More to come.

This is a letter I wrote my representative tonight.  I’m no writer, but I felt better when I clicked send.  I was a bit pissed off that his response page said that it was too difficult to respond to letters given the ease at which electronic means allowed questions and comments to be submitted.  I’m sure he gets a lot of email (especially lately,) but let’s keep in mind that these reps have a part time job  -  I expect more, even if it’s a minion sending a canned reply.  I would encourage you to send your representative a letter to ensure if nothing else, that it was not your fault that the country went to hell in a hand-basket on our watch.   ~ sb

Mr. Pastor, I’m a registered republican in your district that has voted for you in the past two elections. I lead off with this to ensure that you know that I’m not about partisan politics and I hope you are not either. I live in the historical part of Phoenix because I believe that it’s worth saving and I’m surrounded with great people that are of similar minds. Our neighborhood is not rich, yet we are not poor; rather we are the group that lives modest lives to ensure we can take care of our families in good times and bad, save for the future, and enjoy our lives, homes and freedoms. We grow gardens, have neighborhood meetings, picnics, raise our families, etc. When our home values tripled, we didn’t take out the equity to buy quads, boats or other luxury items. We stood steadfast knowing that our home values were based on a market that has ups and downs.

With that said, I find myself very disturbed and even angry at where the congress and this administration is taking this country. We are a country founded on the principals that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the “pursuit” of happiness; only the last is not assured by our constitution. I’m not sure why, but we seem to be reinforcing all the wrong things lately. Get over your head on your mortgage – we’ll bail you out. Screw up your company (assuming you’re big enough) well bail you out. Don’t choose to buy health insurance – we will make a system that will cover you on the backs of your fellow citizens. None of these issues are the role of the federal government.

When do we tell the unaccountable to stand up and be responsible? When do we stop rewarding the wrong behaviors? When do we recognize that the private sector, complete with market forces, effective oversight, and competition will always lead to a better, more cost effective solution than a single option system. Will it always be fair to everyone? No, but neither is the bill that has been proposed for heath care. It leaves millions uncovered and saddles the country with a bill that we cannot pay. I’m sure you have read the CBO’s report which concludes that the bill is estimated to far exceed the existing numbers. And, if the Arizona welfare programs which started as a modest $200 million and now have exceeded 1.2 billion dollars (1 billion of which is not funded) are any indication, this health care reform has a really good chance of bankrupting the country. I know we all think in the back of our mind, “that can’t happen, but take a moment and imagine what if?” Would a completely unfunded program be of benefit to more or less of your constituents? Would a government that is reduced to self preservation, defending our borders, be of better service to the citizenry that the one we have today, ten years ago, or even the meager one that founded our republic?



I ask you to stop and consider the following:

STOP SPENDING!!

If I ran my household like we run our budget as a country, I would be bankrupt and more than likely facing jail time. It’s unacceptable that we would be spending in a manner that far, far outstrips the Bush administration, complete with its two wars. There has been a lot of talk lately about divisive parties controlling the topics of the day. I ask that you rise above the fray and lead like you have in the past:

• Call for spirited debate (as the president did), but when you do it, don’t run if you don’t like what you hear. Listen with the intent to understand the constituents that you took an oath to represent. Then, act on their behalf, and to their will, with disregard for the politics at play.

• Budget neutral spending is not good enough. Call for a reduction in spending and government like the rest of the households in America do in this time of recession (yet another thing that the constitution does not call on you to “fix.”)

• Finally, defend our freedoms like you’re not exempt from the programs you pass. I think we’ve have had enough lip service, from enough politicians over the years to have the right to be highly skeptical of what they are promising. If the president doesn’t support death panels, make sure that the bill will not allow them. Say what you mean, and do what you say.
• Push crime legislation – My house has be robbed three times and my vehicles twice as were those of countless neighbors. My wife is scared to come home alone when I’m out of town and I carry my most coveted possessions on me as I’m afraid to leave them in my home. Why are we not fighting those who prey on the participating members of society instead of creating programs that help prop them up?

Mr. Pastor, I’m sure you get letters like this all the time so I’m not delusional enough to think that you would take this simple advice from one of your residents. In all actuality, I have lost faith that all our elected officials have the intestinal fortitude to stand up for America, for the citizens – for what’s right. That is the one down side of a Republic – the citizens don’t have actual control over what you do. So knowing that, I can assure you that I do have control over what I do, and if you vote for this abomination of legislation that will very likely bankrupt this country, I will no longer be an advocate for you, and will in fact do all that is within my power to ensure you are not re-elected in 2010.

