Help us plan the future!!!!
Hey guys, got a very big favor to ask of you!! Jim and I are looking at the 2015 His Light Season and I have a list of “POSSIBLE” events below. Here is what I would love for you to do for us; fire me an email (billfortney@earthlink.net) or make a comments on this blog entry, or shoot, even give me a call (606)-528-6119. Many factors go into the final selection of events, but your response will be a big factor and really help! Well it’s no harder than that, please, please, please, let us know what you think and what you might enjoy and want to attend!!!
His Light 2015 Possible Schedule of Events
January Yosemite in Winter
February Workflow & Image Show Production Workshop
March Old Car City
April Savannah, GA – Great Smokies – North Carolina Waterfalls
May Memory Lane Americana – Washington D.C.
June Palouse Region, Washington State
July Nashville with Ricky Skaggs
August Cass Scenic Railway
September Nova Scotia – Grand Tetons/Yellowstone
October Aspens Ouray, Colorado – Eastern Sierra/Bodie Ghost Town/Yosemite
November Old Car City
December Christmas Celebration in the Smokies (Early Dec.)
Thanks so much for your help, and blessings,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014 at 5:24 pm
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So many I’d love to do. No vacation time til may 2015. Maybe then. I going for the permanent vacation then. :). Went to cass last year for the rail fest since I’m originally from wv and that’s a big thing. I don’t think I’ll ever go back. Probably be fine just in season. Too many rude people that think they are better than anyone else. Hopefully I can hit some after may. I am already signed up for Amish again with jack. 🙂
See you there!!!
Babcock state park in wv. Also new river gorge natl park has old miners camp. I can bring up many more in time. Being from wv.
Looks like you and Jim are going to have a great year!
Anna is right about the Rail Fest weekend at Cass. It is a lot of fun and they really cater to the photographers, but having to deal with 300+ others can get frustrating. I think going at another time will be great. Be sure to visit the shops and “boneyard”
I think Savannah in April will be a great trip.
Grand Tetons!!! One of my favorites.
Have you ever done the Canadian Rockies? That’s my favorite place on earth. June and I went there for 10 days two years in a row and still had things we wanted to see.
If you do Ouray, check out the Silverton Railroad. Even if you don’t do the train, Silverton is a cool town to explore.
Have you thought about Rocky Mountain National Park in the fall (Aspens) or the Mesa Verde area?
Richard, Agree on all your picks, Banff is tough in June with the very long days! Looking forward to Memory Lane with your club!
Hey Bill, About 2 hours west of Huntsville, Alabama where I live is the Shiloh National Battlefield. It is a very popular location as there are Bald Eagle nests with fantastic views of both adult and chicks. Also the battle field was left as it was when the battle ended with cannons, etc all over. It borders the Tennessee River and offers great sunsets with or without items like cannons, monuments, etc. The National is a Cemetery alone is beautiful on the banks of the Rivers with many shapely old growth trees. An old church used as a field hospital is located there and is still used as a church. Animals such as deer, turkeys, bobcats, coyotes, etc abound and can be readily seen in the many and varied venues within the park. On most days and weekends 30 to 40 photographers are at least at the eagle nest. As you can tell from me Shiloh would offer a varied opportunity for photography and could easily field a group of photographers students. There is the Pickwick Dam Lodge and Hampton Inn located clos by.
Great suggestion, I. will look into it!
I vote for Nova Scotia and workflow, etc.
I honk both of those are looking good!
How about “think” instead of HONK!
Bill,
I think you have some very good ideas there. From my travels I would like to pick out a few suggestions for you.
I think Yosemite in winter has some value but maybe in February when you can attempt the classic Galen Rowell Horsetail Falls shot. Hit or miss on that. There is a fair-to-middling Best Western in Mariposa that could be a base camp. The water spray won’t be so bad at Bridal Veil and Yosemite Falls — you may even get close to them.
Mid-April: Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio for two days tops. Base camp in Logan. Only one possible decent hotel is the Holiday Inn Express and the no smoking policy is observed in the breach. There is a lodge in the park as well. Waterfalls and cascades.
Mid-April to May: Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia (new highways in the area). There is a lodge in the park. A bit of a drive from D.C. Could be combined with a quick sunrise/sunset opportunity at Great Falls of the Potomac in Virginia. Shenandoah is worth a day tops.
October: Fall color at Blackwater Falls State Park and neighboring Canaan Valley State Park in West Virginia. Lodges in both parks. FORGET THE CHEESEBURGERS — great breakfast buffets in both parks. Do the sunrise/golden light and then eat. Shenandoah might be worth a quick visit as well as Great Falls.
Late March or Early November — Zion and Bryce Canyon. Sunrise at Zion from behind the museum. Drive to Bryce for sunset and sunrise. If Las Vegas is used as fly in/fly out Red Rock Canyon 16 miles west of Las Vegas is great at sunset if the wind doesn’t kick up too much.
January/February — Midwest waterfalls and ice caves. Door County, Wisconsin (Cave Point County Park) north of Green Bay has very nice sunrise shots and the Lake Superior area ice caves are stunning. Wish I could get there. Starved Rock State Park in Illinois has frozen winter waterfalls but some trails may be closed/dangerous. Lodge in Starved Rock. Lots of maritime type stuff in Door County (also a good summer/fall location).
