There are few places on earth that conjure up images the way Kenya does in the minds of photographers. I remember my first safari and how it changed me as a person and a photographer. The smell, the feel, the experience, the adventure will never be forgotten. This is one destination if you ever dreamed on visiting then now is the time. Africa is changing and so will the experience.

Wildebeest on the Run

There is much that can be written about Kenya but no words can replace the experience. After traveling to Kenya over the past 14 years I never return home disappointed. As much as I would like to write about my personal journey’s into this beautiful country I will hold back. Instead I will share with you the locations I believe consistently reward photographers with the best of photo opportunities and experiences.

Samburu National Reserve

The beautiful Verreaux.s Eagle Owl can be found perched in the trees of Samburu National Reserve.

Samburu lies in the north of Kenya. The park is made up of scrub desert, thornbush, riverine forest and swamps along the Ewaso Ngiro River. It was only a few short years ago getting this this park was an adventure in itself, but today much improvement is being done to the roads leading into the area. Once you enter the reserve you know you are about to experience something different. Samburu is home to several unique wildlife species, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and Grevy’s zebra. There is an abundance of lion and elephant within the reserve. I enjoy photographing elephant here more than in other parks in the country. The reddish colored earth give a unique color to the elephants as they cover themselves with the red dirt.

Samburu’s climate can be quite warm but the sights and excitement take your mind off of the hot and dusty environment. It doesn’t take long to find wildlife when you begin your morning drives. Obviously, it is unpredictable what you find and where you find it , but it is never long before something is being framed in your viewfinder. I have had some of my best elephant and giraffe photography in Samburu. These creatures are abundant and typically not hard to find. When all else fails, heading down to the river yields some activity. I have had the unusual opportunity to photograph a lion take down a baboon in the Ewaso Ngiro River. This was an awesome experience and one that I will probably never see again.

Lake Nakuru National Park

Lesser flamingos in flight over Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru National park is small in comparison to many of the parks and reserves throughout the country, but never a disappointment. Lake Nakuru lies in the lush Rift Valley where agriculture fields spread through out the valley. Lake Nakuru is a alkaline lake visited by hundreds of thousands of greater and lesser flamingos. The park has an abundant bird life reaching well over 400 species. Lake Nakuru is home to the endangered black rhino and several other unique species, Rothschild’s giraffe, waterbuck and reedbuck.

My favorite lodge to stay when visiting Lake Nakuru is Lion Hill Lodge. The lodge sits atop a hill surrounded by a beautiful lush forest made up mostly of the Yellow Fever Acacia tree. It is common to see black rhino taking refuge from the open environment under the forest canopy. Lake Nakuru National Park is a great stop over for a relaxing day or two of shooting before heading into the vast plains of the Masai Mara.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Male lion roaring in the pouring rain in the Masai Mara

Masai Mara is the northern most point of the Serengeti eco-system and also the Great Serengeti Migration route. This is the highlight of any photo safari in Kenya. There are many photographers who visit only the Mara when coming to Kenya. If there was only one park you visited while on safari it would certainly be this one but if you are on a 10 to 14 day safari I highly recommend taking in one or two others. The three parks I mention in this blog post are the three I recommend in the same order as written.

The migration takes place in the Masai Mara between mid July til mid September, but no one can predict with certainty the best time as this varies from year to year depending on the rains. There are some years when only small pockets of the migration make it through the Masai Mara and the northern tip of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania will be the farthest point for most of the migration route. This is not typical but even in the worst of years the photographer won’t be disappointed.

Leopard resting on tree branch in the mid afternoon in the Masai Mara

The Masai Mara and it’s open plains are home to a large variety of wildlife. elephant, giraffe, buffalo, antelope, lion, cheetah, leopard, rhino and many others, plus many incredible species of bird. The migration itself is made up of tens of thousands of wildebeest and zebras. The sight of these animals making their way across the landscape is an experience in itself but probably the most exciting event is the crossing of the Mara River. Watching from the banks high above the river give an incredible perspective of this movement. The animals hesitate for some time slowly moving towards the rivers edge and shy away. This back and forth event can last for an hour or more until the first animal braves the crossing to be followed by countless others. Very exciting indeed.

Travel in Kenya is safe. As always, I recommend using common sense when traveling abroad. Read travel advisories, and travel smart.

I will be leading my Kenya Wildlife Safari in August of 2011. If you haven’t made plans and hope to travel this year to Kenya check out information on my safari at http://williammanning.com/portfolios/eastafricatour.html

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Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay national parks compose one of the world’s largest-and arguably most beautiful-protected wilderness areas. Banff is the first and most famous of Canada’s thirty nine national parks. Yoho and Kootenay lie just west of Banff in British Columbia, with Jasper immediately to the north on the Alberta side. The parks offer access unmatched by others in the Rockies. Peaks rise suddenly from the valley floor, so you’ll experience gradual elevation gains on developed roads unlikely to induce vertigo.

Early morning from the valley floor offers many unique views of the towering peaks overhead.

Railroads brought wealthier visitors to this end of the Rockies in frontier days, and transportation lines still play an important commercial role today. The towns of Banff, Jasper and Field, in Yoho National park, still have railroad stations. In Yoho you can still see trains hard at work making their way through steep mountain passes, themselves engineering marvels. History likely will be as much a part of your visit as the wilderness. It is not impossible to experience these mountains as fur trappers and mountain men once did. The Canadian government has done a great job sharing this history with visitors. Road signs and literature are common throughout the park and visitors centers.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S VIEW

You can’t go wrong in these four parks (known collectively, along with Waterton National Park to the south, as the Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site) regardless of when you travel. Access in and around the parks is the best you will find anywhere-even the 130-mile-long Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper is open year-round. They also have the best winter landscapes for photographers anywhere in North America. Spring holds another fine, uncrowded opportunity. As the height of tourist season, summer is best for exploring beyond the roads and short trails, when wildflowers are at their peak. Wildlife is most visible in autumn, during mating season, and the aspens turn a beautiful gold. This is the best season for combining landscape and wildlife photography. Whenever you go, allow  time to gather last-minute information on the parks, and spend time collecting information and asking questions at the ranger station in Lake Louise Village.