For this post I’m making the grand assumption that you are using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Raw. If you don’t have those two programs and have splurged on a Digital SLR and corresponding kit, you should seriously re-evaluate where you are spending your photography dollar. Like it or not, Photoshop will give you far more control over your final image than any other piece of hardware you can buy. If you don’t believe me, download a trial version here and see for yourself.

Exposure Compensation: RAW vs JPEG

I started off with an underexposed image that I shot last month on the Oregon coast. The image was composed on a Canon 5d with a 17-40L lens and was shot from the balcony of our hotel. Now that it’s 110 degrees here in Phoenix, I sure wish I was back on that balcony. The original photograph was underexposed to ensure I captured the highlight detail of the sky. The trouble is, I lost the beach detail.

Here is the original image and a 100% crop of the cloud detail with auto levels applied. I’m not suggesting you auto level your photos, but I can use this option to apply the same process over all images in my test group and get consistent results. Our goal here is not to make a perfect image, but rather illustrate how changing the exposure setting affects the overall image quality.

Since the shot is underexposed and I shot it in RAW, I have the luxury of correcting the exposure in Adobe RAW processing. I added 1.25 stops in the exposure setting and made no other changes. The following image is the RAW file after the 1.25+ stop adjustment and the corresponding crop with auto levels applied. As you can see in the crop, the clouds are starting to block up a bit, but there is still a lot of information to work with.

Often times I shoot RAW plus a large or medium JPEG for quick previewing. I opened the JPEG file in Photoshop and then selected the Exposure adjustment setting to apply the +1.25 stops. Notice how much detail was lost compared to the RAW image. Also notice the crop with auto levels applied lacks the information necessary to restore any real cloud detail. From this test alone I would not use the Exposure setting on JPEG files unless you have exhausted all other means or are making very small tweaks.

However, while testing different processing methods for this article, I discovered an alternative option for adjusting exposure in JPEG files. Like I said, I was planning to illustrate how much better RAW is, but I was shocked to see how much better Adobe RAW is at altering the exposure of a JPEG. Below I opened the same JPEG as before, the only difference being that the exposure was increased 1.25+ stops in Adobe RAW instead of from within Photoshop. You should notice a significant difference between the two JPEGs when comparing the crop detail. The depth is still nowhere near the quality of the RAW images, but is much better that the JPEG with Exposure compensation performed from within PhotoShop.

Sometimes it pays off to do some experimenting. I’m still going to show you how much better RAW is than JPEG, but I couldn’t help sharing this simple change in workflow that can make a big difference in your JPEG images. Stay tuned for more detail on RAW images.

Last October I was faced with one of my toughest challenges as a consumer – I was getting married and I needed to hire the photographer.  My now wife knew this would be an impossible task and was not going to touch it with a 10 foot pole – no, this one was mine.  Here’s how I went about hiring my photographer, the steps I took, and what I feel is important to know when hiring your own wedding (or any event) photographer.

The Process of Hiring a Photographer

Figure out what you want in a Photographer - My process started with a long period of procrastination.  Periodically I would scan local photographer’s websites, but was often underwhelmed by the stock poses and overwhelmed by the “packages.”  Not that it put my wife’s mind at ease, but all this waiting and perusing allowed me to get clear on what I wanted in a wedding photographer.

To me, wedding photography is all about image quality, style and story-telling.  Our venue was not the traditional pew lined isle of a church, but rather a pecan grove in central Phoenix.  Liz and I both love the outdoors, so it just made sense to make that a part of the ceremony.  We also didn’t have the traditional events such as dancing, garter toss, etc, but did incorporate a string quartette and many other small details.  This set up a great environment to mingle and enjoy the warm October evening, but it also introduced other options and complexities for whomever I hired as a photographer.  I wanted to make sure our photographer would be able to handle the unpredictability of weather, site changes, lighting, and whatever else happens on the day of the wedding.  In a word, flexible.       

Prioritize your list – I determined that our wedding photography needed to be all about image quality, style, flexibility and story-telling.   It’s important to point out that everyone’s list will look a little different.  I have photographed last minute weddings where photographer availability topped the list.  Maybe style or budget tops yours, but no matter the list, you need to be clear on what you want.  This will make a huge difference when negotiating your deal with a photographer.  Figure out what item in your list you can’t live without.  Move that one to the top and continue down your list for the second most important item.  It may help to jot down some notes next to each point that describes what each looks like.  Here is what my list ended up being:

Style – Photographer has a natural style that compliments my overall goals for the event. 

Flexibility – Photographer is willing to adapt their plans, behaviors, equipment, and style to meet the goals of the event.

