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Archive 2016 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.

  
 
Two23
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p.6 #1 · p.6 #1 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


Frogfish wrote:
Therefore I'd love to get to see native American culture up close, to experience the small towns people, and to see how real life, and real people, are in California, Utah, Colorado and Oregon.



Look into the bed & breakfast idea, or Airbnb. I've found in all my own travels that people are people, no matter where you go. Most are pretty helpful when asked. However, in the U.S., most of the "real people" live in the Midwest.


Kent in SD



Dec 07, 2016 at 08:59 AM
ckcarr
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p.6 #2 · p.6 #2 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


Frogfish wrote:
Therefore I'd love to get to see native American culture up close, to experience the small towns people, and to see how real life, and real people, are in California, Utah, Colorado and Oregon.












Dec 07, 2016 at 09:01 AM
JimFox
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p.6 #3 · p.6 #3 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


Frogfish wrote:
I wasn't sure where to post this so picked the two forums whose gear I use (Sony & Nikon) and the Alt (inc. Sony) will encompass more shooters. I hope.

I would like advice on which locations are 'must-sees' in your opinion (and why, and which state they are in, and in which season they are best visited). I prefer parks and wilderness, my wife interesting towns and cities. I've been to Florida and Texas before, my wife recently to New York, Chicago and Vegas.

Those places are not really on a road-trip map for us to visit again unless they
...Show more

There are literally thousands and thousands of "must shoot" spots in the US. You really should be more specific because unless you moved here permanently, and spent the next 20 years focusing on just photography, there is just no way you will hit even 1/10,000th of the cool spots to shot.

Jim



Dec 07, 2016 at 12:38 PM
JimFox
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p.6 #4 · p.6 #4 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


Two23 wrote:
Look into the bed & breakfast idea, or Airbnb. I've found in all my own travels that people are people, no matter where you go. Most are pretty helpful when asked. However, in the U.S., most of the "real people" live in the Midwest.

Kent in SD


What's the difference between a "real" person and a "fake" person and where they live? Do you mean friendly and unfriendly?

Jim



Dec 07, 2016 at 12:40 PM
JimFox
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p.6 #5 · p.6 #5 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


AGeoJO wrote:
It is not cross-posted in any other boards....

Anyway, Kevin, as folks already mentioned, this country is huge and the number of National Parks is staggering. It depends a lot on how much time do you want to invest and what you want to see/photograph. I am somewhat familiar with a few of the NPs in CA, AZ and UT. Please note that some interesting locations are not located in any of the NPs. Antelope Canyons, White Pocket, the Waves, Monument Valley, etc. are not. Some are on Indian land and some are difficult to access.

I can relate to
...Show more

It is cross posted. The OP even states in the beginning that this thread is posted here in the Nikon forum and Cross Posted in the Sony Forum.

To Craigs point a travel thread should have been posted in the travel forum first of all, and then perhaps cross posted to a gear forum.

Jim



Dec 07, 2016 at 12:47 PM
Frogfish
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p.6 #6 · p.6 #6 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


JimFox wrote:
What's the difference between a "real" person and a "fake" person and where they live? Do you mean friendly and unfriendly?

Jim

That's why I had 'real people' in inverted commas. Compared to American expats over here.




Dec 07, 2016 at 11:47 PM
Frogfish
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p.6 #7 · p.6 #7 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


JimFox wrote:
It is cross posted. The OP even states in the beginning that this thread is posted here in the Nikon forum and Cross Posted in the Sony Forum.

To Craigs point a travel thread should have been posted in the travel forum first of all, and then perhaps cross posted to a gear forum.

Jim


To this point I genuinely missed the travel forum - I didn't scroll up far enough on the drop-down menu. However I'm not sad I made that error. There is absolutely no way this thread would have attracted the attention and many many valuable responses it did in the Travel Forum where many threads don't have any responses at all - or maybe just one or two. I have been there since and made my contribution to assisting someone requesting advice on Bhutan.

I didn't mean to create additional work for Fred but maybe this way is better (and then archive the thread in ''Travel') if diversity of opinion and a large response is desired.



Dec 07, 2016 at 11:53 PM
Frogfish
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p.6 #8 · p.6 #8 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


JimFox wrote:
There are literally thousands and thousands of "must shoot" spots in the US. You really should be more specific because unless you moved here permanently, and spent the next 20 years focusing on just photography, there is just no way you will hit even 1/10,000th of the cool spots to shot.

Jim

Well it's difficult to know where to begin Jim so being specific comes later. The same could be said of any large country though. China, Japan etc. but as you can see from the thread we've already been able to rule out certain areas and define a more or less potential route that I can now spend time on refining and then get further advice later.

One wouldn't expect to 'do' China in a single month long trip and I certainly don't expect to 'do' the USA in one either ! However many people have offered great advice and it all helps, not only me personally but hopefully anyone else planning a USA trip too. The opinions of American photographers are far more valuable to me than general tourist information.



Dec 08, 2016 at 12:17 AM
Two23
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p.6 #9 · p.6 #9 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


Frogfish wrote:
. The opinions of American photographers are far more valuable to me than general tourist information.


