How-To
Text And Photography, By Larry Lindahl
Exploring a national park in a weekend requires good planning to make the most of your photography time. One of the very best things you can do is ask park staff about some of the areas you’re planning to visit. They’re dedicated people who know these places intimately, and they can be a huge help when you’re there. All of the photos in this article were taken during Larry Lindahl’s voyages in Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.
Road trip!
Just about the sweetest two words you can hear if you’re a photographer. Add in national parks, and you’re talking about the official playgrounds for readers of Outdoor Photographer. They range in size, scope and variety and, of course, geographically they’re dispersed throughout the country. Most of us have significant time pressure, and we try to pack a lot into weekends (long weekends, if we’re lucky), so before we head on down the highway, a little prep time will make the “looking for adventure” part go down a whole lot better.
Research
Research is key to versatile and nimble travel in and around national parks. Be a geek for a few hours and get your facts. Research your subject on Google images, Flickr and iStock. Get to know what’s been done and what’s available, and start conceptualizing your own approach. Saturate yourself with information: mileage, travel time, current multiday weather forecast, sunrise/sunset times, moon phase and road conditions. The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a popular app that you can consult when planning from home and when you’re on the road on your smartphone or tablet.
Gather together maps of the region. Calculate mileage and drive time between your destinations from a site such as MapQuest. Explore the region in Google Earth virtual reality. Get a feel for the territory.
Read the guidebooks. Photographer Laurent Martr