Image Quality – Photographer has sufficient equipment and experience to obtain quality images.  (be sure to define “quality image” if you are not clear on what that means.)

Story Telling – Photographer’s natural style (see above) and journalistic approach is sufficient to capture all the critical moments from ceremony to toast.

After building my list, I procrastinated some more allowing myself time to change my mind and alter my list before I started shopping. If you have the luxury of time, I highly recommend walking away from your list for at least a week to make sure you are clear on what you want.

Pairing Your goals with a Photographer

Style of Photography - I started with style because that seems to be the most important to me.  I surfed endless websites and saved links to photographers who had an image style that I liked.  I’m not really into the whole staged photography thing; I would rather my photographer capture the events and emotion as they unfold.  Don’t get me wrong, I wanted some group shots as well, but the need for group shots was a secondary driver for me. 

Eventually, I narrowed the list down to about 6 wedding photographers which had style and storytelling nailed in my opinion.  This is one area where people differ widely, so figure out what you like and don’t let people talk you out of that. 

The hard part for me was to identify who would be flexible and produce quality images.  Let’s break this down a little further.  

Hiring Flexible Photographers – To me flexibility meant that the photographer would not try and shoe-horn us into a pre-conceived package.  The notion that photographers sell event photography by the hour or number of shots is insane to me.  Can you imagine your photographer hitting the four hour mark and leaving before the cake cutting, toast, etc.?   It also drives me nuts that many photographers hold your images hostage.  They charge to shoot the image, then turn around and charge an exorbitant amount if you decide to use the image.  This is hotly debated within the photography community and there are good augments on both sides of the fence.  I just happen to fall on the side that dislikes this practice. 

Good photographers talk to you about your event and craft a package based on your needs and wants.    I however, was trying to hire a photographer in the purest sense.  I didn’t want wedding albums, prints, PhotoShop work, etc., I wanted a photographer who was willing to hang their credentials on their abilities with a camera.  Pure in-camera art – plain and simple. 



Hiring a Photographer for Image Quality - Image quality means different things to different people.  Believe it or not, some people still want film to be shot at their wedding.  I insisted on digital because of the flexibility that it provides, but it also introduces a lot of grey area into the image quality debate. 

Since I know camera gear, I specifically requested details about the kind of equipment each photographer used.  This can tell you a lot about a photographer and what they are willing to invest into capturing perfect images of your event.  It seems like everyone I know now has a digital SLR camera and a Flickr account, but that doesn’t mean they are qualified to photograph your big day.

I have found that a key discriminator between accomplished photographers and those less so is their ability to light a scene.  Ask your potential photographers to explain how they plan to supplement natural light.  You aren’t looking for a step by step on EV compensation, but simply a sense that they know more about lighting than how to slide a flash into the shoe of the camera and turn everything to auto.  If group shots are important to you, have them address how they will accommodate these particularly challenging staged shots.  Do they use studio strobes to get even lighting?  How do they address glare on glasses? 

The bottom line is the photographer should be able to talk simply about how they will prepare for the different lighting scenarios, the quality of their camera gear, backup gear, etc.  If they get defensive, you may want to keep looking. 

Making Contact with Potential Photographers –  Like I said earlier, I picked about six photographers to contact, each with a style that I liked (remember, style was on top of my list.) I emailed each one with the following message:

Hello,

 I recently stumbled across your website in my search for a wedding photographer and wondered if you could provide me additional details on your offerings.  Let me start by saying that I also am a photographer which is both a blessing and curse in this process.  The blessing is that I know exactly what I want, and that’s the curse as well.  I understand that my requirements may not fit into your business model and if that’s the case, just say so.  If you’re interested, here are the details of the event and what I’m looking for :

The wedding date is October 28th, 2007 at the Farm at South Mountain (Phoenix.)  Liz and I will be getting ready on site 1-2 hours prior to the event.   We will have 80 – 100 attendees and the ceremony will start at 4:30.  As you may have guessed from our venue, our setting will be an outdoor event with a garden theme.  The ceremony will be no longer that 30 minutes and the reception will end between 8 and 10.

We would like the traditional groups shots, ceremony, bride and groom prep, cake cutting, etc., but the rest we are looking for a creative photographer with a great eye to frame up the event in the way they see fit.  We will most likely carve out some time immediately following the ceremony for the family to do group shots; have a set time for cake, and then the rest would be photo journalistic.

