to Anchorage and picking up your reserved vehicle saves at least 4000 miles of driving time & expense getting to Alaska from the Lower 48 States.
    • We cashed in Northwest Airline miles for free flights to Anchorage, where we rented an RV for 24 days (August 15 to September 8), which plunged us directly into the big Alaskan scenery, while avoiding two weeks of extra driving round trip from Seattle.
      • Seattle to Anchorage is 5000 miles round trip. Driving to the first Alaskan town of Tok would take 4000 miles round trip, which would have added two weeks of steady driving, campground & food expenses, plus wear and tear on our own vehicle.
      • Although the Alaskan Highway is a famous journey, much of the drive is actually monotonous forest scenery. The time and expense saved (for not driving 4000 miles round trip to Tok) easily pays for renting an RV for a significant block of vacation time. The break even point may be 1 to 3 weeks RV rental, depending upon your situation. If you plan to stay more than a month, it may be worth driving your own vehicle from the Lower 48.
  • Southeast Alaska travel tip: 
    • On a future trip to Southeast Alaska, which is significantly closer to Seattle than Anchorage, we plan to drive our own camper to Prince Rupert, Canada, from where we will ride the ferries (without our vehicle) to Juneau and back to Prince Rupert. (Bringing a car on the ferry would cost $800+ and require reservations 4-6 months in advance.) With our savings from not bringing a car, we can flexibly rent cars or take public transportation along the ferry routes. We can board ferries more spontaneously as passengers without a car. Locals say April/May has the best weather and fewer tourists.

Eagle Creek, Alaska: Female moose with two calvesRight: Female moose with two calves at Eagle Creek Campground, on the Glenn Highway, Milepost 11.6 from Anchorage.

Weather/When to visit:

  • May 10 to September 15 is generally a good time to visit most parts of Alaska.
  • Long daylight: June 21 is the longest day of the year, with 19 hours of daylight in Anchorage, 22 in Fairbanks, and 18 in Southeast Alaska. Any time between Spring and Fall equinoxes, the days are significantly longer in Alaska than at lower latitudes.
  • Peak tourist season is mid-June to mid-August. Before and after that are “shoulder season” discounts 10 – 25% at some hotels and tour operators.
  • Hiking season: Snow in high country or Arctic regions does not melt until about late June. June is “post-hole” season, so named for walking through melting patchy snow.
  • Fall colors: Peak fall colors of the red tundra in Denali are late August to early September. On the Kenai Peninsula, aspen tree yellow & gold leaf fall colors usually peak September 15-18th, a few days after Denali National Park. The Glenn Highway (from Anchorage to Glennallen) has great gold aspens against rugged mountain background. Just a few days after Kenai comes the Anchorage area’s yellow color peak, which is the last turning of leaf colors in south-central Alaska.
  • May is generally drier in Alaska, with about a 25% chance of measurable rain on the average day. Alaska gets rainier as the summer progresses. By August, the chance of rain increases to about 50% on a given day.
  • Climate zones:
    • The rainiest areas are on the ocean side of the mountain ranges.
    • In south-central Alaska’s summer (such as in Anchorage & Homer), expect rain one third of the time, cloudy one third, and sunny one third. Peak mosquito season is the end of June and the first part of July in marshy lowlands, but no problem on breezy alpine ridges. Bugs are no problem after late July. South-central Alaska has 70% of the state’s population, the most roads and the most hiking trails. The varied climate transitions from the mild and wet southern coast, to the colder and drier interior to the north.
    • Fairbanks and the interior north of the Alaska Range have significantly sunnier weather than further south. The snow melts faster in the interior in Spring than in south-central Alaska. Early summer season has thunderstorms and forest fires. The interior of Alaska has more mosquitoes than south-central Alaska, starting in mid-June, but the bugs die away after the first frosts in late July. The best hiking is in the Alaska Range and the Yukon-Tanana uplands near Fairbanks.
    • Southeast Alaska (Juneau to Ketchikan) is the rainiest area in Alaska (with local variability). Locals say April/May has the best weather with the least rain (and fewer tourists).
    • Southwest Alaska (including Katmai National Park) is wet and windy, and stretches 1400 miles down the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands.
  • Weather Radio: When traveling in Alaska, check weather forecasts frequently, such as by using an inexpensive NOAA weather radio, which is built into many 5-to-10-mile “walkie talkie” style radios. Or check weather on the internet. By checking the NOAA radio’s two-day weather forecast (which is surprisingly accurate if you check the latest update every 6 hours), we were able to book spectacular sunny days for our 26-Glacier College Fjord Cruise, and for our flightseeing trip over Denali starting at Talkeetna.
  • Keep your schedule flexible: Near the end of August 2006 (the beginning of our trip), a steady downpour washed out a critical section of the Parks Highway from Anchorage to Denali for 2.5 days. By reversing our planned route, the road was fixed by the time we looped through.