Banff National Park

Banff National Park is the Canadian Rockies in most visitor’s minds, and for good reason. The region’s major landmarks are all in Banff: Moraine Lake, Lake Louise, Payto Lake , Vermillion Lakes, Mt. Rundle, and much of the scenic Icefields Parkway. As with most parts of the Rocky Mountains, morning is the best time to shoot. No need to be on location before sunrise unless you want to shoot silhouettes against the sky. The sun typically doesn’t light up the peaks and valleys until it makes its way over distant mountains.

Moraine Lake is one of the most popular photography spots in Banff National Park. With the possibilities of HDR, late afternoon is a great time, often overlooked by photographers, for some great shooting opportunities.

Moraine Lake. Probably the most sought-after shot in Banff, this beautiful turquoise lake sits amidst a ring of mountains in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Climb atop a huge rock pile to the right of the parking lot, and take your pick of several great vantage points overlooking the lake. For shots from water level, a short hike to the east shore will yield still more opportunities. Mid to late morning is when most photographers visit this area but don’t overlook the late afternoon for something a little different.

Lake Louise. Banff’s most famous landmark has its share of challenges. Don’t ignore Lake Louise, but don’t expect it to be your most productive location. You will encounter a lot of people and  difficult lighting situations in morning and late afternoon. The mountains to the east are in dark shadow during good afternoon light. Beautiful Victoria Glacier, at the end of Lake Louise, is your best bet for morning reflection and good light. You’ll need a couple hours and plenty of patience, but with a little effort, you should walk away with some good shots.

Peyto Lake. Surrounded by forest and stunning mountain peaks in the beautiful Mistaya Velley, Peyto is one of the three most popular lakes for visitors and photographers. The easy quarter-mile hike to the viewpoint offers several perspectives from which to photograph the lake with Peyto Peak, Mt. Mistaya, Mt. Barbette and Mt. Patterson rising high above the long Mistaya Valley. The light is best in mid morning; it takes awhile for the sun to reach the entire valley. You’ll be hard pressed to find an original angle to shoot. Never the less, if you don’t already have a shot of Peyto, you’ll want one.

Winter is one of my favorite seasons in Banff National Park and arguably one of the best winter time photography locations in North America.

Vermillion Lakes. Vermillion lakes sits just off Trans Canada 1 at the Banff exit before you enter the town of Banff (signs will direct you) and represents your best chance to put your own stamp on Banff. The backdrop is not dramatic as at other lakes in the park, but with good light and an observant eye, you can walk away with some great photos. A couple small islands and grassy pockets break up the lakes and give them personalities all their own. Photographers most frequently shoot Vermillion  with Mt Rundle in the background, but I suggest exploring in other directions and looking for more intimate, generic scenes. This is a good location for both morning and afternoon.

Icefields Parkway. This could be the most beautiful road in North America, and maybe the world. The parkway presents endless subjects to work: little ponds, mountain peaks, meadows, flowers and on and on. This is a must see spectacle. You’ll need at least two mornings to work the road within the boundaries of Banff. As you get closer to Jasper, the scenery gets less dramatic, so you’ll have to work harder to find good shots.

I have mentioned only Banff’s most popular locations, and by all means if you have never been to the Canadian Rockies, you should see each of the above. Don’t fall for the old theory that if you haven’t seen pictures of it, it isn’t worth photographing. The Canadian Rockies are surely an exception.  Explore and exploit the endless opportunities beyond the beaten path. Hiking provides the best opportunities to create images that aren’t over done. Roadside photography is so good in Banff, also redundant, that trails are all too often overlooked, therefore many opportunities being passed over. Hiking doesn’t necessarily mean taking on a strenuous ten-mile trail, it can be a simple half mile nature hike or a short one or two mile hike, regardless you’ll end up in an environment many others never see. A little effort will separate your photos from many of the others taken in the Canadian Rockies. Create new tripod holes and let others try to find them.

Storm clearing inside Banff National Park, a common sight during the early morning hours in the midst of the winter season.

There are hundreds of trails of various lengths throughout the Canadian Rockies National Parks. The best book I have found describing these trails is the Canadian Rockies Access Guide, by John Dodd and Gail Helgason. Trails range from gradual inclines to steep climbs. You will want to inquire at the ranger station before making your way on any backcountry trail for bear warnings or other possible hazards. Trails are rated easy to difficult. When carrying a heavy camera bag you might want to take the liberty and upgrade the trail one step to give you a realistic idea of the physical challenge that awaits you. You might also want to lighten your load to a basic camera system before departing on even the easiest of trails. My experience is a tired body makes a lazy photographer, so why defeat the purpose of your hike.

Look for my Winter Workshop in Banff National Park

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Note: If you enjoy my posts and think your photo friends might find my blog of interest, please pass the link on to them. Any help you can provide feeding traffic to this blog is much appreciated. Always feel free to leave a comment.

© William Manning: all material on this blog is the copyright of William Manning. No reproduction on this material is allowed without written permission from the author/photographer.

Arizona’s canyon country is the geographic and emotional heart of the Colorado Plateau, and for that matter, the entire southwest. Teddy Roosevelt declared that the Grand Canyon is “the one great sight which every American should see,” and it still holds true. This post cover’s both the Grand Canyon National Park and another photographer’s favorite, Coyote Buttes, which is part of the Paria Canyon/Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness area. While the geography of both entails canyons, rivers and lots of sun-baked rock, each is unique. Combined, the two locations complement the panoramic, alienlike landscape so abundant in Southern Utah.

Grand Canyon National Park

Being one of the seven wonders of the world is reason enough to photograph in Grand Canyon National park. The Colorado River flows 1,450 miles from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California in Mexico and has carved three canyons along its route, Cataract Canyon, Glen Canyon and the Grand Canyon. The latter is the most famous and with good reason. The Grand Canyon is 1.904 square miles in size and the Colorado River flows 277 miles through its deep colorful ancient walls of rock and one of the most incredible examples of natures ability to carve and shape the earth through erosion.

Grand Canyon patterns created by early morning light.