 Here’s the hard part – the technical requirements:  

Cameras – I don’t care if you shoot Canon or Nikon digital; it just needs to be one of them.  That is unless you are shooting Hassy. If so, you’re my hero.   I only get excited about 4×5 and larger film now, but if that’s what you shoot and you are good enough to shoot weddings, you too are my hero.  I’m looking for something in the neighborhood of 10 plus mega pixels and I would like all the images to be shot in RAW (yes, I know how much room those take up on a compact flash card – I’m sorry.)  Glass needs to be sharp and should be clean – no feathers or foreign objects in the lens or on the sensor;-)  I know as a photographer you understand, so I won’t belabor the point. 

Lighting – Strangely, I’m less picky about lighting.  You just need to have enough of it to successfully light groups of up to 20 at dusk and capture candids later in the evening. 

Video – Uh, no. 

Editing and prints – none.  That’s right, I don’t want any editing or prints, just the RAW files.  My goal is to finds someone who is willing to charge a fair price for the event and not rely on the extras after the fact.  I realize that you may not make a practice of relinquishing the “negatives,” but I’m hoping to hire a talented photographer for the part of this I simply cannot do – capture the imagery of the event.  Besides, if you’re anything like me, the process of shooting the wedding is far more fun that the Photoshop workflow after the fact.  This is your chance to do the fun part, and then walk away with a check and free cake.  What else could be better?

All joking aside, I realize that what I’m looking to accomplish is out of the norm, but I hope that you would consider the opportunity and let me know one way or the other if you are interested in discussing the matter more.  If you can give me a ballpark price range and a quick thought or two on how you approach your wedding photography, it would go a long way.  

Thanks,

Scott Blackburn

My results were as follows: 

Photographer 1 – Booked on that day. 

Photographer 2 – This photographer had a novel approach.  I received a lecture of how I should “understand as a photographer that comparing work is not really like comparing apples to apples because each artists’ work is unique.” 6 Hours coverage $1295 + raw files $600 = $1895 or 7 Hours Coverage $1395 + raw files $600 = $1995.  Flexible?  I’m not guessing so.

Photographer 3 – Good detail of equipment and description of approach to photographing an event.  Unfortunately, the coverage fee was more than I could swallow.  How would you like to earn 4 grand per day ($500 per hour) just to show up and work?  Here is part of the response on the fees.  ”I have a standard price for my coverage and then usually a-la-carte everything else which sounds like it will fit you perfectly!  You will see that I included a PDF with my pricing for you. But to save you a few minutes I would tell you that my coverage fee is $4000 for 8 -10 hours. I charge $800 for the digital negatives unless you purchase an album in which case I cut that price in half.”

Probably very talented, but gave me the feeling that I was ordering off the rack instead of getting a custom suit (but paying custom suit prices.) 

Photographer 4 - Only shoots film.  This was a disappointment because I really liked her style.  Was very polite and offered to scan the negatives, but I had too many plans for the RAW digital files.

Photographer 5 – No Response – Actually, I was surprised this was the only one.

Photographer 6 – This photographer probably did the best job answering all my questions.  In fact, she fired back a list at me and really gave me a sense that my wedding mattered and was not just another payday or cookie cutter shoot.  We talked about lighting, laughed over sensor dust and eventually discussed price, but of all the photographers that responded, we liked Cindy the most.  She was professional and malleable and made sure that here offerings fit our needs.  In the end, we agreed on a fair price that was better than the other photographers and included an engagement session.  If you are in the Phoenix, AZ area and would like her contact information, shoot me an email and I’ll pass it your way.    

Conclusion

Hiring a photographer is never easy, especially if you are a photographer yourself.  I think the key to success is to get clear on what you want and then set out to find it.  Ask lots of questions and see who wants to work with you.  Look for the signs of an amateur photographer and steer clear.  Ultimately, my approach was a bit unconventional but produced good results.  Why not try a similar approach for your wedding or other big event.  Who knows, you may just hire a great photographer.   

I have long been a pursuer of the ancients.  Maybe because these relics of the past add complexity and rhythm to the landscape.  Be they old cars dissolving into the ground, a half collapsed hotel, or a sagging barn; my camera inevitably drifts towards the past. They gage our past and our progress, and serving as reminders of where we’ve come from.  They provide endless textures, muted colors, and forms that defy convention.   These modern day monuments tell stories of an ever mobile society carried on the winds of change.

So in honor of these weather beaten-buildings and bullet ridden jalopies, I present the Decayed Earth Project.