Bring to Alaska:

  • A NOAA weather radio (such as found in walkie talkies with 8+ mile range) or internet connection for the latest 2-day weather forecast. The most recent forecast is critical for hikers and backpackers, and is surprisingly accurate for 1-2 days out. NOAA weather radio reception is available within about 10 or 15 miles of main cities.
  • compass
  • binoculars for wildlife viewing
  • Sleep mask – even on September 1, skies are surprisingly light for 16 hours in Anchorage!
  • If you are concerned about mosquitoes, complete your trip before they hatch in mid-June, or visit the last week in July or later when the first night frosts eliminate most insect problems. If visiting during mosquito season (mid-June to mid-July), bring DEET, which is the only proven repellent.
  • Motion sickness remedy (a prescription patch works best) for sea & air (we didn’t need it).
  • If camping overnight at Wonder Lake or elsewhere, bring camping gear: tent, stove, pots, sleeping bag, pad, backpack, safety matches, etc.
  • Hiking books:
    • 55 ways to the Wilderness in South Central Alaska, published 2002 by the Mountaineers Books. Excellent details on the best 55 hikes within about 4 hours drive of Anchorage.
    • Hiking Alaska, by Dean Littlepage, A Falcon Guide published 1997 by The Globe Pequot Press. This book is a helpful overview of the best hikes throughout Alaska.


Above: I photographed the above image of Mt. McKinley / Denali (20,320 ft) from the Denali Park Road near Eielson Visitor Center, accessible only by bus.  Feel free to ask the shuttle driver to stop when you want to step out to take a photograph.
     Mt. McKinley is only visible 1 out of 3 days. Rain falls half of the summer days, as light showers or drizzle. The least cloudy time is early morning, which requires overnight tenting at Wonder Lake (because even the earliest shuttle bus doesn’t reach Denali views until mid morning).  I was lucky to see Denali on five different days during a relatively sunny week, August 27 – Sept 3, 2006.  Photography is best on Denali National Park’s road at early or late daylight hours since Denali is backlit much of the afternoon (but it is nicely front lit from Denali State Park, which is closer to Anchorage, on the publicly accessible Parks Highway). 

Alaska Index for Photoseek.com: pages 1 ~ 2 ~ 3 ~ Alaska map ~ Travel tips

 

Map of our 2006 RV driving trip, about 2300 miles:

Seattle Aquarium, Washington: starfish, anenome, fish, octopus, clam, coral

Filed under: Travel Advice, Washington — Tom Dempsey @ 11:55 am

 0803AQU-16.jpgThe following images are highlights from my Seattle Aquarium page http://www.photoseek.com/wa1a-usa.html
Left: Ripples on the water surface distorts this view of an orange and red sea anemone at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington.

0803AQU-40-41pan-Seattle-Aquarium.jpg
Above right: This bivalve displays blue stripes glowing under ultraviolet light, next to some white coral, at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington.

0803AQU-51.jpgLeft: The Crescent Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) or Moon Wrasse is a bright blue and green fish with pink and yellow features, found in the Pacific Coral Reefs. Seattle Aquarium, Washington.