The Grand Canyon was unknown by most before the Civil War. Major John Wesley Powell, a Civil War veteran, changed all this after his exploration of the Grand Canyon by wooden boat on the Colorado River. His exploration built curiosity among mining companies to further the canyon for mineral resources such as copper and asbestos. As settlements began to develop along the canyon rim, settlers realized tourism would be much more profitable than the expensive explorations of mining in such a rugged environment. The Grand Canyon received its first protection status as a forest reserve, then as a national monument and by 1919 became a national park, three years after the establishment of the National Park Service.

Grand Canyon National Park is divided into three regions, the Grand Canyon North Rim, The Grand Canyon South Rim and the Grand Canyon West Rim. The South Rim is the most visited (it receives 90 percent of all visitors) of the three regions and has been developed with roads running along the rim that offer spectacular views of the canyon. The north rim is two hundred miles away by road and attracts visitors for its remoteness and lack of development. The North Rim is closed during the winter. The entrance is typically closed from mid October to mid May, but much of it depends on the weather. The views on the North Rim are equally impressive. The West Rim is located on both the Hualapai Reservation and Havasupai Reservation. The West Rim is very much isolated from developed roads and requires an eight-mile hike on foot or horseback.

Photographer’s View

Grand Canyon National Park is incredibly huge and one can easily spend a week or two exploring grandeur and beauty of the canyon. After a couple of days photographing in Grand Canyon National Park, you might start to feel that many of your photos are  starting to look alike. For this reason, I really believe your visit will be better served if you combine it with other destinations in canyon country. The Grand Canyon speaks for itself, unless you decide to spend time hiking into the canyon or rafting the Colorado , you will pretty much be confined to the overlooks along the park road.

The Grand Canyon is well known for its heavy haze, which can spoil even the prettiest of photos. The Grand Canyon can be covered in haze anytime of year, but you can minimize your frustration if you are out well before sunrise and out after sunset. I find it very interesting how many people crowd the overlooks at sunrise but take off five minutes afterward. Don’t be discouraged when you see so many people out as early as you. The haze is much more workable when the sun is lower in the sky and therefore providing more opportunities to shoot on a day that will be much wasted after the sun is higher in the sky. The early and late light will also create nice shadows and patterns, which can be used effectively when you shoot for and apply the HDR technique in the processing stage.

The South Rim

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon offers the best opportunities to maximize your photography time. There are many overlooks along two roads, Dsert View Road and Hermit Road (formally know as East and West Rim roads, respectively). These overlooks will provide plenty of photo opportunities and should satisfy your shutter finger. Look for more than just an overall view of the canyon, as there are many possibilities beyond the grand vista. I suggest using the good morning and evening light to photograph patterns, shapes and more intimate views of the canyon. Look at your compositions both vertically and horizontally. If you vary your lenses and use every focal length you have, you’ll be sure to find an image hidden within the maze of canyon walls. Exploit every avenue, and you’ll walk away happy.

Constant crowds at the South Rim make shuttle service a must. Visitors, including photographers, are confined to using this bus transport from overlook to overlook. This complicates the photography when you hope to reach several overlooks during the good light. To learn more about shuttle services in the park visit the park service web site.

The North Rim

There is good news and bad news about the North Rim. The good news is you can avoid public transportation and the crowds, and the vistas are equally impressive. The bad news is the elevation gain of one thousand feet brings colder temperatures and heavy snowfall. To get to the North Rim, follow Highway 89A or State Route 389 to Jacob Lake, then take Highway 67. The road to the North Rim is typically closed from mid October to mid May, but much of it depends on the weather. This time frame doesn’t coincide with the window I am suggestion for Coyote Buttes, which I will discuss shortly in this post.

The West Rim

The West Rim of the Grand Canyon is isolated with no easy access to other vistas or major features. You can travel to Havasu Canyon by paved road but will encounter some hiking. The main reason most photographers venture into the western region of Grand Canyon National Park is to photograph Havasu Falls and its blue-green pools. To reach the waterfall you’ll hike eight miles in on foot or horseback. This area is managed by the Havasupi Indian Reservation.

When To Go

The early spring and late autumn months are much cooler and provide the best opportunity for clear skies. March to mid May should allow you to enjoy these clear skies, but you might encounter snow cover on the South Rim in early March and , rarely, into early April. The further you get into May, the better your chances of getting hazy skies.

Coyote Buttes

The Wave, with surrounding landscape of the Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness area.

Photographers use so many names for Coyote Buttes – Paria Canyon, Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness, Vermillion Cliffs national Monument, the Wave and others – that it’s easy to get confused. All of the names are correct, but the specific location most photographers speak of is Coyote Buttes North, which is located in the Paria Canyon/Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness Area, part of the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. This rugged preserve consists of 90,000acres shared with Utah (20,000 acres) and Arizona (70,000 acres). The Arizona portion of this wilderness is part of a larger 293,000 acre Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, comprising the Paria Plateau, the colorful Vermillion Cliffs and Paria River Canyon with elevations ranging from thirty-one hundred feet to seventy-one hundred feet. Although there are many photographic opportunities within the national monument and wilderness area, I will focus on Coyote Buttes.

Photographer’s View

The main attraction here is the wave, a geological formation that has made the area well known in the photo community: a landscape of swirling yellow, pink, orange and red sandstone formations caused by climate changes (not the fictional Al Gore type of climate change). This fragile environment looks much like a candy maker’s shop of taffy-shaped cones and colorful swirls twisted into beautiful shapes. Coyote Buttes consists of two regions, Coyote Buttes North and Coyote Buttes South. Coyote Buttes South is only accessible by four wheel drive vehicles.

Beautiful patterns run throughout the Coyote Buttes Landscape

Coyote Buttes and the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument in general are fragile environments that need to remain controlled to some degree in order to protect this fascinating landscape. The Bureau of Land Management has limited the number of people allowed in the Coyote Buttes North area to twenty people per day, ten through a lottery system and ten for walk up registration. The lottery system is your best bet, you can apply for permit by visiting the BLM website http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/arolrsmain/paria/coyote_buttes/permits.html and follow their online directions. If the lottery system is not your preference you can take a chance and apply for a permit the same day at the BLM office, but you’re taking a big chance and may be competing against many others who are walk-ups as well. When you apply you will have to indicate the date you wish to hike into the area, and unfortunately you can’t predict the weather four months out as is their policy. If you plan your visit for the spring or autumn, your chances for a clear sky are pretty good.

