NEWSLETTER
July
11, 2005
I suppose it was inevitable. It got hot here in Phoenix. I shouldn't
be surprised, but somehow I never remember just how hot it gets.
Many people have already deserted the Valley and are enjoying their
summers at the beach or with family members in various cooler parts
of the country. I'll try to keep this short and sweet for you folks,
so you can go back outside and play.
SWEET JUSTICE
Recently the photographer who leads many of our Phoenix Zoo workshops,
Dick George, had his home burglarized and his 4x5 camera gear stolen.
Items that had been with him throughout his career were suddenly
gone, and I know we can all sympathize with how horrible he must
have felt to realize they were probably gone for good.
Not satisfied to sit back and let the camera gear that had traveled
with him for over 50,000 miles be traded to fill some junkie's habit,
Dick started scanning eBay for the items he had come to know so
well. After several weeks he hit the jackpot. Three of his view
camera lenses went up for auction, which he reported to the police.
As he says, from there things moved quickly.
The police got in touch with eBay, eBay identified the seller as
a pawnshop, and the pawnshop identified the person who sold them
Dick's gear. This person's information was cross-referenced with
other pawnshops, and miraculously most of Dick's gear was recovered,
as were many items stolen from other people. The items will likely
not return to Dick until after they are used at trial, but let's
all hope that justice is speedy and Dick is reunited with his gear
as soon as possible.
It's a good lesson for us all in perseverance, and also reminds
us to inventory and insure our photography equipment when possible.
If you haven't done it yet, photograph your equipment, including
the serial numbers, and keep the photos someplace safe. You never
know when they may come in handy!
GARY LADD RAFTING TRIP IN
2006
We're still working on the 2006 schedule, but I can spill the beans
on one of our workshops slated for the fall of next year. Gary Ladd
will be leading a group down the Colorado River through the Grand
Canyon on a rafting trip scheduled from September 13-23, 2006. The
price for this workshop is $3,695. The first evening will be spent
in Flagstaff, followed by 10 days on the water learning about photography
and geology from the author of Grand
Canyon: Time Below the Rim, CanyonLight, and a
number of other notable books on the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell
areas.
We are currently taking registrations, so if you are interested
call now. For more trip details and photos visit here:
http://www.friendsofazhighways.com/workshops/06LaddRaft.htm
TIPS FROM THE PROS
J. Peter Mortimer is the former Picture Editor of Arizona Highways
magazine, and conducts a number of our workshops. He brings more
advice to his fellow photographers:
"If you didn't shoot
your landscape photograph at the best time of the day, it won't
be as good as the same picture shot during 'Sweet Light'. Noon may
be the brightest time to make a photographic exposure, but it's
also a period of the most unattractive light. I like to think of
'Sweet Light' as the time when the shadows are long and the sun
is golden. It happens twice a day -- about an hour before and during
sunrise, and about an hour before and during sunset. I know a very
famous photographer who planned the 'perfect picture' in the 'perfect
light' almost a year in advance... now that's scheduling!"
ARIZONA HIGHWAYS GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS
Those of you who've been on our workshops know that as our way of
saying thank you for registering we offer participants a gift of
some nature. We've given gifts like T-shirts, hats, candles and
books from the Arizona Highways gift shop, as well as a variety
of other items. This year we're making a change. With the exception
of two workshops that have already been conducted, we are giving
participants on workshops of 4 days or longer subscriptions to Arizona
Highways magazine.
Arizona Highways is an outstanding publication enjoyed the world
over. It contains phenomenal images and stories about the unique
and offbeat places that make Arizona great. The magazine has undergone
a number of changes since the new Editor came onboard earlier in
the year. If you haven't seen it lately you may want to check it
out -- it's looking better than ever. If you can't take one of our
workshops this year but would like to get a free trial subscription,
Highways has a great deal posted on their website. Look in the top
right corner of this page and click on the picture of the magazine
cover:
http://www.arizonahighways.com
You can also now order high quality prints of award-winning images
that have been published by the magazine. Follow this link to view
or purchase select images from recent issues:
http://www.magazineprints.com/pubs.php?pubnum=8
I'm off to Oregon to help with the Nikon workshop, but will be back
in touch in August with more timely information, tips and hopefully
with a few participant websites to share.
Keep cool,
Robyn Noll
Director
Friends of Arizona Highways
2039 W. Lewis Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85009
Phone: toll-free (888) 790-7042
|