Styles of Bellows

I started off my bellows journey with 50 era modified Pentax version.  This was about at basic as it gets; two knobs to adjust the camera and lens position and a lock knob.  Conversion to Canon EOS was simple as all I needed to get was a t-mount which is commonly used in astro photography.  Mounted with a 100mm Asahi lens, I was able to capture reasonably good images and gain respectable magnification, but the overall build quality of this system was just not very good.  With the weight of a Canon 20d and later a 5d, the system was just not stable enough for my liking.  After several months of looking, I settled on a bellow system made by Nikon – Model pb-4.  I know that some Nikon or Canon die hard is going to flame me for doing this, but I believe you should use whatever gear you need to get your images.  I like Canon’s gear better, but Nikon really hit a home run with this system. 



 
This system is well built. Strong rails and locks, geared adjustment, and the ability to tilt and Shift the lens.  This was a big plus for me since this will allow you precise control over the focal plane.  It did, however, require me to make a few more modifications to get it working.  the first thing you need to do is find the right lens adapter.  In my case, I was looking for an EOS to Nikon F mount.  It really doesn’t matter what you are shooting, just make sure you can locate the correct adapter before buying the bellows.  The second modification was to mount a lens.  I didn’t have any F mount lenses, so I picked up a $5 Nikon body cap and drilled a hole just big enough for a nice Schneider lens that I had.  this works pretty well and allows me to switch out the lens easily.  For slide duplication, the 55mm micro is the recommended lens and is still available from time to time in collector shops and on Ebay.  

Using the Bellows

Once you have all adapters finished, you should be able to start shooting.  I don’t mess with any double cable releases that are available.  These will stop down the lens at the same time you fire off a shot.  I find my self moving slowly when I shoot macro work, so speed is not as important.  I compose and focus wide open, stop down the lens as needed for depth of field, then take my picture.  Your camera is missing a lot of info that it normally would get from the lens, but this is all manual baby. Just ignore your meter and fire off a couple test shots and review the histogram.  If you are shooting film, use a handheld light meter or use your camera’s meter to get close.  Remember to bracket if you use the camera’s meter since I find it off as much as tow stops at times. Conclusion So far, this is the best bellow that I’ve tried.  I’m sure you could jump into the medium format space and find a better system, but for 35mm and APS size sensors, this is just fine.  Pick up a cheap one and give it a try.  You will be shocked at all the details you’re missing with your tubes.  But don’t toss the tubes, stick them in your back packing gear.  While the bellows system is flexible, it’s not light or particularly packable.  Great unit for in the studio, near the car, or on the patio, but you wont want to lug it very far.






Liz and I decided that it would be a good idea to go camping for my birthday.  We set out from Phoenix to do a loop through Prescott, AZ up through Ash Fork to Williams, then down the dirt roads from Williams into Jerome, AZ before heading home after this short two day, one night get away. Storm clouds threatened us nearly from our door step, but we felt good that we were finally getting the little M416 Jeep trailer on the trail.  This was a project that I took on just before the table saw incident and has been a long time to completion.  She ran perfect; straight, quiet, and took the harsh beating that Arizona roads are known for.  And, this trailer setup is so light, you hardly remember that you are dragging it along.

 Our day started early and we were in Prescott for Breakfast.  We hit the store for supplies, then headed north on 89 to the town of Ash Fork.  The skies were dark and as we approached I-40, they opened up and flooded the streets.  We slowly motored up the street through what seems to be a deserted town, then picked up interstate 40 and headed for Williams.  More to come.  (Jeep Project)
More Pictures of the Trip 

This trip was a long time coming and both Liz and I are excited to be on the road last. The road out of Payson travels up on top of the Mollogon Rim which reaches into the sky some 7000 feet. On our way up, we passed through a summer storm that dropped rain in front of us most of the way up. We were greeted at the top by a double rainbow and a bright orange sky that looked as though the surrounding pines were ablaze. Not a sight unfamiliar to this area as the surrounding hills are still charred from wildfires in recent years. Thankfully the BLM is wising up and cutting down the underbrush that fuels these fires and we saw plenty of evidence of that on the way here.

Tomorrow will be a mildly long day in the truck; traveling from Overgaard, through Showlow, St. Johns, Chambers, Gallup, Albuquerque, and finally into Taos New Mexico. I’m hoping to get some great photos in and around Taos, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Saturday, August 5th.

Man that was a long drive. I don’t know what the programmers of Streets and Trips were thinking, but the drive up into Taos took almost 8 hours. Of course we did take the back roads, but we didn’t roll into town until about 4:00 p.m. Our drive took us though a handful of rainstorms and the skies boiled around us the whole way. Roadtrips in August rock.

Our first impression of Taos was nothing like the image I have pieced together from countless photo, stories, and ski brochures that I crossed over the years. Neither was Santa Fe for that matter. As we rolled along the Rio Grande for the last 60 miles into Taos, the beauty was repeatedly interrupted by sight of a rundown doublewide and the graffiti that seems to plague inner cities but also, oddly, this country side.