Getting into Coyote Buttes requires a three mile hike with no clear trail. A worn path over the soft sandstone is becoming visible, but there is no developed trail. You can get a map from the BLM offices in St. George or Kanab, Utah. Bring plenty of water and food to help maintain your energy for the day. There are no waste facilities, so you’ll need to pack out what you pack in.

Don’t complicate your hike with a lot of unnecessary equipment. One or two lenses and a camera body is all you really need. Any wide angle lens of at least 28mm will work, but a 28-70 or wider zoom lens is ideal. A polarizer will also be helpful but with the digital age you can get away without it you choose. A mid range tele photo lense is also helpful to isolate formations and distant patterns.

Most photographers’ goal is to make it to the Wave, but there’s much more to the area. After crossing the sandy wash about three quarters of a mile into your hike, you’ll start to see swirled and sculpted sandstone. Every direction holds a photo opportunity. Since you’ll want to be at the Wave in early morning or late afternoon and have a three mile return hike, you have less -than-ideal options: 1. begin you hike in the morning darkness. 2. Return to your car in the darkness of night. If you’re not familiar with the area, I don’t recommend returning in the dark.

Patterns constantly change with the sands swirling in the wind.

To maximize opportunities without jeopardizing your safety, I recommend beginning your hike just before first light. The first three quarters of a mile is on a well defined, sandy path. The going is slow, and once you cross over the wash, you will use a firm sandstone surface the remainder of your hike, but the trail disappears. By the time you hit sandstone, you should have enough light to walk confidently. If you hike directly to the Wave, you’ll have plenty of good morning light left to work the area.

Consider taking a break to wait out the harsh midday light before you shoot on the return trip. Begin at least three or four hours before sunset, and you’ll get several hours of good late afternoon light and still arrive before dark.

When to Go

Spring and Fall are best. As with other Southwest locations, summers are hot, and Coyote Buttes is too dangerous to attempt if you’re not accustomed to hiking in this kind of climate and terrain. Try to time your trip in Coyote Buttes with the Grand Canyon.

Need to Know

Page, Arizona, is the best location for lodging when planning a trip to Coyote Buttes. Allow at least forty five minutes to get to the trail head – eight miles of the drive is on a dirt road. I suggest driving to the trailhead the day before to familiarize you with the road and make finding the trailhead in the dark easier. If you’re combining a Coyote Buttes photo shoot with the slot canyons, Page is an ideal location.

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Note: If you enjoy my posts and think your photo friends might find my blog of interest, please pass the link on to them. Any help you can provide feeding traffic to this blog is much appreciated. Always feel free to leave a comment.

© William Manning: all material on this blog is the copyright of William Manning. No reproduction on this material is allowed without written permission from the author/photographer.

The Midwest, now America’s agricultural belt, was once a vast prairie with grasses, wildflowers and North America’s largest mammal, the American Bison. Tallgrass prairies covered eastern parts of North and South Dakota, half of Nebraska, eastern parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas and stretched eastward into Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee had small pockets of tallgrass prairies as well. Today prairies are down to 1 percent of their natural expanse. The few areas that remain bring photographers every year to work the colorful blooms. Paradoxically, several of the best preserved examples of native tallgrass prairie lie in the shadows of sprawling Chicago.

Most people know very little about prairies and have never really visited one. Prairies fall into three categories: tallgrass prairie (in the eastern half of the midwest), mixed grass prairie (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas) and shortgrass pairie (western North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, and into eastern Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico). Prairies are dominated by herbaceous plants, mostly grasses.

The prairie eco system is complex, and much more could be discussed about this fascinating environment. I just wanted to give a few examples of the expanse of the prairie system and minimally show the importance the prairie ecosystem plays in the world today. Our focus is on the tallgrass prairie of Illinois, and this is where we’ll go from here. If you’d like to learn more about tallgrass prairies, I recommend a book called Tallgrass Prairie, by John Madson.

Black-eyed Susans blooming in Illinois Prairie. As you can see in this photo, midwest summer skies are not beautiful therefore minimizing the sky is helpful in your landscape photography.

Photographer’s View

If you’re from the Midwest, you know all to well how much the weather can change from season to season and even within a season. If you aren’t from the midwest, let me forewarn you that July and August, the peak for wildflower blooms on the Illinois prairies, can be brutally hot and humid. The other downside is that some prairies are damp and therefore mosquito-friendly. Despite this, the prairies are very much worth the obstacles I just mentioned. Work in the cooler morning and early evening hours, wear long-sleeved shirts, and cover your face with a safe repellant. I have also found rubber surgical gloves work wonderfully in mosquito infested areas.

You will be amazed at how high the grass can be. Several flower species are tall as well and can be difficult to frame. A lightweight two foot stepladder will put you above the grasses and flowers. This also means, of course, that you’ll need a tripod extendable to five or six feet with the camera mounted.

Don’t expect to photograph breathtaking landscapes or endless expanses of flowers. Prairie wildflowers typically grow in pockets mixed with grasses. Anytime you’re going to shoot flowers, I can’t stress enough the importance of contacting locals before departing to check on peak bloom. Agriculture has divided prairies into small pockets scattered throughout the state, so plan on doing some driving in-between locations.

Prairies start to look alike after a while. I don’t believe it’s necessary to visit more than two or three. Prairies also tend to be in the middle of nowhere with few or no amenities. A good sampling of prairies within a couple hours drive of Chicago will give you plenty of photographic subjects. Take your time to explore and enjoy your experience. If you shoot with a keen eye and open mind, you should come home with plenty of beautiful images – and enjoy an experience that measures well beyond your expectations.

