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Greetings,
Holy buckets of sweaty pigs, but it got HOT around here a couple of weeks ago. (A side question: do pigs sweat?).
Our outdoor thermometer peaked at 114 degrees on the hottest day (I believe that was June 28th).
We were only able to be outside for any length of time early in the morning. So I made lattes and we enjoyed the relatively cool early morning just after sunrise.
All I can say is that I'm forever grateful that the builders of our house installed central air conditioning.
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Death Valley early bird price extended
Cliff Zenor and I have extended our Death Valley early bird offer ($100 off) to the end of July. This workshop (Feb. 14-18, 2022) is limited to just six participants so you can be assured of a small group and all the help you need.
Just reply to this email and I’ll send you a link and password to the Early Bird sign up page.
For more on the workshop, see our Death Valley page.
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First impressions of Mind Shift Elite 45L pack
I finally had a chance to use my new Mind Shift Elite 45L photo pack during a recent trip to the Palouse. The Palouse isn’t really a hiking location so I can’t comment too much yet on the hiking comfort of the pack though I did need to wear it while wandering around Palouse Falls State Park. And for that little bit, it felt great.
Accessing my gear is really easy with the back panel access. And since the Palouse is a non-hiking photo destination, I decided to bring nearly all of my lenses, which means I had the heavy f/2.8 lenses in the pack along with my others. And the pack didn’t feel overly heavy. The harness system is really good.
I still need to get used to where I’ve put things, but as I said, there’s no lack of room for putting those things.
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Palouse from the air
I mentioned my trip to the Palouse. I had to cancel my regular workshop, but I picked up a private client. And he invited me along for a helicopter ride he had booked. What a treat. We took off a little after six and flew for about an hour, just enough so that the shadows started elongating and the lighting started getting good.
 Shooting from the air is a bit of a learning curve, but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. Just focus at infinity and use a fast shutter speed! Composition takes a little concentration as it’s real easy (real easy) to tilt your horizons.
Anyway, it was fun. And I managed to get a few decent shots.
Next year’s Palouse tour/workshop hasn’t been set yet. I’ve submitted my date choices to the hotel I use in Colfax but haven’t heard back yet. Possible dates are June 14-19 or June 20-25.
Let me know if you want to be notified when registration opens.
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Tentative Yellowknife 2022 dates
As of this writing, John Barclay and I have no idea of we’ll be allowed into Canada’s Northwest Territories for our aurora tour in Yellowknife. We’re just waiting to see and hoping we get enough notice of an opening in time for the tour to happen. We’ll be making a go/no-go call by August 1st.
With all that in mind, I’ve mapped out a time frame for 2022. Taking the moon phase and fall color into account, I’m looking at a time frame from September 20 to October 4. This allows for either one or two tours, but John and I have yet to nail anything down or set prices.
If we do have to cancel this year’s tours, those currently signed up will have the first crack at the 2022 tours. But if photographing auroras and fall color in Yellowknife is something you’d like to do, get on waiting list now! Just respond to this email and let me know.
If you’re curious about the trip, take a look at this year’s Aurora Tour page.
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Stay cool, stay safe
Summer is definitely here and I'm hoping that we've already had our warmest days. Here's hoping everyone stays cool and safe in the warm weather yet to come.
Here's one more from the Palouse. It looks like an aerial but it's of terrestrial origin, from the top of Steptoe Butte. This oft-photographed tree is one of my favorites and I shoot it every year. This one is a little different than what I usually get.
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