What do you think of a photography challenge?  Want to try one?

Bob Hitchman has been publishing the Photograph America Newsletter travel newsletter for photographers since 1989. Each issue of the 12-page newsletter describes in detail where to photograph North American landscapes, wildlife, hidden waterfalls, remote beaches, slot canyons, wildlife migrations, and much more. Learn where, when, and how to discover the best nature photography in America.  Now numbering 120, these newsletters are wonderfully detailed with places to photograph (often including GPS coordinates), places to stay, equipment to bring and much more.

Bob also produces a calendar listing the places to photograph by month.  It is a great planning tool for photography or just vacations.  For instance, you wouldn’t go to Washington D.C. in February to photograph the Cherry Blossoms or look for Autumn foliage in June.

But what if you can’t get away to that special place at just the right time?  Now that’s the challenge!

I find myself in Tennessee outside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  This is a wonderful place to visit for spring flowers for fall colors.  Even summertime can offer the nature photographer a chance at wildlife in the park.  Unfortunately for me, its February.

I spent the day looking for something worthy of photographing.  Moss-covered rocks still line streams and falls but the trees are bare.  Oddly enough, the daffodils have started blooming.  I plan on looking more tomorrow but rain may make it more difficult.

If you feel up to the challenge, post your ‘right place, wrong time’ photos in the comments.  I’d like to see them.

Keep clickin!

This Saturday my daughter and grand-daughter as well as our niece and her daughter came over for a play-date.  The two little girls (age 2 and 5) had a great time running around the house, chasing the dogs and playing the piano (my head is still ringing!)

As luck would have it, we also had one of our biggest snowfalls of this overly-warm winter.  With several inches of snow on the ground, the girls and Kringle (dog) went out to play.  Snow Angels, sled-riding and general horseplay kept the girls busy for about an hour until the temperature and wind forced them back inside for hot chocolate.

It was wonderful having the girls (big and small) around for the day

Now…back on topic.  See attached photos.

Keep clickin!

I was out hiking when I found this beaver pond.  Then on my way back to the car, I saw a grouse drumming on a log.  I thought I was really lucky until a rattlesnake appeared, ready to strike.

Honest!

All right, the truth is I had to make a trip to Cabalas on Friday and remembered to take a camera.  For anyone who has not been to a Cabalas or Bass Pro Shop, these stores are a lot more than just a retailer.  Streams and waterfalls, mountainscapes and deserts make up displays of animals in natural habitats.  Full body mounts and heads of various record animals are on display in the “Hall of Horns.”

These make for interesting places to photograph.  Lighting is good and the climate is great.  Although they might complain if you set up a camp and tripod, the people who work there are usually accommodating and friendly.

Just remember to be truthful about where the photos were taken!

Keep clickin!

A  few places come to mind in the Pittsburgh area and a lot of other places around the country.   There are a number of indoor places where we can go and take photos of birds, animals and flowers. Here is a list of a few:

• Phipps Conservatory – Phipps and other Botanical gardens like The Franklin Park Conservatory and Longwood Gardens allow photographers (with some restrictions) to use tripods and photograph floral displays.  This is a great place for macro photography.

• The National Aviary – Aviaries are a great place to find all sorts of birds in controlled settings.  The displays may have screens or thin wire fronts that can be shot through and may not be evident in the photos if you can get close.  Also some have large rooms that allow the birds to fly freely.  Filled with trees and pools, these are great for photos of the birds in natural environments.

• Zoos – Although zoo animals may be kept indoors while the weather is bad, many zoos have bird or reptile houses that are open.  Like the aviary, these can be great for birds.  Reptiles can be a little more challenging.  Their enclosures are usually small and obviously artificial.

• Aquariums – Many aquariums are a real challenge because of the lighting and crowds.  Winter usually is less crowded.  Lighting can be compensated for with high ISO and fast lenses.  Fish are seldom still and move quickly so “keepers” are hard to get.