Below right: This blue and brown patterned fish is native to the Pacific coral reefs.

0803AQU-46.jpg 
0803AQU-27.jpg

Left: Starfish come in red, orange, purple and magenta colors intertwine at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington. Starfish or sea stars are any echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The “star fish” usually hunt for shelled animals such as oysters and clams. They have two stomachs, one used for digestion, and the other stomach can be extended outward to engulf and digest prey much larger than its mouth. Most starfish have 5 arms, which can be regenerated if lost.

Below: The Banded Coral Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) is a common sight on nearly every Indo-Pacific ocean reef. Although it looks like a shrimp, it is not a true shrimp. Also known as a Coral Banded Shrimp, Banded Boxer Shrimp, Banded Prawn, Barber-Pole Shrimp, or Cleaner Shrimp, it often feeds on the parasites that cooperative fish or eels allow it to pick off their bodies. Stenopus hispidus is a shrimp-like decapod crustacean, belonging to the infraorder Stenopodidea. It is a few centimetres long and has red bands around its body, and long, white antennae. The body is covered with short defensive spines. Like other decapods they can use the tail to escape backwards rapidly (the caridoid escape reaction). Stenopus hispidus is a common aquarium pet, because it removes dead tissue, algae and parasites from the tank and from larger fish. Seattle Aquarium, Washington
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Left: The Giant Pacific Octopus (Octopus dofleini) can be found along the Pacific coast from Alaska to southern California. This closeup view of octopus leg suckers is at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington.

Below: This bivalve displays blue stripes glowing under ultraviolet light, next to some coral, at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington.
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March 8, 2008

Beautiful Havasu Canyon and Falls, Supai, Arizona

Filed under: Arizona, Travel Advice — Tom Dempsey @ 4:07 pm

Below are highlights of my images for Havasu Canyon, from www.photoseek.com/swusa2.html:

Havasu Canyon flows into the Colorado River, and is part of the Grand Canyon. River rafters can hike a long rough trail up to visit Supai, but the normal access is via an 8-mile dusty horse trail from a car park at Hualapai Hilltop (or via helicopter).
     Havasupai (or Havasu ‘Baaja) means “people of the blue-green water,” and their people have tended fields in the Grand Canyon for at least 700 years. The Havasupai also lived at what is now called Indian Garden on the Bright Angel Trail in the main Grand Canyon, but they were evicted by the National Park Service in the 1920’s. Their brush shelters (wickiups) and gardens were destroyed at Indian Garden, leaving the Havasupai Tribe just 518 acres in Havasu Canyon. In 1975, a more the enlightened time, 187,500 acres of canyon and rimland were returned to the tribe. As of 2005, about 450 of the tribe’s 650 members live in the village of Supai. As of 1999, Supai is the only town in the United States which still receives its mail by mule train.
Images of Arizona from photoseek.com
Left: Havasu Canyon, Arizona: Havasu Creek plunges over Havasu Falls (100 feet high) in Havasu Canyon, on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. The beautiful color in the pools of Havasu Creek is caused by carbonate minerals settling to the bottom, turning it white, and acting as a reflector of the surrounding green and brown mossy cliffs plus the blue sky. This unique color combination creates a striking turquoise pool, and one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world.

Below right: A rainbow forms in the spray of the double plunge of Havasu Falls.
Images of Arizona from photoseek.com Images of Arizona from photoseek.com