I guess in my mind the landscape would mirror that of Georgia O’Keefe’s painting and have a timeless quality. Massive territorial dwellings made of adobe, the brightly painted windows that we have come to know so well from just about any Taos advertisement, or the glowing hillsides that surround the town. Don’t get me wrong, these things are all still here and in mass, but you have be prepared to pickup the trash before you take the picture or get good at cropping to avoid the tagging on the side of the building. We figured that with this being such a tourist draw, the locals and the local officials would take a bit more pride in their town.  Enough on that!

Taos touts it’s very own micro brewery; Eske’s Brewery. Purely for Liz’s professional betterment, we decided sample their offerings. We sat on the patio and listened to live music, talked, and took a bit of interest in the local’s conversations. Not your mainstream Brewhouse, Eske’s laidback atmosphere and decent brews made for a nice a relaxing start to the evening. If you sit on the patio, be sure to take note of the cascade hops growing on the trellis over the patio.

After sampling the Nut brown and the Scottish, twice, we headed across the street for a nice sit down dinner; something we had not done since we left. We can’t seem to recall the name of the place, and yes the food was that unmemorable. It’s directly across the street from Eske’s; big two story building – you can’t miss it, but we recommend trying too.

From there we went back to the Casa Benevidas Inn where we were staying. Larger that we had originally thought, this Inn is a beautiful casa right on Kit Carson road which is a block or so from the Plaza. Here the traditional adobe, big beams, large rooms and bright trim come together to make for a great hang. The maze of rooms and corridors were adorned in paintings and antique regional furniture. The breakfast the next morning was amazing. Loads of fresh fruit, great homemade granola, and simple fruit muffins that leave you craving another for the rest of the day. And, when you are filled with all this good stuff, they come take your order for breakfast. We had a egg dish that was smoothed in green chile sauce.

After breakfast we took a drive through town where I got a few good shots. We saw some interesting parts of the outskirts of Taos, but left a lot for another trip. After a couple hours, we went back to the Casa and checked out before walking up to the Plaza and hitting a few galleries. We saw good a photographer and a few good paintings, but nothing that really jumped out at us. A local winemaker was selling wine there so we bought a couple bottles to remember the area. As we wrapped up the tour of the plaza, the skies began to darken and we headed for the truck in a light rain.

We headed north out of town as the rain really started and the whole valley socked in. Just after driving out of the storm, we paused to take a picture of Taos and the mountain getting swallowed by the rain. Most of the trip was uneventful. We stopped in the San Luis valley and hiked up to the shrine they have overlooking the town. The view was fantastic and the church was small but well built and the grounds were nicely kept. We stayed just long enough for it to start raining then headed down the hill to a little coffee shop where we warmed up before hitting the road once again.

We continued north through the San Luis valley and into Forth Garland. There the rain was pouring and the skies were dark. We followed a snowplow up the road which made us wonder what was in store for us when we reached the top of La Vita pass. We crested the top with no problem and as we started down the other side, we saw the need for the snow plow. The rain in one area had overcome the drainage plugging it with debris and covering the road with mud, sticks and other mountainside items. By the time we arrived, the runoff had slowed and we were able to sneak by before the state patrol shut the road and let the plow clean up the mess. We dropped down into Walsenburg where we stopped for fuel and a good stretch. It was still pouring rain.

Westcliffe lies northwest of Walsenburg 70 miles or so on highway 69. This twisting two lane highway is one of the best roads we’ve been down. Little traffic and great scenery as you head up into the wet mountain valley. Ranch after ranch pass by as you weave your way north into Westcliffe. In one spot you pass by a huge buffalo ranch where hundreds of buffalo dot a distant hillside and make you think back to distant times when these giant animals roamed the plains.

As we neared Westcliffe, we were greeted with the familiar chirp of the cell phone indicating we had a new voicemail. It was Liz’s Uncle Jim who thought we had come in the night before and wanted to know what time tonight we were coming out for dinner. It was nearing the 5 o’clock hour and we had not yet checked into our hotel, so Liz called Jim to let him know that we would do that first then head for the ranch. We learned quickly that the cell coverage here was spotty at best. It took three attempts to relay the plans to Jim with most of the calls starting and ending in “hello.”

The Alpine - Everything was booked in town, so this was the only place open. These are simple cabins that are out of town and up on the hillside. Our porch overlooks the valley and town and is a calm and relaxing place nestled into the trees. Our cabin came with two cats who hang out on our patio rain or shine. Liz named them Morris and Andy and they have been a source of entertainment as they stalk grasshoppers and wait by the door to the cabin.

