I have a friend that I work with that want to take five days next week for a photography oriented trip. The bonus is that I will get to go. I am looking for insight on great places to go this time of year also taking into account what the wether might be like next year. We are having a tough time deciding since we have not been to many of the areas we are thinking about and do not know what they will be like this time of year.

We have a lot of options open, part of it will depend on getting the right flight, but if you had five days to choose where would you go and why?

Places we have talked about

Las Vegas-Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon,

Canyonlands/Monument Valley Area

San Francisco area

Yosemite, Mono Lake

Highway 1 in CA

We are not sure how these areas are in the winter, with our main focus to accomplish professional landscape photography. Lot's of early morning sunrise photos and sunset as well.

So give us your opinions. Any other US locations can also be considered, this is just where we started.

Ultimately we would like to fly to Vegas see the immediate area, then to Death Valley, Yosemite, San Francisco, back down HWY 1 and over to Vegas. The problem is we only have five days and our photo schedule will be very time consuming with setting up shots, waiting for the best light. Given the parameters is a trip like that going to take too long to drive everywhere? Is there one great area we can go for five days and drive minimally, but accomplish a wide variety of photos and terrain? Again feel free to pick somewhere else completely. Semi-warm weather is not 100% important, but warmth and lack of rain (rain would put a big damper on out trip) would not hurt.

Hopefully we can find a some great locations and create great photos like Ansel once did.

Thanks,

-patrick

having just moved from Arizona there are many great spots to shoot in the nevada utah arizona area. the north rim of the grand canyon is high compared to the local area and is prettu cold at this time of year the main road in to the north rim is probablly closed due to feet of snow. If you decide on this area let me know I may be able to direct you into some of the not so normal areas of the north rim with spectacular views and no one around. for your best weather you might try Highway 1 but all the good light is only one time a day unless you want lots of close land and far ocean...

Originally Posted by patch29 We have a lot of options open, part of it will depend on getting the right flight, but if you had five days to choose where would you go and why? Places we have talked about Las Vegas-Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Canyonlands/Monument Valley Area San Francisco area Yosemite, Mono Lake Highway 1 in CA

Patrick, personally I find San Francisco -- the immediate city -- and nearby areas inviting for walking and shooting.

I did a personal 5-day fun-trip his past July starting in Berkeley the first day, then attempted to replicated those great postcard shots utilizing books like Andrew Hudson's Photo Secrets to find the locations. (Andrew's book also covers the Northern California area in his SF book.) Several walking tour books also were useful to me in finding the secret spots and discovering the city. Just walking with a camera is enjoyable to me SF is my first choice. And you have plenty of transportation choices within the city.

I shipped up my luggage to the hotel so when I landed in Oakland I started shooting. BART to Berkeley and off to the city for a couple bucks.

Fog was an issue at times preventing the shots I wanted most -- the City from across the bridge and the bridge itself. I alternated between walking, biking, and electric vehicle renting, mapping out what I had to do and what I wanted to do and letting the blistors recover ;~).

When the weather cooperates, you can't go wrong IMO. I'll be back some day.

Utter amateur here... I agree with two things expressed so far. One, as you said, limit the number of locations 'cause shooting is time consuming. No point in rushing. Two, assuming you would settle for city shots rather than landscapes, SF is a beautiful city to shoot. Tons of character.

Well the original trip fell apart, no good deal trip, but I have managed to work out a new one. This one is a little better because I have a little more time. Here is what I know so far.

My beginning destination will be Jackson, WY. I will be there for a couple/few days with friends. I have been before and could spend days, months, years there. Once I leave there I am fairly open to suggestion. I will probably go to Salt Lake City, then to LA(visit brother) maybe via SF? Then to Vegas hopefully for PMA 2/12-15 then head back to Atlanta. Hopefully I can see Death Valley on the way to Vegas, Hoover Dam on the way out. Then the Canyonlands, hopefully Monument Valley, part of Northern NM. Once I get there I will really need to get home since I will probably be gone almost two weeks.

So know that I have a better plan (or I will be working on one the next couple days) any out of the way spots along the route would be great. It is very flexible at this point, hopefully the weather will cooperate (the car I will be in is not a winter friendly car).