Tom and Carol in Havasu Canyon, April 1999

Having registered for camping permission from the Havasupai Tribe a few weeks in advance (as recommended), Carol and I parked our car in the dirt lot at Hualapai Hilltop and backpacked the 8-mile dusty trail downhill into Supai Village. About 25,000 tourists visit each year, so advance reservations are recommended. We checked in at the tribal office, then hiked 2 more miles to the campground, passing the wonderful Havasu Falls, one of the most surprising desert oasis experiences in the world. We also visited the impressive Mooney Falls, a short walk further downstream. I say, “thank you very much, Havasupai people, for sharing your very special canyon with visitors.”
     To more fully experience the isolation of this desert oasis, I strongly recommend walking to Supai, instead of riding a horse or helicopter. But next time we’ll consider having the mule train carry our packs, to make the desert walk more comfortable. Helicopters also carry in people and supplies, but the loud chop-chopping roar disturbed my appreciation of this beautiful natural setting. Out of nowhere, a porta-potty suddenly flew over our heads. Helicopters repeatedly flew full porta-potties, one at a time on a very long cable, out of the heavily-used campground, for disposal elsewhere. A composting toilet would seem to be a more cost effective solution. The densely-packed and worn campground in this narrow canyon would have benefited by further restricting the number of visitors per day.

Right: Havasu Falls seen from above.

Below: Carol hikes down from the high desert rim into Havasu Canyon.

Images of Arizona from photoseek.com
Images of Arizona from photoseek.com
Left: Mooney Falls (200 ft high), was named after a miner who fell to his death here. It is located downstream of Havasu Falls on Havasu Creek, in the Havasupai Indian Reservation, Arizona.

Below right: Red cactus flower in Havasu Canyon.
99AZ-09-04-Cactus-flower.jpgClick for more… (more…)

March 5, 2008

Travel camera tips; stitched panoramas; Patagonia, Fitz Roy Range, Argentina

Filed under: Argentina, Canon, Patagonia, Travel Advice, compare cameras, photo tips — Tom Dempsey @ 11:31 am

Below: Patagonia, Argentina: Cerro Fitz Roy (or Monte Fitz Roy) was named after Captain Fitzroy of the ship Beagle, which carried Charles Darwin. The Yamana natives called this mountain “Chalten”, or “Peak of Fire,” probably because of the frequent smoke-like clouds which surround the mountain. The fiery sunrise light might also have influenced the name, as seen here from the southern end of the resort village of El Chalten near the entrance station for Los Glaciares National Park. Several hiking trails in the park offer a variety of stunning views. (I stitched this panorama in Adobe Photoshop from 3 images, which is a handy, inexpensive way to increase the wide angle resolution of your camera. Image number: 05ARG-50105-07pan@CerroFitzRoyRangeSunrise.jpg) 

 Fitz Roy Range sunrise (2), Argentina

From: Doug, in California:
I have long enjoyed your pictures of the Fitz Roy Range (from your web site), and my wife and I visited Calafate and then Chalten in late September of this year.  I had brought my new Hasselblad H3D hoping to get some spectacular photographs, but a combination of strong winds and persistent clouds over the mountains made that impossible.  I am thus asking you how much it would cost to get a high resolution panoramic digital image of the Fitz Roy Range (the second of your early morning panoramics is my favorite).  I am a professor of physics, but photography is my passion.  I am not a professional photographer.  My goal is always to take and print (Epson 4000) images that I can hang on my office and family room walls. Please advise.
Best wishes, Doug http://www.photoseek.com/05ARG-50106-Cerro-Torre-closeup.jpg

Tom Dempsey replied:   [Doug paid through Paypal, and I e-mailed the image as a JPEG file 13x43 inches at 300dpi. ]

Question from: Doug,  March 04, 2008: … I really like this one on my desktop…Macbook Pro, and the image on the high res screen is amazing.  It looks like you used a 4×5 camera with transparency film. Correct? …

Tom replied:  I stitched this panorama from 3 images shot on a tripod, from the 8 megapixel Canon Powershot Pro1 (3264×2448 pixels per image), enlarged to 13×43 and sharpened moderately in Photoshop for printing (except skies and shadows are not sharpened, to avoid accentuating the small amount of noise in areas of uniform tone).http://www.photoseek.com/05ARG-50106-Cerro-Torre-closeup.jpg 

In the image to the right, I show detail at 66% pixel zoom enlargement, taken from the top image:

Doug says: Thanks.  Boy did I get that wrong.  I suppose I was thinking about how I used to do those things before I went digital…
Have you ever played with a Better Light scanning back?  The only problem is that you end up with about 45 pounds of photo gear, and so you tend to shoot pretty near to your car… I tend to shoot with either a Canon EOS 1Ds II or my Hasselblad H3D. The Better Light back with either my Toyo 45G or Linhof Master Technika 45 produces really spectacular images, but only if there is no wind,  and close to my car.  I do have a sherpacart,  but I only use that when we are driving from home,  not flying to someplace.

