We have always believed that the best approach to life, and keeping the mind fresh, is diversity of experience. So with an intense period coming up on the FPB 112, and a trip to New Zealand for sea trials on two FPB 64s in the offing, we decided to sneak out of the office for a few days. The fact that master photographer Joe Zinn was available to show us some of his favorite spots in Northern Arizona made the choice of where to go easy.

These small photos cannot do justice to the beauty of what we experienced, so we have put together a high res slide show which you can access by clicking here.

Joe has been photographing this area for 35 years, and knows the best locations like the back of  his hand. He had us on the road at 0530 each morning, so we would be situated when the sun started to peak over the horizon. The two photos above are of the Grand Canyon where the temperature was an invigorating 5F/ -15C – colder than anything we have experienced in Svalbard or Greenland. Heavy thermals, glove liners, shooting mittens, dual heat packs per glove, and heavily insulated boots had us warm enough to work while enjoying the vistas.

Being on a shoot with a guru like Joe afforded us the opportunity to learn from a master practitioner of the photographic arts. Joe was happy to share his knowledge, check our compositions, and critique our work at the end of the day.

The best light is at the beginning and end of the day. But there are locations which work with the sun a little higher, like Glenn Canyon.

We were fortunate to catch a few birds, like this golden eagle.

And a giant condor (actually, a gaggle  of six condors!),

We roamed into Southern Utah to the badlands, which look very much like a museum sculpture garden.

Lest you think us totally away from the water we offer the photos above and below of Lake Powell, photographed at the very end of the day.

These are long exposures, with the camera mounted on a tripod, using mirror lock up to avoid vibration, and a remote cable release to eliminate shake from pushing the shutter button.

This part of the world is rich in grand vistas,

and intimate landscapes.

The combination of open space, limited habitation, and being out of season (few tourists), makes for a rejuvienating experience. We are now back at the computer, working on finishing up hydros on the FPB 112.

A few details for the photographers amongst you. These were all shot with a Canon 5D Mark ll body, except for the birds where a Canon Eos 1 Mark lV and 500F4 telephoto was the camera. With the 5D we shot with the Canon 16-35mm lens, a few with the 24-70, and the last photo with the 70-200 Mark ll. The camera was shot in manual control mode, usually at an aperture of F22, ISO 100, with shutter speed adjusted as required. Many of the images were shot with a shutter speed of between 10 and 30 seconds, with the aforementioned tripod and remote cable release.

Check out Joe’s website for some wonderful photos, and information on the guiding he occasionally does.

Our slide show from this voyage is here.