If all goes according to plan, in exactly 2 months I'll be on the Colorado River with a couple of cameras and a whole bunch of batteries.
About 20 years ago I took a raft trip down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon with a group of geology students and professors. How I came to be with the group is a long story, but suffice it to say I was there at the invitation of my father, who was at the time a professor at Tulane. It was a great trip, the rapids were amazing and I learned some geology. But as a photographer the trip was frustrating, as we floated past the best locations on the way to the next geology lesson. Through the week I was able to take a few decent shots, including the one posted here that I took on a lunch break. But I promised myself that I'd return some day.....this time with a group more interested in photography.
That day is almost here. In a couple months about 10 photographers will put in at Lee's Ferry, in northern Arizona. And about a week and half later we'll get out when the river hits Lake Mead, not too far from Las Vegas. Although the trip is generally safe, we're advised to bring 2 sets of gear in case one of the rafts flips over in the rapids, which happens occasionally. So two cameras, two tripods, several lenses, and a whole lot of batteries. Twenty years ago my gear included a borrowed Mamiya 645 camera and hand-held light meter. This time my primary camera will be a mirrorless digital, which requires batteries. In fact on a 10 day trip without electricity, having enough batteries turns out to be a significant challenge. So along with the camera gear I'll have a pack full of batteries, power banks, chargers and SD cards. But of course if things don't work out, I guess I can try again in about 20 years, right?
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