We dropped our gear and headed for the ranch which was about ten mile out on the other side of town. We were the first one to Liz’s grandmother’s house which sits in a green valley and has the traditional ranch accoutrements. Uncle Jim and the rest of the family came up about 15 minutes after we got there and I got volunteered as the BBQ operator which I was happy to have a project to focus on. We noticed the gas grill had a leak in one of the fitting and the gas was blowing out enough that you could smell it in the house. Needless to say that we would have blown the house sky high if we would have lit a match. We shut it down and Allen and Lavern, Liz’s cousin and his friend, went to get the tank they had. Between the two of the hoses, we were able to piece together the right fittings and get the grill fired up without any mayhem. I won’t bore you with the details of the rest of the night, but everyone enjoyed catching up on current events and recent history.

Monday we woke up to more rain. So far we have yet to see a day without rain which is hurting my photography efforts. Today I had planned to ask Liz to marry me while we were on a hike. Now to find the perfect spot. We hike from the cabin up through a deserted camp grounds. It was a nice hike, but lacked any real vistas that seemed necessary in making the perfect moment. We took a couple shots, then headed back to the truck to find another trail. We drove along the base of the Sangre De Cristo mountains looking for a trail marker. Signs pointed out the presents of Taylor Creek so we decided to see what that was about. A four wheel drive trail lead us up the mountain to the Rainbow trail. The road was covered with rough boulders and looked like something from a jeep convention, but we motored up with ease and parked near the trailhead.

The rainbow trail drops immediately down to Taylor Creek which was flowing well due to all the rain. Once crossing the creek, it starts up the hill towards the summit of one of the peaks in the range. We hiked along through stands of Aspen and patches of wild flowers for around a mile and gaining elevation the whole time. We finely broke out of the trees and stood on a bend in the trail looking up at the massive peaks and down at the valley below. This was the spot (12:20).

I set up the camera as I often do and framed Liz against the backdrop of the peaks. I fired a test shot, then on the second click of the shutter, I set the timer and ran to where Liz was. With ring in hand, I turned to her and asked her to marry me. In her shock, she covered her mouth with her hands and I had to tell here to put them down until the camera fired. She did, then it did, then we kissed and hugged in celebration. She was speechless and danced around lacking the words to express the moment. In the rush of the moment and with all she said, I had missed the response to the question entirely. I asked her if she had said yes, she said she did, then we hugged some more. I then suggested that she break out the cell phone and give her parents a call since they were dying trying to keep this a secret. Liz called her mom and they talked as I photographed her in the moment. Needless to say, it was a total surprise.

I wish I could say I was surprised, but the ring didn’t fit. Once I picked it up, I questioned if it would fit, but I didn’t have the time before the trip to change sizes. We will need to get it resized, but at least she loves the ring. Plus, I can stop worrying about dealing with a long quite ride home.

The rest of the day was full of phone calls and miscellaneous tasks like getting groceries before we met one of Liz’s friends for dinner. Everyone had fun there catching up on the small town gossip and reminiscing about old stories.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Today is sunny. After a whole trip of rain, that sentence stands by itself. We are taking an easy morning before heading into town and getting some stuff done. Last night we saw signs for hi speed internet so that will be the first hot spot we have found outside of Bison Ranch on the first night of the trip.

Tomorrow will be the last day in Westcliffe and we will hit the road early Thursday morning for Ouray. This looks to be about 200 miles depending on our route, so it will be most of the morning in the truck. We have yet to look for property, but we will talk with a local realtor today and tomorrow to get a sense of the area and prices.

Thursday, August 10, 2006 We left Westcliffe today in route to Ouray. The drive up to highway 50 was spectacular. Two lanes, no traffic, and early morning light to make it all good. We made good time into Salida, CO where we stopped for some breakfast. The town was very cool and had a laid back atmosphere and lots of outdoor sport types. After breakfast, we cruised through the historical district with was not very large and then jumped back on the road to Ouray. We motored through Gunnison and had to stop for gas. 3.35 per gallon. We didn’t stay long and headed west again to the turn off to Lake City.

I had heard about Lake City from some reports people had left online. The road took us down along the river for about 30 miles until we entered this small town at the base of the mountains. Here several streams merge and form lakes and a larger river. We stopped at the local fly shop to ask what to use and see how the fishing was. We also asked about the cutoff road that was to take us over the mountains and drop us off in the town of Ouray. There also was good fishing along Henson creek which follows the cutoff road, Engineer Pass. We started up the road and no more than 5 miles in, it began to rain. Surprise, surprise.