Iroquois County Conservation Area

Iroquois County Conservation Area, once the largest wetland in Illinois, is near the Indiana border south of Chicago. This is a wonderful prairie with a mixture of dry to marshy conditions. Needless to say, you’ll probably experience a lot of mosquitoes, but the flower blooms should be some of the best you see on your journey. Prairie blazing star is plentiful and one of the most common plants you’ll find here, along with an assortment of rattlesnake master, goldenrod and big bluestem grasses.

Your best bet in this prairie is to look for clusters of plants and small intimate scenes. You’ll be challenged and walk away disappointed if you’re looking for a big overall prairie scene. August skies in the Midwest aren’t very attractive. You will probably experience some white, hazy skies. Avoid using any sky in your composition under these conditions or at the very least minimize the amount of sky you use. White skies will render very bright and draw the viewers eye away from the subject. Many of the plants at Iroquois County Conservation Area are tall plants mixed in with tall grasses. A stepladder or step stool will elevate you enough to shoot down into a cluster of flowers or little scene and avoid the sky. This can’t solve all your creative problems but will open more opportunities.

A mixture of Summer Prairie Flowers are common throughout many midwestern prairies.

Goose Lake Prairie Nature Preserve

Goose Lake Prairie is the largest of Illinois prairies, at 2,838 acres. Several trails within this preserve allow for an in-depth exploration of the prairie ecosystem, but you won’t have to walk very far from the road. There aren’t really any major land features to consider for photography, so let the flower blooms dictate where you photograph. Goose lake Prairie should offer you the most predictable of flower blooms. Sixty percent of Goose Lake Prairie consists of grasses such as big bluestem, Indian grass, switchgrass and the tallest of the grasses, prairie cordgrass, which can reach heights of eight to twelve feet. The remaining 40 percent is flowering broad-leaved plants.

Goose Lake Prairie is commonly known in the photography community and is probably one of the more visited prairies among photographers. I have an easier time here than other places composing images with a wide variety of plant species in a single visit. Besides wildflowers, you should come prepared for early-morning butterfly photography. You won’t want to miss butterflies sitting on colorful blooms covered in morning dew. Once the sun warms these little critters, you can forget photographing them.

Indian Boundary Prairies and Others

You could rack up alot of miles in your car visiting prairie after prairie, but there’s little need to do so. Beyond Iroquois County and Goose Lake, consider Indian Boundary Prairies, which is a group of four prairies, Gensburg-Markham Prairie, Dropseed Prairie, Paintbrush Prairie and Sundrop Prairie. These four prairies combined take up three hundred acres known as the Indian Boundary Prairies and sit in the shadows of Chicago. Part of this group has been named a National Natural Landmark because of its plant and butterfly diversity and genetic resources. These prairies are quite small compared with the two I have already covered. You will be confined to macro photography or small intimate flower scenes.

If you want to see more prairies or want to skip the smaller sites for more secluded prairies, do an internet search on tallgrass prairies of Illinios, or consult the Madson book I mentioned earlier in this chapter. He lists several prairies throughout the state, which are all very good, but much farther afield and more secluded than the ones I have covered here. Most important before you visit any of these prairies is to make contact with a naturalist or prairie manager to see what’s in bloom and at what stage the blooms are in. You will want to photograph around the peak of a wide variety of plant species. If only one or two plants are in bloom, the flower groupings you hope to capture could be all but impossible, and you’ll end up disappointed.

Close-up of Purple Cone Flower. There are endless opportunities for macro and intimate flower photography in the Illinois Prairies.

When to Go

Prairie wildflowers can bloom anytime from April through October. I consider the peak bloom for a variety to be from early July through the middle of August. The July/August window has the most showy plants and best compositional variety. This is the time frame in which you should encounter a mixture of tall plants with smaller plants and a variety of color. You should also see several species of butterflies.

New 2010 – 2011 Workshop Page is now On-Line

Note: If you enjoy my posts and think your photo friends might find my blog of interest, please pass the link on to them. Any help you can provide feeding traffic to this blog is much appreciated. Always feel free to leave a comment.

© William Manning: all material on this blog is the copyright of William Manning. No reproduction on this material is allowed without written permission from the author/photographer.

The San Juans, the Rocky Mountains of southwestern Colorado, are sparsely populated. The mining industry, once common throughout the region, provided the foundation for the booming tourism industry. Skiing and other mountain related sports have taken over many of the small towns that at one time served the mining industry. The southern and central Rockies were major mining areas for zinc, silver, iron ore, gold, copper. lead, molybdenum, petroleum, coal and natural gas.

Natural beauty intertwined with human history can best describe the shaping of life in the San Juan Mountains today. The deserts to the west abruptly clash with the skyward reaching peaks carved by glaciers, wind, water and volcanic flow. The ancient culture of the Anasazi people left behind a rich history in the San Juans, and the Navajo and Ute Indians have added to that. They have lived here for generations and still inhabit the foothills. The influences of these cultures and the ever-changing dramatic scenery tend to enchant those who visit.

The San Juan Mountains were at one time a booming region for mining, but only small remnants of these times remain. Ghost towns can still be found tucked away and hidden in the shadows of the San Juan Mountains. Fortunately, this mining era left behind a means for enjoying the interior of the mountains – mining roads. These old mining roads in no way make it possible to explore in the comfort of an RV or family car but rather confined to 4×4 vehicles. The dirt, rocky and pot-holed roads make it a roller coaster ride and add to the excitement of exploring in the heart of a true wilderness where you face the elements on their terms. Sound like fun? It is.

Before I begin, I think it’s important to talk about the commitment of venturing into the mountains in 4×4 country. Wildflower season is the height of summer thunderstorm season and you will encounter rain. Be prepared, and know what to do if you’re in the mountains during one of these thunderstorms. Never take lightly a rain shower that could turn into a heavy thunder and lightening storm. Driving on mining roads requires a 4×4 vehicle. I suggest some experience driving in 4×4 conditions, as you will be climbing rough roads regardless of their classification. 4×4 roads have five different classifications: Class 1, easy; Class 2, moderately difficult; Class 3, difficult; Class 4, very difficult; Class 5, use extreme caution. Literature is available in most local bookstores and tourists offices giving classifications of different roads, and I do suggest checking before driving the roads to make sure you’re confident of your ability to drive in these conditions. You’ll find route suggestions for your trip in 4WD Adventures Colorado, by Peter Massey and Jeanne Wilson. I don’t recommend attempting to drive these backcountry roads into the mountain passes before sunrise, and give yourself plenty of time to get off the roads before dark. There’s really no need to be on location before sunrise or after sunset.

