Wonder how the adventure photographers do it.

I have money and vacation time. I can go anywhere I want. Only drawback is that I will be completely solo.

So everywhere I'd like to go, sort of closes by now, or in the case of Banff, is obscured by smoke. Do I suck it up and eat gas station food for a week straight? I haven't eaten anything from a gas station in years, let alone three meals a day.

My next quandary is location and light. Obviously I need to be places in good light. I'm not feeling the love for hiking to or from, in or near dark, in completely unfamiliar territory, at a location that is mostly closed for the season, where there will possibly be no other people for days.

This leads me to a conversation I read on trip advisor while I was researching Iceland. You can rent heated camper vans for a decent price and I was getting interested in them for a winter photo trip, since you get back to back twighlight in the winter. So I'm moving on to locations I would attempt to schedule, and came across tripadvisor conversation about that location. The topic was about hiking out a bit on a glacier to get a better view of the attraction. The comment was that walking on a glacier without a guide is the stupidest thing you can do, second only to doing a solo drive in the winter. Solo drive in winter; the very thing I was planning. So I obviously scratched Iceland.

I spend so much time working that I don't realize things. A good friend just told me yesterday that I can do whatever I want. I have the money and time to go anywhere in the world that I want. It's something that I always wish for, yet it's been here for years; I just never noticed it. Going solo kind of sucks, but I spend so much time working that I have limited friends.

I wonder how others do it?

If I was in your shoes I'd be looking for a small group and guided tour. My dream is to shoot grizzlies some day. There is a tour out of Jasper, Alberta that is pretty reasonable as most others are way out of my league. I'm hoping to maybe get in on that one but I don't think grizzles are on the menu. What do you want to shoot and do a search. Too much smoke in NA. Go to Africa. A friend just got back from Iceland. Pictures look amazing.

By the way there are other places to eat besides gas stations, especially Banff. Bring your credit card.

I go solo a lot. I hike often miles in the dark with my backpack full of camera gear. Recently I was hiking in the dark on Hawaii across a slippery lava rock shelf near the roaring ocean, alone. This weekend I'm going solo up to the mountains for some shooting and hoping for some decent fall color. People known where I'm going and when I should be back should something happen. It's all about being careful and observant and making good choices. I had the chance in Hawaii to climb down into an area to shoot the sunset from behind a small waterfall. It was most likely fine and the tide shouldn't have come in (and didn't) but I was alone. That one I decided to do something different as if you get stuck there, you're in a very precarious situation. I would in that situation have preferred someone else be there who could even lower/raise my gear so I wouldn't have to be scrambling with it on. Know your limitations and stay within them.

I'm with digital paradise. Choose a place to go and take a guided tour. You gotta start someplace.

I've gotten into the habit of going to NYC a couple times a year for a long weekend. Generally I take a bus from the DC area. My first solo trip there included a tour by a small family owned company. Before going, I'd only used cabs in the city and really knew little about the place. On that first solo trip, I immersed myself, using the subway system, taking chances with totally unfamiliar restaurants, and taking lots of photos. Now I know where to get great pizza, good Scotch at a great price, I can navigate the transit system - subway, buses - and have even had a couple fashion shoots in Manhattan. I can even go up to people in the city and get their photos! It's a hard city, but it's also a friendly city.

This isn't to recommend NYC, though I do highly recommend it, but more to just say you should take that first step. The first trip is not going to be epic, but it will be fun anyway. See Iceland! It's a place I'd love to go! Banff? Why not? During my college years I worked all over the state in NH, eating breakfast and lunch out of small restaurants, diners, and even at gas stations. It was fun! "Adventure" doesn't mean comfort or luxury. Explore! Maybe the food will be good, maybe it will suck. On a future trip when you return, you'll know not to go to the lousy places again.

My adventures really are limited to NYC. I've learned of places to avoid. I've seen things on the subway that are bizarre. I've been on the street and realized I should put my camera away. I've gotten some great cityscape photos from Brooklyn, New Jersey, and Central Park. I got sick from eating too much rich food one weekend. I've eaten great pastries, talked with nice people. Each trip to the city is different. The last one was a fashion shoot with a model/actor from the city; she was great! I do street photography in NY. DC is boring for street photography, but I'm determined to make that work!.

Pick a place. Choose a tour. Go. Just start. Have fun!

IMAGE LINK: https://grahamglover.z​enfolio.com/p857324454​/eae0c84e0

NYC is on both our list for places to visit.

AS_Photo wrote in post #18711208
I go solo a lot. I hike often miles in the dark with my backpack full of camera gear. Recently I was hiking in the dark on Hawaii across a slippery lava rock shelf near the roaring ocean, alone. This weekend I'm going solo up to the mountains for some shooting and hoping for some decent fall color. People known where I'm going and when I should be back should something happen. It's all about being careful and observant and making good choices. I had the chance in Hawaii to climb down into an area to shoot the sunset from behind a small waterfall. It was most likely fine and the tide shouldn't have come in (and didn't) but I was alone. That one I decided to do something different as if you get stuck there, you're in a very precarious situation. I would in that situation have preferred someone else be there who could even lower/raise my gear so I wouldn't have to be scrambling with it on. Know your limitations and stay within them.