• Butterfly houses – Butterfly houses are like botanical gardens with a little something special.  I’ve found them in many states around the country.  Some let photographers in early to beat the crowds and because the butterflies are less active in the mornings before the buildings warm up.

Although these are just a few suggestions, many great places are right under your nose.

Keep clickin!

Which leads me to the second thing I realized:  Spring isn’t far away!  At least not calendar wise.  Spring is a great time to be out.  Wildflowers, trees in bloom, waterfalls have nice flow and so much more is just waiting for you to discover it.  I can’t wait!

While I still like to photograph winter scenes, I sometimes think the Photography Gods created winter for us mortals so we can get caught up with the past year’s accumulation of images and to get prepared for the new photo season.  I’m currently working both angles at the moment.

As I have for many years, I created my new year’s calendar featuring images from my last year’s travels.  This year’s 2012 calendar features Rhode Island, Arizona, Columbus, OH, as well as some local Pittsburgh images.  I have also started compiling images for my coffee table book, In Reflection, that I have done for the past several years.  I am also updating my file backup system with larger drives.

In preparation for the new year, equipment maintenance tops the list.  One body is already back from Canon service and 2 more will head out soon for minor tuning and cleaning.  I clean the Gitzo and Manfrotto tripods here as well as the ball heads.  Cleaning out the accumulated debris from the camera packs is usually last.  I am also updating my handouts and samples for a new basic photography class.

It’s a busy time of year getting past work organized and processed and the equipment ready for the upcoming year.  Spring is just around the corner and will start off with a trip to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park with Palm Springs and Italy to follow.

Anyone interested in photographing with a great group of experienced photographers, check out http://allaboutmpeg.blogspot.com.  The group travels throughout Western PA, Ohio and WV to some great photography spots.  If you want to try it out before joining, any member can take a guest to a shoot.  Contact me if you’re interested and we can review the 2012 shoots planned so far.

Take off the lens cap and get shooting!

My last full day in Tucson.  I left for Tumacacori this morning for the Anza Day festivities.  In 1775, Juan Bautista de Anza left with a group of settlers for California and settled what is San Francisco today.  For the last 75 years, his journey is celebrated with a reenactment of the first stage from Tumacacori to the Presidio in Tubac.  After a Mass in the old mission, the group saddled up for the trip to Tubac.

After they departed, I also left for Tubac where the festivities were in full swing.  The Presidio was full on demonstrations of early American cooking, blacksmithing, farming, weaving and much more.  Booths were set up with food and crafts as well as the many shops in Tubac selling their wares.  I spent some time talking to the owners of a glass art store and met a photographer who was one of the reenacters.

After some excellent Mexican food for lunch, I drove to Old Tucson.  This is an old studio set where many westerns were filmed.  Now the town is a park where visitors are entertained by actors putting on shows and gunfights.  Some of the old set burned down several years ago but it is still an interesting place to photograph the old buildings and people.  The one damper on the old west experience is the shift to Old Tucson Nightfall, where it becomes a haunted ghost town for Halloween.

Now it’s off to pack for an early flight.  I had a great time if a warm one and will have more photos available soon!

This was a slow day.   I had some work I had to finish this morning so I got a late start.  My first stop was the Tucson Botanical Garden.  It is a 5 acre complex only a few blocks from my room right in Tucson.  Most of the blooming plants were of the small flowered variety.  They also have a butterfly exhibit that has attracted quite a few photographers.  The small building was packed so I gave it a pass.  This looks like a good stop if you are in the Tucson area in the spring.

My second stop was another garden.  Tohono Chul has 49 acres outside Tucson that includes a large desert exhibit, several gift shops, galleries and eateries, and a variety of display gardens.  Many shady areas offer spots to cool down as you wander the gardens.  Again, most of the blooming plants have small flowers but a few cactus were in bloom.