What you have here is a "distillation" of sorts of where American photographers who know the area would go if THEY had a month to spend. It's not commercial/advertising for a generic group of tourists. That does give it some value.


Kent in SD




Dec 08, 2016 at 08:51 AM
SethD
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p.6 #10 · p.6 #10 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


I have a slightly different take. I've traveled to all "the lower 48", using virtually every form of transportation - car, motorcycle, air, train, and latterly with a camper van. My recommendation would be that you consider a rail pass, assuming these are still available. Thirty odd years ago, my wife and I took my parents on a trip round the country. The trip allowed us to get off the train for extended stays three times. The trip originated in NYC, with changes of train in Chicago and Portland. Our chosen layovers were in Glacier National Park -where we spent 5 days, San Francisco, where we hired a car and spent a week exploring California, and picking up the train in LA. Then on to Raton, New Mexico for another week near Taos and Santa Fe, eventually picking up the train in El Paso, TX. A layover, in New Orleans and then homeward.
This was probably the most photographically productive trip I've ever taken. No strain covering the USA's vast expanse and lengthy stays in absolutely beautiful locations. And, if you're thinking of it, remember that US schools are out much of June thru the end of August. The best time for semi-retirees to travel is late May. Early June, and September (IMO).



Dec 08, 2016 at 09:56 AM
ariot
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p.6 #11 · p.6 #11 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


SethD wrote:
I have a slightly different take. I've traveled to all "the lower 48", using virtually every form of transportation - car, motorcycle, air, train, and latterly with a camper van. My recommendation would be that you consider a rail pass, assuming these are still available. Thirty odd years ago, my wife and I took my parents on a trip round the country. The trip allowed us to get off the train for extended stays three times. The trip originated in NYC, with changes of train in Chicago and Portland. Our chosen layovers were in Glacier National Park -where we spent
...Show more

Amtrak still does rail passes, details are here https://www.amtrak.com/rail-passes

A buddy of mine came over from Germany and used Amtrak for a good 15 day run before renting a car and hitting some other spots.

It's also a good way to see the places where tourists don't often go.



Dec 08, 2016 at 10:04 AM
ckcarr
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p.6 #12 · p.6 #12 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


I love trains, but the problem with Amtrak, and I'm fortunate to have ridden the historic California Zephyr several times from Green River to Chicago and back since it stops right by me and I'm a masochist, is that when I look out the window and see something really cool I'm thinking "Stop the train!" and then we're gone... 50 miles beyond what I liked... I always think "I need to go back there with my Jeep." But I never do. I will say it's a weird experience getting on the train in Green River Utah as the only person standing at the station, and 36 hours later arriving in downtown Chicago... Bathing in the little tiny bathrooms is fun too... You can try and rent a sleeper, but they can be from $750 to $1,000 or more a night...

The fortunate few that can attach their private rail cars to the train have it made...




Amtrak Selfie...






Taken with a selfie stick...




Dec 08, 2016 at 10:28 AM
kingmeow
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p.6 #13 · p.6 #13 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


Awesome train shot there. It mixes man-made with nature and the photo shows the expanse of nature.

I like trains too but bias towards heavy MU diesel pulling a mile long freight.



Dec 08, 2016 at 01:49 PM
Joseph.
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p.6 #14 · p.6 #14 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


Wait... 6 pages and no mention of Hawai'i? I just got back from the Big Island and the hike to Kilauea volcano is one of the MOST freakin awesome hike I've ever done! Fresh lava meeting the ocean to create new land is such a breathtaking scene to witness. The land that had already previously formed, created some of the most spectacular landscapes and arches you will ever photograph. It rains all the time, so rainbows everywhere. If you like waterfalls, they have them in the thousands!

















Dec 08, 2016 at 03:02 PM
Two23
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p.6 #15 · p.6 #15 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


The early parks (c.1910) were first only accessible by train. I'm thinking of Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon here. The trains would pull up to a depot at the main entrance of the park, and private operators would take you by stagecoach to the main lodges, which were also built by the railroads. It was mostly wealthy tourists who could afford all this, of course, and they tended to stay a month or even longer. The parks are very large and it would take a lot of time to walk around them. There is rudimentary bus transportation in some but last I checked it was expensive and not very convenient. As much as I love trains, the train service here just didn't seem to be a very efficient way to see the parks now. When I'm in Europe we generally don't rent a car and do take sleeper service. We also rode VIA first class in Canada a couple of years ago, and it was great! However, we only rode point to point (Winipeg to Vancouver, no stops.) I managed to get a few shots from the train that I kind of like. The U.S. is more spread out and not as well set up for this though.


Kent in SD





VIA in British Columbia




Dec 08, 2016 at 06:18 PM
sandycrane
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p.6 #16 · p.6 #16 · Best Locations to shoot/visit in the USA for a visitor.


Utah/ Arizona border region. Rent a car and follow your nose. Don't miss the Moki Dugway. Say "Hi" to the polygamists in Colorado City. And ya gotta see the Grand Canyon!


Dec 08, 2016 at 09:25 PM
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