We will be in Portugal for 6 weeks next year. We ran into a couple from Britain last year that go there for the bird migrations. I found several places around the marshes but will explore more this time. We had company for 2 weeks so it was tougher to get out. I may hire a guide to find the other - other places.

I think you need to work your way up to the more epic trips. Get some experience finding good, closer in locations and hiking to them.

As for travel food, I love the Mountain House freeze dried hiker food packs. You can carry a good meal without a lot of weight. Those packs, an inexpensive jet stove and a pot to boil water in make meal time out in the wilderness not so bad.

There are a bunch of people who vlog on hiking on You Tube. One that I like is Homemade Wanderlust. She has a lot of great tips for hiking eating on the trail, equipment, etc.

There are also devices you can get to let you send a distress signal from the trail. The Garmin InReach seems popular for a lot of through hikers. I don't have one so I can't really recommend it. If you are going solo I would think it might be a good investment.

I'm thinking Gros Morne, and I'm closer and closer to pulling the trigger. But with that landscape light situation, I need to drive a bit in the dark. As I'm inquiring about places to stay, everyone is saying don't even think about driving in the dark because of moose! Is that part of the adventure as well? Temping my life on deserted trans continental with moose?

I guess I could still look at Iceland. I just want to make the most use of my time. I can't take tours every day.

bpalermini wrote in post #18711237
I think you need to work your way up to the more epic trips. Get some experience finding good, closer in locations and hiking to them.

As for travel food, I love the Mountain House freeze dried hiker food packs. You can carry a good meal without a lot of weight. Those packs, an inexpensive jet stove and a pot to boil water in make meal time out in the wilderness not so bad.

There are a bunch of people who vlog on hiking on You Tube. One that I like is Homemade Wanderlust. She has a lot of great tips for hiking eating on the trail, equipment, etc.

There are also devices you can get to let you send a distress signal from the trail. The Garmin InReach seems popular for a lot of through hikers. I don't have one so I can't really recommend it. If you are going solo I would think it might be a good investment.

If I go Gros Morne, it's pretty tame for hiking; I don't need to do anything crazy to get good photos, and I won't be camping. Everything is really accessible. I guess it's just driving and moose.

I'll check that vlog, thank you!. I'm also in Michigan, so I could stay closer to home and feed the photo need.

Maybe I should re-think all of this. I don't have capacity for cooking stuff as it is right now. Only ever considered day hikes at most, so camera gear, water and some snacks, extra socks and jacket, and I'm topped out.

samueli wrote in post #18711241
I'm thinking Gros Morne, and I'm closer and closer to pulling the trigger. But with that landscape light situation, I need to drive a bit in the dark. As I'm inquiring about places to stay, everyone is saying don't even think about driving in the dark because of moose! Is that part of the adventure as well? Temping my life on deserted trans continental with moose?

I guess I could still look at Iceland. I just want to make the most use of my time. I can't take tours every day.

Well I drive in the dark all the time in Colorado. We have moose, elk, deer, etc. They aren't going to stop me driving in the dark.

digital paradise wrote in post #18711184
If I was in your shoes I'd be looking for a small group and guided tour. My dream is to shoot grizzlies some day. There is a tour out of Jasper, Alberta that is pretty reasonable as most others are way out of my league. I'm hoping to maybe get in on that one but I don't think grizzles are on the menu. What do you want to shoot and do a search. Too much smoke in NA. Go to Africa. A friend just got back from Iceland. Pictures look amazing.

By the way there are other places to eat besides gas stations, especially Banff. Bring your credit card.

I'd love a like minded group. Almost wouldn't matter where I went.

AS_Photo wrote in post #18711245
Well I drive in the dark all the time in Colorado. We have moose, elk, deer, etc. They aren't going to stop me driving in the dark.

We have tons of deer here in Michigan, and I don't even need to leave my neighborhood. I often don't notice them as soon as I'd like. Never had an accident, but I think I'm lucky. If I can get over the moose driving thing, I could pull the trigger.

samueli wrote in post #18711252
We have tons of deer here in Michigan, and I don't even need to leave my neighborhood. I often don't notice them as soon as I'd like. Never had an accident, but I think I'm lucky. If I can get over the moose driving thing, I could pull the trigger.

My wife has hit a deer. I haven't hit anything yet. Keep an eye out for glowing eyes. Go slower in areas they are known to be, and give yourself plenty of extra time to do so.

AS_Photo wrote in post #18711255
My wife has hit a deer. I haven't hit anything yet. Keep an eye out for glowing eyes. Go slower in areas they are known to be, and give yourself plenty of extra time to do so.

I guess they are pretty good about posting moose signs.

samueli wrote in post #18711241
I'm thinking Gros Morne, and I'm closer and closer to pulling the trigger. But with that landscape light situation, I need to drive a bit in the dark. As I'm inquiring about places to stay, everyone is saying don't even think about driving in the dark because of moose! Is that part of the adventure as well? Temping my life on deserted trans continental with moose?

I guess I could still look at Iceland. I just want to make the most use of my time. I can't take tours every day.

Been to the rock twice and once to Grow Morne. Beautiful. Bay Bulls is 20 minutes south of St Johns. Best whale watching I have seen and the two trips were 10 years apart. Take this one. It is not a converted fishing boat and it is twice as fast to get to the sanctuary.

https://gatheralls.com