This was by far the most relaxing day of the trip.  Now I have to check the schedule for tomorrow as it is the last full day before I fly home.

Today started a little later then the last few days and began with a trip to the Tucson barrio district.  This is one of the oldest areas of Tucson and many of the houses have been restored.  Like the Mexican War Streets in Pittsburgh, these homes are the colors of the rainbow.  I was able to take some doorways and small detail.

Next I drove to Mission San Xavier del Bac.  Like Tumacacori, it was built by the Franciscans.  Unlike Tumacacori, it is still in use today.  I got there early so I was able to photograph without the crowds of people and cars.  The last time I was here the church was undergoing renovations.  Now, all the scaffolding is gone and the Mission looks clean and bright.

After San Xavier, I drove to the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum.  This is not like any museum you have ever seen.  No boring displays of stuffed animals.  They are alive!  I wandered around for 4 hours photographing wolves, coyote, bear, snakes, plants and much more.  I spent way too much time photographing the prairie dogs.  These ridiculous little creatures are some of the most amusing on the planet!

Finally, I made it to the Saguaro National Park.  The park has an east and west district separated by Tucson.  I went to the west district to look for likely candidates for some sunset photos.  With no trace of a cloud in the sky, the sunset was over quickly with only a small orange glow barely reaching above the distant mountains.  Still, I was able to get some interesting shots.  The park is having a big to-do starting tomorrow and several of the roads will be closed.  I may have to be content with hitting some of the local and state parks for the next two days.

It was much better today…a nice breeze and only 94!

Another early start with a drive to Tombstone.  Today the Vendetta ride went through town.  They made a trip each way and allowed the crowd to get some good photos.  The group was quite large and they all were having a great time.  The folks at Great American Adventures seem to do an excellent job coordinating these rides.

After Tombstone, I made the long drive west to Sonoita.  This region has grassy plains with rolling hills and the “Sky Islands,” mountains or mesa, rising in the background.  Although the trees were still green, the grasses are a deep golden color.  It made for a beautiful drive.  The road wound through the small towns until reaching Nogales on the US / Mexican border.

After a brief lunch, I hit the highway back north to Tumacacori for a stop at the Tumacacori National Historical Park.  This houses a Franciscan mission built in 1800 and abandoned in 1848.  This mission was built in the style of Mission San Xavier del Bac not far to the north.  My next stop was at the town of Tubac, an artist community that looks like it was designed as an outlet mall.  Lots of pottery, paintings, metal sculptures, t-shirts… you name it and someone had one for sale!

Note to self:  Even if it is a “dry heat,” 98 degees is still HOT!

Today was an early start as I left Tucson before dawn for the long drive to Tombstone.  I planned on arriving before the tourists.  As it turned out I had plenty of time to photograph the buildings and streets without the clutter of people and cars.  I also ran into a couple who run a “fantasy camp” for cowboy wannabe’s.  This trip is Wyatt Earp’s Vendetta ride.  The men, in proper attire, were gathering to ride out as Wyatt did to “kill cowboys” responsible for the death and maiming of his brothers.  Tomorrow they will be riding through Tombstone so I plan on being there.

Next I drove further south to Bisbee.  It is the site of an open pit copper mine and a restored old town.  I took more photos of the buildings and made a trip to Evergreen Cemetery.  I also had an excellent lunch at the High Desert Market & Cafe.

My trip continued west from Bisbee to Sierra Vista and the Coronado National Monument.  From the 6800 ft lookout, you can see almost 100 miles into Mexico.  I also stopped at the San Pedro Riparian area for some birding.  I was able to find several cottonwoods just starting to turn yellow.  Fall colors are far behind the trees back home.

I made the drive back to Tombstone in time for the afternoon gunfight.  The Earls and Clantons got into it again as they have for the last many many years.  Kinda like a cowboy groundhog’s day.  The long drive back to Tucson lasted until after sunset so Saguaro National Park will have to wait til tomorrow.