Tom replied:  I have not used the Better Light scanning back; I like carrying a lightweight camera (trekking up to 10 hours a day in my chest bag, far from the car), and stitching images with Photoshop, a simple and lightweight solution.
… Two years after that Patagonia trip, in 2007, I upgraded to the Nikon D40X DSLR with Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens (38 ounces total), a better camera than the trusty 26-ounce Canon Pro1, both great for travel. If interested, here is how my equipment evolved over the years: http://www.photoseek.com/camera-history.html

Doug asks: What time of the year did you take the shot?  We were there in late September and it was awful!  We couldn’t see the mountains and the winds gusted to over 100 mph.

Tom replied:  I shot this Fitz Roy panorama at sunrise March 8, 2005, a windless morning at ground level, with wind-blown clouds above. The next day had 50mph winds up in the mountains, 30mph in town. An earlier day was cloudy and rainy, with less wind. Weather varies a lot there day by day. Climate statistics for Patagonia show that late February through March have less wind & rain than earlier in the summer; and March has fewer tourists than summer, best time to go, through April for fall colors.

Doug asks: By the way,  what are the two things that look like road signs at the extreme left of the panoramic?   Were you near a road?

Tom replied:  Those are road reflectors. The best shot at sunrise within 1.5 miles of my cabin in El Chalten was right off the road at the entrance to the town of El Chalten, Argentina.

March 3, 2008

Family travel: Canon Powershot G9 with tripod, versus Canon DSLR 40D with f/2.8L IS lens

Filed under: Canon, Hawaii, Thailand, Travel Advice, photo tips — Tom Dempsey @ 2:34 pm

Below right: This demon protects a gilded chedi (or stupa), at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), which is a shining complex of buildings within the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. Photograph by Carol Dempsey, using a Canon Powershot SD700 IS ELPH, which is a camera about the size of a deck of playing cards.

Photographer Tom Dempsey replies to Raul Panelo’s message at bottom March 03, 2008:

Dear Raul,

You probably already know that your skills as a photographer are much more important than the camera you choose. That being said, your high quality Canon 40D (and 20D) DSLR outfit has some important differences versus the 13-ounce Canon Powershot G9: Here are the main advantages of your excellent DSLR camera outfit

  • Prints larger than about 16 inches will be noticeably sharper and less distorted from the DSLR, versus from the Canon G9.
  • The shutter response is instantaneous on a DSLR, whereas the G9 has a slight delay of 0.4 to 0.6 seconds. (Workaround: half-press the shutter to pre-focus, then click at the right moment).
  • On the DSLR, for a given image noise/quality level, you can hand hold shots in 2 to 4 stops dimmer light using ISO 800-3200 (versus the G9 set at ISO 100-200; assuming you turn on IS image stabilization in both cameras for sharpest hand held performance). Using these settings, images may be indistinguishable in quality from DSLR versus G9, when viewed on any High Definition HD monitor or projector, or when printed less than about 12 inches in size. Your f/2.8L lenses for your Canon 40D are so good and sharp, that your personal judgement is required to determine the G9 breakeven point for print size, which I estimate at between 16 and 8 inches. Larger prints will look sharper from the Canon 40D.
  • DSLR cameras perform much better in dimmer light, because their larger lens glass diameter focuses much more light onto a sensor 6 times larger in area than in the G9.
  • Your proposed 1.4x lens extender loses a stop, but costs less than buying a new lens, and reduces bulk versus carrying an extra lens. Offhand I don’t know the actual quality difference when you extend your 70-200mm 2.8L IS by 1.4x. The tele extender might duplicate the effect (and quality?) of your Canon 75-300mm 4-5.6 IS, thus saving you extra bulk of carrying the 75-300mm when traveling.

