All posts by Arnie

Road Trip – Part 1

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I just returned from another road trip, or should I say half of one. I was delivering an older van that’s been sitting in the driveway for a few years to my son and daughter-in-law who live in Reno, Nevada. In a straight shot, it’s just over 2000 miles from our home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. But I saw the drive as a chance to stop off and enjoy a couple of our magnificent national parks. Anyway, this was only a half of a road trip since I flew home after delivering the van.

I’ve taken to the road cross country dozens of times before so I know the routine. Waking at 4am, I leave Grand Rapids, point the van towards the West and go. Indiana, Illinois and Iowa are a breeze. And while I don’t mean to disparage any part of the trip, Interstate 80 through Nebraska is one of the least interesting 450 miles unless you like seeing corn and wheat fields galore. Afterwards, the slowly rising mountains of Wyoming are a welcome sight. By about 9pm, I pull into Rawlins, Wyoming for a late dinner and some sleep.

I’m up early the next morning and leave the interstate for the northern trek towards Moran Junction – the Tetons and Yellowstone. What a lovely part of the world with vast cattle ranches, scenic buttes, craggy overhangs, deep cut gorges, abundant wildlife. Without having to leave the vehicle, I’m thrilled to view the scenery.

My first order of business is to visit the Tetons where the mountains just pop up from the earth without any intervening foothills. This range across the valley known as Jackson Hole is simply breathtaking.

After driving 1600 miles, I’m more than ready for a hike and head for the trailhead at Taggert Lake. It’s early September and there are many other outdoor lovers enjoying the same sights along the trail.

Next on my agenda is a hop over to South Jenny Lake. Having visited this area several times before with my family, I have an emotional attachment to the lake and its energizing surroundings.

Then on to Oxbow Bend where the Snake River winds through the tree-lined valley. You’ll recognize the view from this iconic location – there’s a myriad of Oxbow Bend photographs that adorn walls and calendars everywhere. From this spot, just point your camera at the mountains, click and you’ll capture an unforgettable view for yourself.

Over to the Jackson Lake Dam. Here the water from the various rivers in Yellowstone collect and feed the Snake River. After the water passes through the dam, it serves the farms and citizens of Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. And by the way, the white water rafting downstream is very exciting!

My last stop in the Tetons is at Colter Bay. This is not only a popular camping area, but its large marina handles water craft for the crowd that enjoys the amazing Jackson Lake surroundings and vistas.

At this point, I head north along the John D Rockefeller Jr Memorial Parkway which connects Grand Teton National Park with Yellowstone National Park.

If you’re still with me, you can continue with my visit to Yellowstone National Park in Part 2 of the road trip.

Sony A6000

equipment, personal, reviews, , , , , , ,

I’ve been a proponent of Sony’s NEX mirrorless cameras since they first appeared three years ago. The reason is simple. The NEX series produce images comparable in quality to conventional DSLRs, accept interchangeable lenses yet are very compact. They are substantially smaller and lighter than DSLRs.

Sony’s newest model is the A6000. Although Sony has dropped the NEX moniker, the A6000 retains the same compact footprint as the earlier NEX6 and NEX7 models.

A few days before our recent extended vacation, an A6000 arrived in the mail. I used it heavily on our extended family vacation. Instead of writing a wordy review, I put together a “photo review” that demonstrates the versatility of the A6000. If you’re on the hunt for a feature packed, technically advanced and affordable camera, you should look at the A6000.

You’ll find this quick and dirty “review” on my blog over at Stay Focused. Please click here to go to my online magazine.

Written by: Arnie Lee

Not Afraid of the Water

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There’s a few weeks still left on the summer calendar so jump on in – the water’s fine.

After seeing a demo of this camera last January, I took the plunge and ordered this Nikon 1 AW1.

What’s unique about this camera is that it uses interchangeable lenses and can be submersed – the specs say down to 50 feet. But I’m not a diver so I haven’t used the camera that deep. Instead, I wanted a camera for snapping the family on the beach or in the water.

A sandy beach isn’t a problem – just dip the camera into the water to clean it off. Underwater shots are easy – especially if you’re wearing a pair of goggles – the LCD screen is very visible beneath the surface.

This camera is also built to be rugged. Nikon says that it can withstand a fall from 6 feet, but I didn’t test out this “feature”. When winter arrives it can withstand freezing temperatures down to 14 degrees.

The camera with an 11-27.5mm interchangeable lens sells for about $750. I bought the orange silicone protective sleeve which makes it easier to hold underwater.

The AW1 is mirrorless with a 14.2MB sensor. It’s very compact. Two lenses are submersible: the 11-27.5mm zoom and a fixed 10mm. You can mount other Nikon 1 lenses but they are not submersible. The built-in flash works underwater too so you can add light should you find the subsurface water dark. If you’re using the AW1 in an outdoor pool, the photos and videos are excellent.

This is a lightweight, compact camera that takes good quality photos and videos and as I’ve experienced is really a blast to use. And a lot of splashing won’t hurt a bit.