San Francisco Bay Area photographers and adventure

I was inspired by recent threads, so I thought maybe those of us in the Bay Area could have our own photography outing/adventure. I know it is the end of summer, but fall might be a great time to get out. There are a few Sierra passes within easy striking distance. There are also cool places like Point Reyes, Big Sur, etc. We could also pitch in to rent studio space and practice glamour photography. What do people think?

There are lots of photographers out there that will travel primarily by car, and they take everything including the kitchen sink for photography gear. That's OK. There are some commercial photo tour operators that organize their clients that way.

On the other side of the spectrum, there are lots of explorers out there, and they go on foot for lots of miles per day, either day hiking or backpacking. As a result of the distances, they generally don't bring along much in terms of gear beyond a simple P&S camera.

Some of us go both ways, we get out and cover lots of mileage on foot, and we carry twenty pounds of camera gear as well. On the car route getting there, we even have places lined up for photography.

My point is that you need to define "adventure" versus "photography."

Anecdote: A couple of years ago, I was at Mono Lake, and I was shooting from about 45 minutes before sunrise until almost sunrise. At that point, I folded my tripod and started walking back to my car. There was a commercial photo guide leading his clients (all Nikon shooters) toward the same spot where I had been, except that they were getting there too damned late for the sky color. I just don't understand that. Why would they pay the big bucks to be guided to the spot, and then let the guide take them there at the wrong time? Somebody should have known better.

Some of us are going to Death Valley in a couple of months. Hiking days of 10-20 miles.

---Bob Gross---

Hey Bob,

You make a good point. I can generally be up for whatever, but usually I enjoy hiking several miles, I love exploring and covering territory. If I am in the Sierra's, I have a photo backpack and my fishing gear.
I like to think of any outing, even if it is car based, as an adventure. It always does me good to get out and see some sites. Interesting story about the guide and Mono Lake, I would have been irritated, but like you I would have just gone there by myself or with a friend. The east slope/Mammoth Lakes is one of my favorite places to be.

Well, for springtime flowers on the East Side, I go around March. Some last until August. Flowers along the Tioga Road peak around late June. If you get to a high elevation, they aren't starting until late July. It can be quite satisfying to get a March shot of wildflowers in the foreground at four feet and have the snow-capped mountain crest clearly visible in the background at twenty miles, especially where there is some mid-distance rock formation to add interest.

The middle of the summer can be awful over there, because of heat, dust, and haze. I was over there shooting three weeks ago and got very little in the way of usable long-range landscapes.

The autumn can be nice. Once the autumn rains start, then the heat, dust, and haze will be minimal. Autumn color can be nice, but you've got to hit that just right. Wait a little too late and the mountain passes will suddenly close.

Migratory birds fly up and down on the East Side, but again you have to hit that just right. Elk migrate there, also.

---Bob Gross---