…versus the Canon Powershot G9:

  • The G9 can work around many of its low light limitations by shooting always at ISO 100-200 (even 400 looks surprisingly good), and by mounting on a tripod, in the case of low light shots that exceed its excellent 2-4 stop hand-held “IS” capability. You may not see much difference between G9 images and DSLR images when you compare shots at ISO 100-200 and prints smaller than about 12 inches.
  • The G9 has big advantages of portability, fun factor, movie & sound recording, and good built in macro focusing down to 1 cm (very useful small macro image area 17 x 22 mm, better magnification than your DSLR lenses, unless you have a dedicated DSLR macro lens).
  • For a great value underwater camera: The $170 Waterproof Case WP-DC11 converts the Canon G9 into a high quality underwater camera for snorkeling Maui, Hawaii, Galapagos Islands, Belize, Mexico, the Caribbean Sea or other great destinations.
  • Compact cameras are great for traveling with family, because they are more portable and faster to whip out, as you juggle family gear and interact socially. (However, to capture better quality in dim light, the G9 needs a tripod about 2 to 4 f/stops sooner than DSLR cameras with APS-C size sensors, such as the Canon D40.)

  • With the G9 shooting RAW, you can capture publication quality images up to about 12 inches (maybe larger).

  • To put this discussion in perspective: using a JPEG image from the Canon SD700IS ELPH (which has image quality lower than the Canon G9), I printed one of my wife’s Bangkok Grand Palace shots 16×12 inches for display in our living room, and the quality looks the same as my own prints using better cameras! In my mind, that infers the G9 quality on par with your DSLR up to 16 inches, in good daylight shooting.

Recommended travel tripod for compact or DSLR cameras:

  • I love my travel tripod, which I have tested 2005-2008 with both small and DSLR cameras:
  • Slik “Sprint Pro GM” Tripod ($90), which weighs only 2 pounds and is great for travel, superior to other travel tripods that I’m aware of (including Velbon MAXi343E, Manfrotto, or even Gitzo tripods costing three times more).
  • For quickest on/off camera mounting, add the Manfrotto 3299 Quick Change Plate Adapter ($35, quick release).
  • The stiff aluminum legs are sufficiently stable for cameras up to 3 or 4 pounds (especially if you don’t extend the bottom leg section; or if you hang on extra weight) and have very fast locking levers (of sturdy plastic). At this good price, simply buy a new tripod if it breaks.
  • The Slik “Sprint Pro GM” tripod rises to eye level (64 inches), collapses to 19 inches (or 16 inches if you remove the quick-release ball head). The metal ball head swings 90 degrees each way, to two vertical positions, and turns freely around, all tightened with one effective lever. Legs can optionally splay out independently in 3 locking positions down to 6.4 inches off the ground. For macro, the center column can be reversed underneath for great shooting flexibility at ground level, and unscrews into a short section (saving 3.5 ounces). Leg tips convert from spike (outdoor) to rubber (indoor use) with a simple lockable twist.

Click here to see Tom Dempsey’s current and past travel photography equipment: www.photoseek.com/camera-history.html

  • My own travel preference is to carry the lightweight Nikon D40X (with image quality equal to the more expensive Nikon D200) mounted with just one do-everything lens, the Nikkor AF-S DX VR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED (2-4 stops hand held vibration reduction), which makes a good quality 38-ounce camera+lens system carried in a chest bag.
  • Compared to using a Canon G9, this Nikon D40X system eliminates most tripod use, shoots faster in dimmer light, shoots a wider angle and longer telephoto (27mm-300 equivalent Nikkor lens; versus 35mm-210 for Canon G9) and captures better quality, sufficient for me to sell 24 inch or larger prints (when viewed at 24 inches or further).
  • The 13-ounce G9 is still very attractive as a camera for family travel and 16-inch prints. I would not mind having a G9!
  • More info, compacts versus DSLR: http://www.photoseek.com/camera-buy-table.html

