Last minute questions before western parks trip

[MrsPete]

Make sure you're comfortable with at least the basic operations and behaviors of your camera before you go. This is more critical the more complex your camera is.

I took my first digital camera (SLR) on a vacation without getting fully up to speed. Got some nice shots, but in retrospect if I'd taken the time to learn the camera better they would have been much nicer.

If you haven't already, take some pictures in different conditions and have prints made (wherever you have prints made, if you do prints).

This is great advice, and I give it often myself.

Personally, I don't have to worry about getting myself "up to speed". My camera learning curve is fairly short because one of the things I teach is photography /photo journalism, and I already own so many cameras that I'd be downright ashamed to admit the total number . . . including older models of the little Cannon I bought today . . . still, I couldn't lay my hands on my current favorite point-and-shoot -- it's probably in my cabinet at school -- so I justified the idea that I just had to have just one more! This one's purse-sized and takes AA batteries (I find that style more convenient since it's easier to pop in new AAs than it is to leave the camera plugged in to the wall for a couple hours). I will give this one a run-through quickly (and get a couple pix developed) to make sure it's not defective in any way.

I'm kind of iffy on whether I'm going to take a digital SLR along. I keep going back and forth on that subject. I own four of them, but so often they end up just staying in the car. Though I take BETTER PICTURES with my "good cameras", I take MORE PICTURES when I have just a point-and-shoot.

My kids are 12 and 15 -- the perfect age for this trip -- and I do expect lots of great shots of them!

[gernotmueller]

Hey Guys!

I did the Zion Narrows Top-Bottom Hike last summer and it was amazing!!
Can recommend that hike for the adventurous!
I wrote a trip report with some photos. You can find it at:
http://gtmportfolio.com/art_utah_zion.html

Maybe that helps!

Cheers,
Gernot

[CalOldBlue]

... I'd be downright ashamed to admit the total number . . . including older models of the little Cannon I bought today . . .

I'm kind of iffy on whether I'm going to take a digital SLR along. I keep going back and forth on that subject. I own four of them, but so often they end up just staying in the car. Though I take BETTER PICTURES with my "good cameras", I take MORE PICTURES when I have just a point-and-shoot.

If it makes you feel better, I have 3-4 (film) SLR bodies plus the odd compact in my closet I'll never use again, but can't seem to part with.

I don't have a vote, but if I did I'd say take both flavors of cameras. I agree, the worst photo is the one you never took, having something small with you at all times is a must (I have a pocket-sized Pentax waterproof for that role).

But having something substantial for that special shot is nice too.