The road starts out gradual and well maintained. We passed through state land with patches of private property, mostly old mining claims. There were a couple notable mine ruins along the road, so if you are into that sort of thing, it’s worth the trip. Since fishing in the rain was not going to be that much fun with the gear we brought, we decided to keep heading up the road and see if the rain would break. Engineer pass climbs up to 13,000 feet, but we didn’t know that at the time. All we knew is the guy at the fly shop said you needed four wheel drive and a steady hand.

As we passed jeeps coming down off the hillside covered in dirt and mud, we started to ask for more details on the road ahead. The first guy we stopped was a big Indian in a jeep with two passengers in raingear and he was wearing a blanket. He said there was no way I would make it without high centering. The guy at the fly shop suggested Cinnamon Pass would be a bit easier, but would dump us out in Silverton instead of Ouray. I asked about that route and the guy in the jeep seemed to think that was still going to be a challenge, but figured we could make it. Seemed like the more people we talked to, the worst I felt about what was ahead. But, we were starting to see some incredible alpine meadows, the skies were starting to part, and the only other way to Ouray was back down the pass followed by three and a half hours around the mountain through Montrose. We hit a few rough spots, but really the road was not that bad.

The afternoon rains were followed but waterfalls everywhere you look and as we climbed out of the tree line, the sun began to paint all hills with gold. We were in terrain like we had never seen. At about 12,000 feet, the entered the bottom of a caldera which was overlooked by the summit of the pass. I stopped to take a panoramic picture, and Liz walked ahead to stretch her legs; after all, we had been in the truck most of the day. I took my shots, they caught back up to Liz roughly half way up the caldera and was shocked to see hundreds of sheep grazing on the alpine flora. It looked like something out of the Alps and we stopped and watched in wonder how this would be a farmer’s grazing grounds. In fact, we were often surprised by what we saw on this road. Cabins built where you wouldn’t expect one could be built. One little cabin sat beside a gorge the owners gained access via a suspension bridge. It was very cool and we couldn’t stop talking about it the rest of the trip.

The summit of Engineer pass is just under 13,000 feet. You actually continue to climb if you take Cinnamon back down, which we did. So far the road was not too tough, but with all the tough talk from the jeepers, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop around every bend. As we started out decent on Cinnamon, our GPS read out 12, 996. That’s close enough for me to consider this the first 13,000 foot peak we had ever driven over. I’m going to fast forward down the mountain as it was beautiful, but uneventful. The road was narrow and rough, but I just put the truck in four wheel low and crawled along. If you don’t like driving along steep drop-offs, I would suggest choosing a different route. As we watched the altitude on the GPS, we grew more confident that the worst was behind us and we started talking about where to stay since rain was predicted, and neither one of us wanted to camp all that bad. We talked about how cool it would be to camp at 13,000 feet in one of the alpine meadows, or near one of the alpine lakes, but in the end we decided to see if we could get a room in Ouray.

The Animas forks is essentially the beginning of the Animas river and all the streams begin to feed one central channel. It also is where the Animas ghost town and mine remains are. Roughly ten buildings and the decayed remains of the mine, Animas Fork was booming near the turn of the century. It also marked the point where we started seeing much less equipped vehicles crawling over rocks and trashing the rental company’s paint job. When we saw our first mini van, we knew Silverton was near. Ouray is 22 miles from Silverton on paved roads, but they twist and turn so much that the speeds we traveled were under 30 mph most of the way. In Ouray we checked into a hotel and rushed out to get a bite to eat before everything closed. We ate at Billy Gruff’s which has good food and beer, then went back to the hotel to unpack the truck and relax for the night.

Friday, August 11, 2006

This morning we toured Ouray. We took our time moving through some of the shops and even watched a local glass blower for a while. A sign to a local art exhibit caught our eye so we spent some time waking though some good and some not so good art. Ouray is a quaint little town that sits in the crux of red mountain pass. If you are ever in the area, it’s worth a visit. We drove through Silverton on our way to Durango and picked up a map and some advise for fishing on the trip into Durango. Lime creek was the recommendation which is a 6 mile loop off the main road. Yes, it was rough and dirt. About two miles in the road drops to the creek and we geared up and hit it. I gave Liz a brief lesson on casting and we walked up the shallow stream. The fish were there and I go one bite, but caught none. We got frustrated with the tight casting lane which was not a good spot to teach Liz how to fly fish. We decided to hang it up about the time it started to rain and figured that we might give it another go in Durango on some more open water.

The drive back into Durango was wet.