Have a great trip in Maui!
– Tom Dempsey, photographer, Seattle, Washington
http://www.photoseek.com/

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Above, Tom answers the following questions … From Raul Panelo, March 03, 2008 To: tom@photoseek.com
Subject: Travel Advice Needed

Hi Tom! First of all, thank you for sharing your expertise in travel photography. I have learned a lot from your site http://www.photoseek.com/ I need advice on what equipment to bring on my upcoming vacation to Maui. I currently have the following: Canon 20D, Canon 40D cameras; lenses: Canon 16-35mm 2.8L, Canon 24-70mm 2.8L, Canon 70-200mm 2.8L IS, Canon 50mm 1.4, Canon 75-300mm 4-5.6 IS. I want to shoot landscapes, people and macro shots. After reading your website, I’m now thinking of buying the Canon G9 for a take it anywhere camera. Do you think this is a good choice for me? I’m also thinking of buying the 1.4x extender for the 70-200mm to extend my range. Lastly, I am looking for the best tripod to use with either my SLRs or the G9 if I end up buying it. I’m traveling with my wife and 2 daughters ages 6 & 11. I’d like to travel as light as possible but at the same time have the ability to capture wonderful images. Thanks in advance for your help. — Raul Panelo

———– Reply from Raul March 03, 2008: —————————————
Tom, Thank you so much for your quick and detailed response. Based on your answer, I’ll definitely take my SLR in case I capture something I’d like to print and hang on the wall later. I’ll also check your tripod recommendation. The price on the Sprint Pro GM is definitely reasonable given your description. You may post my question and your answer on your blog. Your blog is a great resource for many and if your answer helped me, I’m sure many more will benefit. Thanks again for being so generous with your expertise. — Raul

March 2, 2008

Tips for photographing Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Utah

Filed under: Travel Advice, Utah, photo tips — Tom Dempsey @ 10:57 am

I wrote this in response to a question March 2, 2008 from photographer Don Geyer at mountainscenes.com:

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Above: Mesa Arch at sunrise, Canyonlands National Park, Utah. (Panorama stitched from 5 images.)

Arch View Resort makes a good base for visiting both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Utah

My wife Carol and I enjoyed staying in our Volkswagon Eurovan Camper at comfortable Arch View Resort www.archviewresort.com, an RV park 10 minutes north of Moab on Highway 191, halfway between Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Arch View Resort offers pleasant views and a quieter setting than the urban bustle of Moab, and unlike the National Park campgrounds, includes full services: 14 cabins, 42 full hook ups for RV water and electricity, 20 tent areas, tree lined spaces, hot showers, general store, laundry, Shell gas station.

Starting an hour before sunrise, we drove from Arch View Resort up to photograph Mesa Arch in Canyonlands NP. Standing room for the best photographs at Mesa Arch viewpoint is limited to about a dozen people looking through the arch to the sandstone pillars in the distance. On Palm Sunday April 9, 2006, Mesa Arch was crowded with other photographers until an hour after sunrise, after which they left, and I could finally move my tripod in to capture these images. If you want the best tripod spot and fewer photographers, try arriving 40 minutes before sunrise, midweek, and avoid Easter week.
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Above: buttes seen through Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park.

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Above: Balanced Rock at sunset, in Arches National park, Utah. Behind it, the La Sal Mountains reach 12,780 feet in elevation.

Below: North Window (a panorama stitched from 9 images), Arches National Park.
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Above: Courthouse Towers, with the Three Gossips on the left and the Organ on the right, Arches National Park. (A panorama stitched from 3 images.)
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Above: Skyline Arch and a twisted tree, Arches National Park.

Below right: A family visits Double Arch, Arches National Park.
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More images … (more…)

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