Mountain reflection pond atop Schofield Pass near Crested Butte, Colorado

PHOTOGRAPHERS VIEW

Truly a wonderful experience, the wildflower meadows and mountain scenery of the San Juan Mountains are a memorable journey. I have conducted several photography workshops in these mountains, and participants walk away excited and energized, as much from the experience as they do the photography. I recommend the San Juans to all who enjoy the solitude and beauty of the mountains. My warning in the beginning of this article is to be taken seriously but not to frighten anyone away. If you aren’t comfortable with driving in this environment, there are other options, such as photography workshops. Or one of several outfitters in the Ouray area can arrange quality time in the alpine meadows.

You will experience elevations your body may find challenging. Take your time and within a couple days your body will acclimate to the elevation change. Most of your photography will take place within eye sight of your vehicle. There is really little need to hold back on equipment. You can load up on your camera gear and take into the field what you need and leave the rest in your vehicle. Long telephotos aren’t necessary unless you plan on photographing the little critters of the mountains, marmots and pikas. There are plenty, and you’ll need at least a 400mm lens. It’s not really worth the hassle of carrying these long lenses through the airports for what little use you will get from them. You’ll be using wide angle to medium telephotos (24mm – 100mm) most of the time, but make sure you’re covered to 200mm. As I mentioned before, be prepared for rain. You will encounter rain during the the summer wildflower season. Bring rain gear for both you and your camera gear. Take advantage of these light drizzles. You might find some nice water droplets reflecting surrounding colors or another creative opportunity. Down pours are a different story – wait these out in your vehicle. Overcast light is perfect for flower photography, and you’ll probably experience more of this than you will bright sunlight. Always bring along a diffuser when your goal is flower close-ups. You might never use it, but if you don’t have one, you’ll need it.

Crested Butte

Technically, Crested Butte isn’t part of the San Juan Mountains but rather the western edge of the Sawatch Range in the Gunnison National Forest. I use Crested Butte for my first couple of days of shooting for three reasons. First, the wildflowers are predictable and in great abundance. Second, Crested Butte is at a good elevation to begin getting acclimated, and third, it’s a good location to get acquainted with off road driving as these roads are Class 1 and 2 and easy to drive.

Crested Butte is made up of rolling hills, valleys and meadows more than it is of rugged mountain terrain. The hillsides and valleys fill every summer with some of the most predictable wildflower blooms in all of Colorado. The window for good wildflowers is not long, but with a little planning you can catch the peak or near peak bloom. The second and third weeks of July have typically been the best times, but as with anything in the outdoors, Mother Nature has the final say. The best time of day for photographic opportunities in Crested Butte – or for that matter throughout the San Juans – is the morning. Don’t pass up a nice overcast sky when the opportunity presents itself, usually when the afternoon showers move in.

I suggest finding a good topographic map with forest roads and highlight several routes that are an easy drive into Gunnison national Forest from Crested Butte. One of my favorite drives is a circle route beginning on Forest Road 317 (also called Gothic Road) from Mt. Crested Butte through the old town of Gothic and Schofield pass to Paradise Divide, at 11,250 feet. I eventually make my way back to Crested Butte. Forest road 317 begins where the only road through Crested Butte ends. You can also do this route in the opposite direction. This gives you the opportunity to get early morning light in both directions. The entry point for driving this route in the opposite direction begins on Washington Gulch Road (gravel road) on the west side of the main road connecting Crested Butte with Mt. Crested Butte. The drive between these towns is a quick three to four minutes, and the turn is about halfway in between. There are two wonderful reflection lakes on this route: one called Emerald lake just beyond the town of Gothic coming from Mt. Crested Butte, and the other at the crest of Paradise Divide. Both lakes sit next to the road. The lake at Paradise Divide has no known name but is the prettier of the two. This lake has three great angles to photograph; two of the three are mirror reflections of the surrounding mountains. One of these reflection shots is an evening shoot. Wildflowers can be found almost anywhere along this route. Two-grooved milk vetch, lupine, magenta paintbrush, columbine, larkspur and cow parsnip are all common throughout the region. One of the best locations for an abundance of Aspen sunflowers and arrowleaf balsamroot is the very beginning of  of Forest Road 317 just outside of Mt Crested Butte looking back into the valley toward Crested Butte. These yellow flowers make great foreground subjects with the valley and mountains in the background.

Western Yellow Paintbrush at Imogene Pass at 13,114 feet, Colorado

Ouray

Ouray is the gateway community to many of the beautiful mountain passes in the San Juans. Ouray offers me everything I need to satisfy my thirst for backcountry mountain photography. From here I can begin one of several great backcountry drives each morning and fill an entire day with excellent photo opportunities and still make it back before dark. I will briefly discuss three locations I find predictable and reasonably safe out of Ouray. These are in no way the only backcountry roads you can reach out of Ouray. During your information gathering you will come across others that may sound inviting, but the ones I will discuss are proven to produce good results.

Yankee Boy Basin

Getting to Yankee Boy Basin is very easy. Follow Highway 550 out of Ouray southbound, and turn onto the gravel road leading to Box Canyon Falls. This road is called Camp Bird Road. Continue up this road into Yankee Boy Basin, passing the old mining area of Camp Bird. The higher the climb into the basin the more difficult the road becomes for driving. There is no need to follow the road to its end. You will know when you have come far enough; the flowers will tell you to stop.

Yankee Boy Basin is the most popular and maybe even the best location for all-around alpine photography with an abundance of wildflowers and incredible mountain vistas. The drive to Yankee Boy Basin is relatively easy (Class 1 road). Yankee Boy Basin is very popular, therefore you won’t be alone. Many of the Ouray outfitters make this one of their featured destinations. There is plenty of room to spread out, so don’t worry about crowding.

