Surfing in Idaho

Nikon D7100, Nikon 80-200 f2.8, ISO 800, f8 @1/3000, Polarizing filter, handheld. Processed in LR

Yes it’s true. They do surf in Idaho, at least they do in Cascade. Every year they have a contest at the beautiful water park on the river. What a fun place to photograph. The weather is pretty much always perfect, the action is close by and right in front of you and access is wide open.

Nikon D7100, Nikon 80-200 f2.8, ISO 800, f8 @1/4000, Polarizing filter, handheld. Processed in LR

Nikon D7100, Nikon 80-200 f2.8, ISO 800, f8 @1/4000, Polarizing filter, handheld. Processed in LR

There is music in the air, lunch wagons and vendors galore and even a nice bike trail that goes for miles right along the river. We had a glorious time.

Cascade is a little town about 2 hours out of Boise, Idaho. We stayed in nearby McCall for a couple of weeks. The area’s hiking, biking and downtown are perfect. You can find anything from a low-key deli to great Tai food or sushi.

Nikon D7100, Nikon 80-200 f2.8, ISO 800, f8 @1/4000, Polarizing filter, handheld. Processed in LR

Nikon D7100, Nikon 80-200 f2.8, ISO 800, f8 @1/4000, Polarizing filter, handheld. Processed in LR

As for the photo equipment, I shot the water events with a Nikon D7100 and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 lens. All handheld at ISO 800. Obviously you should try and keep everything dry but other than that it’s a simple photo shoot. Set your ISO high, open up your lens and let it go…

Nikon D7100, Nikon 80-200 f2.8, ISO 800, f8 @1/4000, Polarizing filter, handheld. Processed in LR

We were there in June, the weather was nice and the evenings were perfect, but there was one drawback to being that early, virtually every high country hike we tried to go on was still blocked by snow. We literally never made it to even one trailhead in the mountains. If hiking is your thing late July or even early August would be better.

No matter when you go rest assured you will be pleased with the area, it is well worth the trip.

Page, Arizona & Horseshoe Bend

This February I was fortunate enough to spend a week in Page, Arizona. What a fantastic place. We camped for a few days at the Lake Powell Marina campground, a beautiful spot with a view of the water and loaded with walking trails and wildlife.

Marina Sunrise - Nikon D7100, 80-200 2.8 Nikon Lens, 1/2 second @ f11, ISO 100, Tripod, processed in LR

Lots of wonderful landmarks to photograph, my favorite within walking distance was Tower Butte. I got my best shots from a rest area about ¾ of a mile from the campground at sunset and from the Marina parking lot at sunrise.

Sunset Tower Butte - Nikon D7100, 80-200 2.8 Nikon Lens, .07 second @ f11, ISO 100, Tripod, processed in LR

The Tower Butte is a long way off in the distance so I found myself shooting landscapes with my 80-200 lens which is pretty unusual for me, I’m more of a wide angle fan.

Nikon D7100, 16-85 3.5 lens, 1/500 @ f16, ISO 100, Tripod, 5 exposures merged in Photoshop and finished in LR

We also made the short hike out to Horseshoe Bend while we were there. If you’ve never been its definitely a must see feature, no photo can do it justice. The sheer drop and overwhelming size just cannot be totally conveyed in two dimensions.

Here is where I feel I should post a warning. It’s scary. Seriously, I would not take my kids out there and if you have a fear of heights be prepared to stand back a little. In order to get this shot I had to put my camera on a tripod, hang it out over the edge of a HUGE vertical cliff and take 5 exposures in portrait mode, then merge them into a pano using Photoshop.

Sunset is the time to go out to Horseshoe Bend. Its only 10 minutes out of town, the parking lot is easy to find and the “hike” is more of a 15 minute walk. If your goal is photography I would do my best to avoid a windy day and try and get some clouds in the background. Take the widest angle lens you've got, and seriously, be careful…. It’s a long way down.