Planned Trips & Other Events
What to have fun? Join Camera Guild members on their next “Shoot Trip!” Okay… it’s unscheduled at this time – however, when you sign up for the next one, you can certainly expect to
- have a learning experience as we share ideas for camera settings
- find the best place to take pictures
- critique each other’s pictures, and
- become even better acquainted with other Camera Guild members.
In addition – what cheaper way to travel than to share expenses with someone who shares your passion (for picture-taking, of course!)? Consider joining us on the next Shoot Trip.
Even BETTER? Contact our Secretary, Cheri Kennedy, cameraguildofsuncity@gmail.com, and let her know that you want to lead a Trip Shoot sometime soon. She can put you in touch with a former Trip Leader, if you need help planning. Watch the Bulletin Board in the Clubroom for future trips.
Trips in Past Years
Utah Parks (Past)
Date: October 17-20, 2011
Leaders/Organizers: (Alma Golazeski) [Article by Alma]
On October 17-20, 2011, Camera Guild members and a member’s guest from Poland enjoyed the latest Shoot Trip to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in Utah. Other places visited were Dead Horse Point State Park, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, and Gooseneck State Park, with other stops along the route to take pictures of watering troughs and windmills, rock climbers, dinosaur tracks, and Indian pictographs. On this Utah Parks trip, four vehicles carted a total of 11 people over 1,000 miles. A block of rooms at a comfortable motel in Moab, Utah, was reserved by the trip leader where Trip participants made his or her individual or group reservations beforehand. Each day, groups headed out on their own quest for pictures; in the evening, when possible, we met for dinner to share the day’s experiences. Below is a collage of some of the highlights, courtesy of Nancy Young, who contributed the collage for this article.
Bryce - Zion Trip (Past)
Date: October 18, 2010
Leaders/Organizers: (Alma Golazeski) [Article by Alma]
Five members of the Sun City Camera Guild drove 400+ miles to Utah on October 18, 2010. Our first mid-afternoon stop was Red Canyon in Dixie National Forest, 9 miles south of Bryce Canyon. Earlier rainfall in the area cleansed the air and provided blue sky, rich red rock colors, and dark green conifers, yellow cottonwoods, and sage-green brush.
After arriving at Ruby’s Inn at Bryce, we visited and took our second set of photos along nearby Mossy Cave Trail. Next morning we entered Bryce Canyon National Park and drove the 18-mile plateau rim with photo stops and hikes. Limestone toppings on the red sandstone “hoodoos” at Agua Canyon, bright yellow birch and cottonwood trees and dark conifers throughout the rim allowed a variety of compositions. Huge limestone grottoes at Bryce Point’s accessible trail provided a great panorama photo. Our final photo-ops were the “Fairies” along a moderate hike of Fairyland Trail.
That evening we drove 86 miles to Springdale via many, many, many switchbacks on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway. Wednesday morning, we drove to the Visitor Center and Museum and boarded the free shuttle through Zion, which enabled individual hiking and photo pursuits.
In contrast to “looking down” at Bryce’s formations, Zion surrounded us with high monoliths formed by volcanic uplifting and erosion by the Virgin River. The 1.5-mile River Walk had “hanging gardens” in the rock, ending at the “Narrows.” Brief, light rain showers tinted the water a silvery blue at the “Weeping Wall” and “Grotto/Emerald Pool” trails.
Mostly we had blue sky throughout the day. Thursday, on our return home we stopped along the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, and a few of us climbed the “moderate+” Canyon Overlook Trail. The views of the canyon were spectacular, and the sky was a brilliant blue. A few mists floated upward to multi-colored high rocks. Further along the Highway, we stopped to photograph some high peaks with low foregrounds of yellow cottonwood and bright coral sumac.
Our final photo and snack stop was the trading post at Cameron, Arizona. In the parks, we encountered visitors from several U.S.A. states, Australia, Japan, Wales, France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and others, all sharing their photographic and flora insights. Each evening, we gathered around a member’s laptop to view that day’s photos and discuss camera settings.
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Antelope Canyon Trip Report (Past)
Date: April 27- 29, 2010
Leaders/Organizers: Brooke Chaplin, Bill Dart
Other Participants: Barb & Jason Yaffi; Don & Marilyn Peterson; Frank Dale; Ty Dale; Betty Kallesser; Walter Ross; Fred Selinsky; Michael Barnett; Bill Crandall; Jimmie & Karen Fortner
Primary Area Visited: Antelope Canyon
Side Excursions: Vermilion Cliffs, Colorado River Horseshoe, Lake Powell Dam, Lee's Ferry
Highlights: Met at Best Western Inn in Page on first night. People stopped in different areas enroute to Page, AZ for photographs. Next morning met at the Lower Antelope Canyon for self guided tour. As seen below, the entrance into the Canyon was quite narrow and steep. We backed down steel ladders to reach the first and subsequent levels - maneuvering through twisting, narrow passage ways - photographing the surreal, almost abstract art like formations - with many shades of reds and rusts - lighted indirectly from narrow openings atop - ranging from 20 to 140 ft below ground - resulting in images with a rich range of tones and complementary colors, realistic sand textures, three dimensional forms - highlighted by strong highlights shadow; subtle , graded mid-tones- revealing depth - sharply, yet smoothly separating and transitioning from fore to mid to back ground shapes - projecting the massiveness, volume, liquid, camel-like flow of rock - twisting like taffy- with variegated stirations of brown, rust, yellow- all moving as if orchestrated and shaped by human hands - truly nature's art at its finest.
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