Wildflowers in Yankee Boy Basin are as colorful and in as great variety as any in Colorado. Columbine, magenta paintbrush, mountain bluebell, bittercress and many others cover the meadows in a delicate array of bright colors. Small cascades are hidden in grasses with flowers hanging in precarious positions along stream edges. twin Falls is very noticeable as you enter into Yankee Boy Basin. This waterfall can be shot from several angles, and in a good year can be found with patches of flowers along the streambed.

Sun catching tips of Aspen trees in the San Juan Mountains near Ouray, Colorado.

Imogene Pass

Imogene Pass may prove to be one of the most dramatic drives you choose in the San Juan Mountains. This is truly an exciting journey through the heart of the southern Rockies on a Class4/5 route. You can choose your starting point of Imogene in either Ouray or Telluride. If you’re lodging in Ouray, it makes sense to begin your route here and end in Telluride, returning back to Ouray via developed roads. Or you can choose to return on another backcountry road over Opher Pass. To reach Opher from Telluride, follow State Road 145 south for about eight miles. The junction for Opher Pass is on the east side of the road.

Imogene Pass has several steep climbs as you near the summit and begin your descent into Telluride or Ouray. The peak of Imogene will put you at a breathtaking 13,114 feet with incredible views of Mt. Sneffels and other surrounding peaks in the north and the colorful Red Mountain Pass to the southeast. I suggest you begin your journey early and enjoy it at a leisurely pace. There are several meadows and waterfalls along the route toward the summit. The Ouray side of imogene Pass is the more photogenic and will require more time. Keep in mind the chances of afternoon thunderstorms. Your descent into Telluride might be slow as there are typically many vehicles sharing the narrow road.

Wildflowers along Imogene Pass are pretty much the same as those you find in Yankee Boy Basin. You will more than likely have some cloud cover providing overcast light, but have your diffuser just in case. With the exception of the summit, you won’t have great vistas of distant mountains. You will find flower patterns and small intimate scenes are your better photo opportunities here. There are several streams, cascades and a couple waterfalls along the way but, unlike Yankee Boy Basinn, few flowers surrounding the water source.

American Basin

American Basin rivals Yankee Boy when it comes to its wildflower display, but the surrounding peaks are not as dramatic. Driving to American Basin requires special attention to your map. The drive is not difficult if you follow your map carefully and look for signs at the backcountry intersections. Follow Highway 550 south out of Ouray (approximately three miles), and look for Alpine Loop trailhead. You will see a gravel parking area on the lefthand side of a hairpin turn on 550; this is the entrance onto the backcountry road of Alpine Loop. Follow this road toward Engineer pass. Do Not turn left at the first major road intersection. This will put you on the road to Poughkeepsie Gulch. This is an extremely difficult road to drive and can be dangerous for those not experienced in 4 x 4 conditions. Continue on toward Engineer Pass until you come to a second intersection, and turn right away from Engineer Pass toward Cinnamon Pass. The road to Cinnamon Pass will take you to American Basin. American Basin can also be reached via Lake City but is a long drive from Ouray.

American Basin is an incredible journey and very much worth the effort. For the spirit of adventure and for those who wish to hike beyond the roads in American Basin, there’s the American Basin trail leading up to Sloan Lake with magnificent views of Handies Peak and the surrounding basin. If hiking interests you, consider American basin as your final destination. This should allow your body plenty of time to acclimate.

Yankee Boy Basin, Imogene pass and American basin have but a few of the many wonderful backcountry roads. If you have an extra day or two, you should have no problem finding additional passes to explore. Local people are very helpful and knowledgeable of backcountry roads and wildflower conditions throughout the region. If you get a bad weather day, consider exploring Owl Creek Pass or areas where you can travel in lower elevations. Owl Creek is a very easy drive and doesn’t require a 4 x 4 vehicle.

When to Go

The wildflowers in the high elevations of the San Juan Mountains are at their peak from about the third week of July through the first week of August. This window varies, but for the most part it’s predictable. The lower elevations throughout the San Juans can see wildflowers throughout the month of July. Crested Butte peaks a week or two before the higher elevations and makes a worthwhile trip before you head into the mountains. The best scenario based on my experience is to arrive in Crested Butte during the early part of the third week in July and move on to Ouray after a couple of days. I’d rather be in Crested Butte during the peak in that area and maybe a little on the front side of the peak in Yankee Boy Basin and other San Juan locations. You’ll still be greeted by a wonderful display there, but Crested Butte loses its appeal when the flowers are beyond peak and begin to look wilted.

I hope this post encourages you to visit and photograph in the San Juan Mountains. It is a great wildflower destination and well worth the hard work getting to the locations. Do travel smart and safe if you head in this direction. Until next post, Good Luck.

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© William Manning: all material on this blog is the copyright of William Manning. No reproduction on this material is to be reproduced without written permission.

Columbia River Gorge divides Washington and Oregon and cuts deep into the Cascade Range. The gorge runs for eighty miles along the Columbia River with canyon walls at times reaching 4,000 feet above the river and covered in pristine rain forests. This description alone allows people to build a visual picture of the area without ever seeing it with their own eyes. The Columbia River Gorge was designated the first National Scenic Area in 1986 by Congress and signed into law by President Reagan. The pure natural beauty of the gorge is reason enough to visit, but it offers so much more to the outdoor enthusiasts, from hundreds of miles of hiking trails to world class boardsailing (also great photo opportunities) on the Columbia River. As a matter of fact, the Columbia River Gorge is considered to be the best boardsailing in the world. The gorge is also a thirty-minute drive from Portland.

Photographers are attracted to the Columbia River Gorge for its abundance of waterfalls: seventy-seven waterfalls on the Oregon side. For our purposes, I will talk only about the Oregon side of the Gorge. The area receives more than one hundred inches of rain in most years and that-combined with the snowmelt from Mt. Hood that cascades down the slopes to the Columbia River-results in the proliferation of waterfalls that have made the area famous. The abundance of rainfall and snowmelt in the area is also responsible for the area’s incredible rain forests.

