Decades ago, when I first got into serious photography, my typical photo trip involved pulling my little tent trailer into a new national park and exploring for a few days. My first drive would be to the visitor center to check out the postcards. This told me where the best photo ops were, and where I needed to start my explorations.
On occasion I will still visit a national park, but mainly during the off-season. Whether it's because they've become too popular, or I've just become less tolerant, I find myself more and more shooting away from crowds in more remote locations 'off the grid.'
A recent trip to southern Arizona was a good example. I met a handful of photography friends at Ironwood Forest National Monument. Not too far from Tucson as the crow flies, but a long way from civilization. My photo gear consisted of a couple of cameras, a couple of tripods, and a handful of extra batteries and SD cards. I also bring power banks and USB battery chargers, although my new truck has a power outlet in the bed which is handy for charging batteries and other gear.
Camping gear is pretty basic: a 5 gallon container for water, a warm sleeping bag and a good pad. I bring a small backpacking tent, but prefer to just sleep in the back of the truck under the camper shell. Over the years I've learned to overpack on jackets and warm clothing (including thermal underwear).....better to be too warm than too cold. In desert and mountain areas even summer nights can get chilly, and sunrise photography in particular can be miserable if you're not prepared. A couple of good flashlights, a small shovel, and a solar shower are some handy additions if you're in a place with few or no facilities. A tiny jet boil 'stove' heats up water for morning coffee and freeze-dried dinners.
In our Ironwood location the only real challenge we had was the weather: it was too nice. While 'sunny and warm' is a great forecast for most people, photographers prefer a variety and will easily put up with rain and even snow if it means interesting lighting. In our case we had a brief period of clouds and rain one morning, otherwise skies were mainly clear. This particular shot was taken at sunset on a hill overlooking the rugged Silverbell Mountains. Only a couple of clouds, but luckily the composition and color made up for the lack of sky interest.
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