Jeffrey wrote:
Fred, Great image. I'll bet that if you went back to that same place anytime, even soon, you would probably have the place to yourself or at least have the positive experience you wanted. Jerks like that are not always there (or anywhere). It's all chance. I remember Ben Horne's tale of jerks at the Subway in Zion. However, on the day I hiked there, I had the entire canyon to myself all day.
I don't know Ben's story but it's pretty annoying when that happens. I am sure next time I visit VOF, things will be different. I was there during a holiday and that may have contributed to the crowd.
Take care,
Fred
Peterk78 wrote:
Great image Fred! Too bad about the experience with the arrogant photographer. Good you stood your ground, but unfortunately that will just make him that much more obnoxious towards people he meets in the future. We all need to stand our ground with people like that more, NOT in the Florida sense of the word that has become infamous of late, but in the decent, respectful way that you behaved. At least you modeled the correct behavior for other onlookers, and most importantly, your kids, if they were there. That will make the world a better place for us all to live in....Show more →
Peter,
My kids were not with me but I have to confess that after trying to resolve the situation in peace without success, we did get into a heated argument and that's something I regret.
Fred
Fred Miranda wrote:
Ben,
I took this picture on the Fire Wave trail. You don't have to hike to the end of it. There are a lot of opportunities along the way. I did stay at this location past sunset and dusk. It's useful to have a compass and GPS when hiking these trails in the dark.
Fred
Wow, I sure missed it then, I posted a firewave shot taken midday on a post asking about VOF yesterday, This appears to be an east facing shot. I did think I was at the wave about 2/3 of the way in but the trail kept going so I did as well. I sure missed the knobs of rock.
I had a chance to visit VoF briefly in February; I had some time before a flight the next morning, so I went out to camp for the night and catch sunrise. I did drive around and shoot some scenics by the road by moonlight, despite the signs. I talked to the ranger before I left, and he indicated that they are willing to put a flexible definition on "dawn" and "dusk", just so long as you aren't out bumbling around on the rock in the middle of the night; their concern is for safety. He also indicated that one could apply to the superintendent for permission to do night shooting. I got the impression that this would be considered based on the experience and evident regard for safety, nature and the park demonstrated by the applicant, so it was not out of the question. I would expect that many here could successfully apply if you can plan ahead.
Fred, its disappointing to hear of your experience; stuff like that can be really unnerving. But I'd say you got the better end of it, both with finding a more unique location, and having the light develop in your favor. Good karma!
Fred Miranda wrote:
Thanks for all comments and feedback. I actually had a bad experience while capturing this image. There was a swarm of photographers near this location surrounding a "famous rock". I couldn't even get close to this rock, which I originally wanted to shoot because one photographer was using a fisheye lens to capture a sunset and was time-lapsing it. If anyone would get within 180 degrees of his camera, he would scream out..."You are in my frame". The problem, is that this area is very tight. Too many photographers shooting the same subject. It was an issue.
So, I found this other location near by, but in a completely empty area which faced a different orientation. I suspected that dusk colors could appear on this side, so I set up my tripod and waited for the light. Once the light finally turned on, the same photographer that was hogging the other famous rock, saw where the colors were, immediately changed his composition and then started screaming for me to move out of his way!!! I was never in his frame until the sky changed and he decided to move his orientation. I decided to just ignore him and finish shooting my image. I even told him he could stand next to me if he wanted to.
When it was time to pack up, he came up to me and started ranting on about how rude I was! At this point, I was ready to leave but instead I ended up having an argument with him. I told him, "look we are all here enjoying a beautiful sunset, doing what we love, we should have more respect for each other."
He parked his tripod with his fisheye in a very constricted area. Even so, everyone respected his boundaries. I was forced to look for an alternative location and did. Then, I waited around for the good light.
What an arrogant guy. He went on and on about how important he was. Then he hands me his card. I didn't even look at it. I just ripped it up and walked away. Too bad too, this jerk messed up the experience for me. It really is a beautiful park, but I probably won't be going back there for a long time.
Fred...Show more →
Sad indeed. Its why I love mornings not imposable but less probable that you get others...and often they are nicer folks for some reason. Maybe its the dedication of getting up at 0dark:30 that appeals to more sensible folk.
