Blog 2 Deep Dive Into the San Rafael Swell
I am planning a photography trip in the San Rafael Swell on October 6th through the 8th to do some Milky Way photography and to photograph the spectacular sandstone formations. We will be going into the heart of the Swell to an area where access is by ATV’s or a HIGH clearance four wheel drive vehicle ONLY. This will be an off-grid camping trip, but it will be SPECTACULAR! The area is remote. We will take our camping gear, photography gear, food and water on our ATV’s or 4 x 4’s. We can do Milky Way photography the nights of the 6th and 7th, as well as photographing sunrises and sunsets and all day if we have the enegry.
THIS IS A NO FEE TRIP. I AM NOT CHARGING A FEE TO LEAD THE TRIP. WE WILL GO AS A GROUP OF FRIENDS WITH NO EXPECTATIONS , NO WORRIES and no liabilities! First Come First Served.
I am inviting anyone that wants to go up to a limit of 8 people. You can bring your own ATV or 4 X 4 or you could rent ATV’s in Ferron, Utah, at Side TRAX Rentals where they have Polaris RAZORs. They have 4 seaters and a couple 2 seaters available. Big Mountain Lodge and Adventures in Ferron also has ATV’s for rent. Three people could share the cost of a four seater if so desired. Three people per four seater would be the limit because we will need to take our gear on the ATV’s. Two people could share a two seater. Gear will need to be minimal. Water will be very important so we will take plenty. You will need to provide yourself with a small tent if desired, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, easily prepared meals and minimal cooking equipment and lots of water. Of course photography gear is up to you also.
I would be willing to help arrange the ATV’s from the Ferron, Utah providers if you need help, but I WOULD NEED TO KNOW ASAP TO RESERVE THE UNITS.
We can plan on spectacularly clear skies (barring clouds of course). This area is in a Bortle Class 2-1 area, with very dark skies. There are no towns or cities in the area. The only possible light sources are vehicles on Interstate 70 but far away and can be avoided. The moon will be new on the 6th and will be as dark as it gets, so the Milky Way will stand out and be fantastic. The core of the Milky Way will be visible from 8:30 to 10:15 and the upper part of the Milky Way for another hour, with Venus on the west and Jupiter and Saturn east of the Milky Way. There will be plenty of time to photograph the Milky Way.
Come on along and we will share our techniques for night photography and teach other some new tricks for photography.
Contact me at bagrimes@gmail.com or phone me at 1+435-609-1963. My contact info is in the Contact button above.
Ben
Blog 1
I was born in a small town in Georgia, U.S.A. where I spent my first 11 years trying to keep up with the two brothers just older than me. We spent hours almost every day in the pine forests and swamps where I learned to love nature. It is a small miracle that I made it to age 11. We quite often saw poisonous snakes and regularly were injured itosome degree or other. Our activities included anything and everything connected with nature from making our own small bows and arrows to catching various reptiles and animals to inspect and then set free. It was a wonderful childhood.
A month before my 12th birthday my family moved to Utah where I continued my love for nature. I have had a couple careers and now am free to explore when I can and do photography and videography as time allows. I was introduced to photography by my father, who also loved nature. My father was basically on his own at the age of about 12 and had little formal education, but became a master at many trades. I owe my love for photography to him, and am ever grateful for him teaching me by example how to make things, fix things and generally take care of myself.
At the beginning of digital photography I was all in. I bought a Nikon Coolpix 995, which was incredible at the time but actually was a pretty poor camera, however, it hooked my on digital. Since then I have not looked back. I have learned photography on my own by studying everything I could get my hands on and by scouring the internet for photographers that I admire. There is a vast amount of great content that can be used to learn from. I recently acquired a drone and am enjoying learning how to make videos and still shots from the air. I think the potential there is tremendous. The camera in my drone is very good and makes great images and videos. I have completed the TRUST certification (Recreational UAS Safety Test Completion Certificate), and am working towards a FAA, Part 107 Drone Pilot certification. I do not offer for sale any drone work, or use it for promotion of my saleable photography at this time.
We all have a story; some stories may be more interesting than others, but each of our stories is important to us, and they are probably interesting to our families and friends. Each photograph also has its own story. My web site shows a minute fraction of my story. That is the essence of photography to me - a way to remember the moments in time and space. As Leonardo de Vinci said, “Men wrongly lament the flight of time, blaming it for being too swift; they do not perceive that its passage is sufficiently long, but a good memory, which nature has given to us, causes things long past to seem present.” Every photograph brings back the memories of that time and place where the photo was made. I made my web site to share my photography with my family and friends. If you want to be a friend, I am willing to be your friend, and I hope you enjoy my photography.
Ben
7-30-21