. . . in the Summer – HEAT

Two weeks ago I learned through Facebook that my close friend was in Las Vegas. Suddenly, I felt the urge to fly out to join him. After all, I hadn’t seen him for several months and I thought the time was right. So the next day, I caught an expensive flight out (last minute flights are always expensive) and we met up by dinner time.

Now keep in mind that when I left my home in Grand Rapids, the scorching heat took temperatures to an amazing 104 degrees. I thought that the Grand Rapids experience prepared me for the Vegas heat. NOT. As it turns out, the temperature in LV reached a record breaking 115.

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With soaring temperatures, we decided to stay indoors for the most part, enjoying the climate of the air-conditioned casinos where we could comfortably talk, eat and drink. My friend was there for the World Series of Poker Tournament and I was there supposedly to bring him good luck. NOT.

On my third day in Vegas, while my friend was entrenched in the WSOP tournament, I decided to escape the sizzle by heading northeast to Utah. My destination was Bryce Canyon. At 8,000 ft, the temperature was a much more bearable 80 degrees so hiking into the canyon was in my plans.

My visit to Bryce Canyon National Park was a short four hours.

On the way back to Vegas, I decided to drive through scenic Zion National Park where I caught a slight bit of rain but gorgeous colors.

So a few hundred miles of driving got me out of the record breaking Las Vegas heat and to some of Utah’s fabulous scenic areas.

Here we are at dinner: my friend Philippe Olivier and Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, one of the world’s top poker players.

The steamy hot nightlife along the Strip

In spite of the heat, I had a great visit with my friend Philippe as well as a nice jaunt up to Utah to revisit two of the nicest National Parks. It just goes to demonstrate that there is life outside of Las Vegas.

Written by Arnie Lee
 
 

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Simply put, my picturetaking falls into one of two categories: photos taken for “others” and photos taken for personal use.

Photos that I take for others are usually jobs in which the style of the photos is dictated by the needs and desires of the client. These may be a paying client or a freebie client such as a daughter’s birthday party or a sister’s passport photo. She may need a business head shot or he may want an illustrative photo of his industrial machine. A group may want me to photograph an evening event, a restaurant desires closeups of prepared dishes for its new menu or a school a recording of the championship basketball game. Regardless of whether it is a paying or a free transaction, the client generally has a lot of input as to how the completed photos will serve the end goal.

On the other hand, when I take photos for personal use I’m the client. I am free to shoot however, whereever and whatever I like. And as you might expect, this is where I feel the greatest freedom.

While it’s exciting to go on a special outing dedicated to photography, it’s not often that I can squeeze the time into my somewhat hectic schedule. But by keeping a camera nearby, I make it a habit of looking for quick opportunities to sneak in a picture of two.

I get a lot of pleasure photographing “everyday” things such as kids, pets, garden and the like. These are subjects that are close by so I don’t have to make special arrangements to shoot them.

	I get a big kick taking pictures of the grandkids. Here’s one that’s learning to eat her spaghetti elegantly.
	This pet is part of the family. I caught him as he was taking a breather after running his head off for the past 30 minutes.
	Sometimes it pays to look up(ward). This is a majestic sycamore tree at a nearby home. It looks naked because it sheds it bark regularly.
	These colorful day lilies arrive each Spring in our front yard. I shot this one soon after an early morning shower left a few drops.
	From a distance the furrows in the field look boringly straight and parallel. Closer up I can see that the terrain isn’t flat as a pancake and makes for a nice visual.
	You may be surprised by the things that you can spot around the neighborhood. This vintage auto was sitting in an empty lot. Great color and great restoration.

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I’ll leave you with this reminder: When you’re the client, you have the freedom to shoot whenever and whatever you’d like. Don’t fall into the “no time today” trap. Nor should you believe that the camera is only for special occasions. With a little preparation (i.e. keeping your camera close by), you can surely find a few everyday subjects to photograph.

Written by: Arnie Lee

 

packing in the sites when time is limited

 

Mom plans her getaway to her winter home in Arizona around the time the leaves start to fall in Michigan. When it’s time to leave the cold behind, she hops on an airplane for the 1500 mile flight and I volunteer to drive her car to Phoenix.

This year I chose to drive a circuitous route. Instead of heading directly for the southern route, I travel straight west towards Utah and Nevada. My plan is to do a some sightseeing. As it turns out, I visited five national parks and a few other interesting places.

To avoid a long slideshow, I’ve condensed this long cross country trip into a series of photos – one photo for each major stopover.

Are you ready?

OK, let’s go.

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There is some snow in Colorado and this attractive bird is out looking for food.
We reached Arches National Park in eastern Utah about 10pm. The moon is full, inviting us to a camera challenge. Here’s a two second handheld photo taken at midnight without any other light except the moon.
The next day we travel to southern Utah and find a gorgeous and colorful Bryce Canyon National Park sprinkled with white stuff.
Before dusk we reach Zion National Park. Unlike Bryce where you’re looking down into the canyons, in Zion you’re in the canyon looking up.
That evening we arrive in Las Vegas. This city has always been a favorite of mine for night time photography. Can you see why?
After we leave Las Vegas we stop at the newly constructed bypass to the Hoover Dam. What a view. It’s an engineering and architectural marvel.
That evening, we arrive at the Grand Canyon National Park. Unfortunately, the clouds and rain moves in during the night and the next morning we are greeted with ground fog. The weather is perfect for “mood” shots like this.
Instead of crying about the cloudy Grand Canyon, we move south to Sedona and were able to catch some of the red rocks for which this area is noted.
Finally after five days on the road, we arrive in Phoenix. This seguaro cactus is a familiar and welcome site.

 

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So there you have it.

I’ve squeezed 2700 miles into a few compact photos.

I hope you enjoyed the parks as much as we did.

 

 

Written by Arnie Lee

 

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