Seattle/Portland — My favorite base camps. So many opportunities within a 150 mile radius of Seattle and ditto for Portland. Columbia River Gorge waterfalls and sunset shots from Portland Womens Forum State Park. Fall color at Hoyt Arboretum, Portland Rose and Japanese Gardens. Mount Rainier. Mount St. Helens. Olympic. Oregon Coast. Silver Falls State Park. I shoot this area extensively and if you decide to go back here I am willing, time permitting, to assist with any workshops here.
Portland also has a pro-level camera store (Pro Photo Supply) and no sales tax!
Almost any time of the year works here but spring and fall are the best, of course.
I am hesitant to recommend Rocky Mountain National Park. Lots of tourons have made it less fun to shoot there and park regulations are more arbitrary and severely enforced.
Custer State Park next to Mt. Rushmore is mini-Yellowstone. Not a bad fall place. Pretty much strictly wildlife.
Everglades in January. Yes, there is the Anhinga Trail which is hit or miss. I found some scenic spots to shoot as well, i.e., Pine Glade Lake. Finally there is a decent hotel reasonably close — Courtyard in Homestead. One of the nicest Courtyards in the country and great service.
And then there is this funky place called Cumberland Falls near an even funkier place, Corbin, Kentucky. On a starry night with clear skies some good night shots can be had. Also had some good sunrise shots here plus, of course, the falls (a lot of debris, trash and vandalism — ugh). Corbin lodging, from a visitor standpoint, isn’t all that great. The Fairfield Inn is more like an upscale Motel 6. Maybe everyone could camp out in your back yard.
There are water
Obviously you know the Smokies, Grandfather Mountain, etc., like the back of your hand. A quick weekend could be had at some place called Cumberland Falls
Wow!!! Dick, you know your country well, lots of great things to consider! Thanks for your efforts!
If you like big Florida birds then you should come visit Homestead, FL and the Anhinga trail or Shark Valley. Not to mention all the other Everglades locations. The best time of year to visit is in Jan-Feb. The water levels are down which brings the birds in to look for easy food. During this time the bugs are minimal or non existent and the average day time temperature is about 72 degrees.
We will give that some thought!
Hi Bill,
Since I live in Southern California, I would prefer Yosemite or Bodie and the eastern sierra.
All of the ones you have listed sound great but I can only do maybe one per year. I enjoyed Shaker Village very much.
Thanks Jim, I will keep that in mind.
If Cass does not work out, check into the “Fire up 611” project to see when 611 will be done or with the little railroad in Sterns (I don’t recall the name at the moment) or with the folks at Natural Tunnel State Park in VA when they have their Railroad Days. Natural Tunnel is just what the name says and is used by the Norfolk Southern. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum may be able to accommodate some special groups, too. They will have 4501 rebuilt real soon (maybe as soon as early May). The shops, turntable, and tunnel may be of interest. The observatory telescope in Chattanooga may not great for stargazing due to the city lights but might be an interesting subject.
Sounds interesting!
More ideas…
The San Francisco area has lots of possibilities. Of course, you are four hours from Yosemite. But there are urban and landscape images to be had in the general area. To the north … a little past the Golden Gate Bridge ,,, you have Point Reyes and the neighboring quaint small towns. You can follow the coast for good images quite a bit south back through San Francisco to Half Moon and down to Monterey and Big Sur. There’s a very interesting waterfall in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park which empties onto a beach and then out to the ocean. http://www.pbase.com/dickg/image/77803222
You also have Alcatraz, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, Balboa Park, etc.
I forgot to mention Glacier and Waterton Lakes, the Canadian side, in late June when the road opens and the crowds are thin.
There are state parks with waterfalls in upstate New York that many people overlook.
Here in the Midwest it can be feast or famine. In April and May some of the forest preserves around Chicago have tons of wildflowers — sometimes I’ve seen more Jack in the Pulpits at home than in the Smokies! Lake Michigan lighthouses. Prairies. Urban architecture. The Chicago Botanical Gardens, Morton Arboretum (where Will Clay is in residence), Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee, southwest Michigan wineries and erratic fall color which can go bye bye with one storm. There’s a group — chicagowilderness.org — that lists some of the stuff.
Dick you may be one of the most informed logistics guys I know!!! I’veshotmany if these, but honestly some are completely new to me!!! Way to go!
Bill,
If you ever decide to do a wildflower tour here in Texas I would love to help you out.
This wildflower season has so far turned out to be exceptional if you know where to look. The Hill Country has not been primo since 2011 due to the drought. But I have found a few Honey Holes this year. For those who are interested here is my gallery so far for this year with more to come. Still have to select the best ones. I don’t do tours but I go out every weekend during the season.
http://johnny.smugmug.com/Nature/Wildflowers-2014/i-8ftkFDG/0/M/_4050306-M.jpg
I think the opportunities to shoot the Smokies and Old Car City appeal to me the most. However, I’m really curious what you might have in mind for the Washington DC workshop?
Thank you for all that you do!!