Wehclella Falls in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Photographer’s View

Compared with other western parks and natural areas, the Columbia River Gorge is relatively small (292,000 acres including both the Oregon and Washington side) but has a high density of waterfalls. The waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge are not the riffles or modest cascades some people label waterfalls. They commonly range from a hundred feet to several hundred feet. In Oregon, there are officially seventy-seven waterfalls, but not all are accessible, and many are not really worth photographing. Some falls start to look alike after a while. As with any location, a little research will improve your chances immensely for productive photography. I’ll talk about several waterfalls that are worth photographing based on the surroundings of the waterfall and its “personality”.

Waterfalls are best shot in overcast light. Sunlight creates to much contrast in a forest setting. With overcast skies, there is a chance of rain. Don’t let a light rain drive you indoors. Misty rain provides nice saturated color in the foliage and surrounding landscape. When I don’t get the wet scene I want, on many occasions I have splashed water on dry rocks along a stream bed to improve the image. Dry, light colored rocks can be distracting. A polarizer is incredibly helpful in both overcast light and misty rain. It helps reduce or eliminate glare on foliage, rocks and water. The downside is that you lose two stops of light with a polarizer; therefore, you might have some long shutter speeds. As long as there isn’t any other major movement in the vegetation, long shutter speeds won’t be a problem. You can dial up a higher ISO if you do need more shutter speed for moving foliage. Another solution is to compromise the polarizer, but I would suggest the ISO as my first choice. I would also suggest taking a white balance reading to get the best color results.

Path through old growth forest in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Many of the waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge require some hiking. Most of the hiking is along well maintained trails that often climb upward, but they are very beautiful hikes through rain forests with photo opportunities along the way. There are also several waterfalls just a hop and skip from parking lots. Stop at each of these to see for yourself if you want to photograph them; you won’t lose much time.

The following waterfalls are only a few of many I believe are worth a visit. If you have a limited amount of time, these are good bets for classic waterfall images.

Wahclella Falls (also known as Tanner Falls) is a classic waterfall. Wahclella plunges fifty feet to seventy feet between two canyon walls covered in vibrant green mosses and into a beautiful pool. Tanner creek sits below the waterfall and is surrounded by foliage and moss covered rocks. Wahclella Falls is an easy half-mile hike from the Tanner Creek Trailhead parking lot. This waterfall provides several angles to work. You should have no problem walking away with three or four good shots.

Eagle Creek has twelve waterfalls along a six mile trail. Three very nice waterfalls (Metlako Falls, Lower Punch Bowl Falls and Punch Bowl Falls) are within the first two miles. On a good overcast day, you can spend the entire day working along this beautiful trail on both forest scenes and waterfalls. You can work all three waterfalls from the creek bed if you don’t mind getting a little wet and taking a short, steep climb down into the canyon on established trails. Metlako Falls and Punch Bowl Falls can both be photographed from the trail along the canyon rim and are classic waterfalls cascading down canyon walls, while Lower Punch Bowl Falls has a short drop of fifteen feet. The attraction to Lower Punch Bowl Falls is the angle and the beautiful moss covered walls running beside Eagle Creek. With so many waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge, I’m not sure the entire hike is worth doing unless you really feel the need to hike twelve miles round trip.

Ponytail Falls is part of the Oneonta Gorge, a half mile hike from the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway. Ponytail Falls drops 125 feet into a open pool surrounded by forest. There are only a couple angles to photograph this waterfall from, but one is from behind the waterfall itself with the forest as your backdrop. This is a nice waterfall with a short hike and few people.

Multnomah Falls is probably the best-Known waterfall in the gorge for two reasons: it’s the fourth highest waterfall in the United States (611 feet), and it has a visitor center, souvenir shop and snack bar on site. In other words, there will be lots of people. The reason I mention this waterfall is because it is incredibly beautiful and very well known. This is a tough shoot if your trying to avoid people in your photo. You might want to try an early morning shoot before the crowd arrives.

Middle North Falls in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon.

Oregon has no shortage of beautiful streams, cascades and waterfalls. One location well worth mentioning is Silver Falls State Park. An easy three-hour drive from Columbia River Gorge, the park has ten waterfalls, six of which are  more than 100 feet high. Silver Falls State Park sits in a beautiful old growth forest surrounded by farmland. Not all the waterfalls are photogenic. South Falls, Lower South Falls, Middle North Falls, North Falls and Upper North Falls are the most photogenic of the ten.

There are several locations within or near the Columbia River Gorge that offer opportunities other than forests and waterfalls. One location is an incredible overlook into the gorge itself at Crown Point State Park at the western end of the gorge looking east. An evening shot is best here at Crown Point. Another location is the backroads between the town of Hood River and Mt. Hood. You should have no problem finding some wonderful agricultural areas with Mt. Hood in the background. The Tom McCall Preserve is another excellent location for something different. The preserve is a cliff-edged grassland among rolling hills filled with wildflowers in April and May. The land is owned by the Nature Conservancy and is located east of Hood River. (Take 1-84 to the Mosier exit, exit 69, follow scenic loop for 6.6 miles to the Rovena Crest parking lot.)

These next two locations are in Portland, and I recommend them highly if you’re in the area in late April through May. The Rhododendron Garden of Portland and the Japanese Garden are colorful and offer lots of shooting possibilities. I suggest making the effort to photograph at one or both of these places.

There are many more waterfalls than I mention in this post. For more waterfalls and details, purchase the book A Waterfall Lover’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest, by Gregory A. Plumb.

When to Go

The most predictable time to in the Columbia River Gorge for waterfalls and forests is the end of April through most of May. Spring showers are common. The foliage should be in full bloom, the green mosses glowing and the waterfalls flowing quite well. It’s possible you’ll get clear days in this window, but rain is predictable. If you find yourself fighting clear sky days, then get out early in the morning before the sun hits the forest and out later in the day when the sun leaves the forest.

I hope you visit this incredible area on a future photo journey. You’ll be rewarded with some great photos. Until next time, I wish you well on your next photo trek.

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© William Manning: all material on this blog is the copyright of William Manning. No reproduction on this material is allowed without written permission from the author/photographer.

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