I know people take fishing specific trips, but does anyone take photo trips?

All my solo trip are gear toward photography. Group trips, fishing.

I didn't take any solo trips last year ( my Quetico trip fell through). I have a solo trip semi-planned for 2013 - 3 weeks - Knife lake area?

not yet but i do have some ideas about going out with my 4x5 to some easy places like the Little Indian Sioux river,Moose river,Brule lake,Fall lake to Basswood river falls and rapids and just trying to get some good shots.by good i mean no snap shots but waiting for the right light and using a couple speeds of film,that sort of thing.

I just picked up a new camera. I usually trip with one other guy. We spend time fishing but it is not a priority. We are mostly out their to "get away". This year I do plan on bringing my new camera and I am going to spend a great deal of time focusing on pictures. I really want to get into photography, just not sure if my creativity will allow me the great shots others seem to capture.

i always take a lot of pictures but don't really take the time to set up a shot. Now, if there was ever a trip designed to teach how to take better photos on a canoe trip, i'd be interested in being part of that trip!

quote mocha: "i always take a lot of pictures but don't really take the time to set up a shot. Now, if there was ever a trip designed to teach how to take better photos on a canoe trip, i'd be interested in being part of that trip!"

That would be interesting and a lot of fun, seeing other people's perspective on setting up various shots.

mocha..some good friends of ours take those photo workshop vacations.
just to name a few they have been to the SW and just last summer to one of the big parks on Nova Scotia.
really big time stuff where they are up at 4:30AM to get sunrise photos and get lead around to all the right spots to get photos of old farm houses with vine covered gates..that sort of stuff.
the instructor even had tricks like using a Coleman gas lamp to lure huge Luna moths and then taking the moth and setting it,unharmed of course,on a tree trunk for a photo opp.....
like others here, i bet,i have taken a couple adult ed classes during the winter at the local high school on taking better photos but to tell the truth i could of taught the class.that was years ago before digital was the norm.now the classes are how to use all the gizmos on your camera and run Photoshop on your computer.

I'm taking my first solo next summer. I'm planning on making it a photo trip since I'm base camping on lake 1 or 2. I want to spend sunrise in a a solo canoe with my camera. I want to putz along the shoreline looking for interesting photo ops. I normally take a lot of photo's on my trips but like someone else said, I don't take the time to set up my shots. I feel hurried sometimes. My best shots come when we are in camp.

The nice thing about photography in the BWCA is that your always "out there" and you have all the time in the world to wait for good light.

Just discovered this forum and would love to rejuvenate it and keep it current, relevant and with lots of participation. I go to the BWCA for the same reasons that most of you do; the beauty, solitude and the renewal of my spirit. I love to fish and always do at least some fishing. But photography is absolutely one of the primary reasons I go as well...as you know it is a very unique place with an endless amount of photographic opportunities and artistic inspiration.

Most of my trips are 4-5 days and I will shoot around 500 photos during those trips (give or take). My buddy (also an avid photographer)and I are up every morning before sunrise, making coffee and looking for photo opportunities from camp or on a quiet morning canoe ride. Used to be 35mm film but exclusively digital now for convenience, cost and the ability to shoot without reservation at all times. I absolutely love reviewing my photos on the computer when I get home; sorting, naming and some light editing in some cases. I enlarge some for personal display, sell some on occasion, enter contests once in a while and participate in an awesome website around Minnesota photography that I would encourage all of you to check out (captureminnesota.com). Really great place where members submit photos for voting and critique and possible inclusion into a book that is published annually. Mostly amateurs participating, great people and some incredible photography in there. You are welcome to check out my photos by going to the site and searching for Jeff Linder but be warned, I have a lot of photos in there. There are many BWCA photos of mine but a lot of other Minnesota shots as well.

Let's liven this forum up, shall we? I love photography and enjoy discussing it and viewing others' BWCA shots. Here are a few of mine...





Sunrise on Horseshoe Lake





Foggy morning sunrise on Caribou Lake




Filtering water for morning coffee on Horseshoe Lake





Ducks at sunrise...Caribou Lake




The swimming hole at Johnson Falls




Moonrise over Horseshoe Lake

quote lindylair: "Just discovered this forum and would love to rejuvenate it and keep it current, relevant and with lots of participation.

i agree. Way to much talent here for this forum to sit idle. I'm in.

Almost all of my trips are geared towards photography now. I take a huge Pelican case with all of my gear (including 2 bodies, multiple lenses etc) just so I don't miss out on a shot lol....What I find about photography is that it really forces you to slow down and view things from a totally different perspective. I can do a very short hike but take the entire day to do so, just taking different types of pictures from different perspectives. I find it very therapeutic and relaxing :)

Here's a couple samples from some trips to Alognquin Park and Killarney (sorry no BW stuff):

Killarney - September

Algonquin Park - November

Algonquin Park - March

quote SteveElms73: "Almost all of my trips are geared towards photography now. I take a huge Pelican case with all of my gear (including 2 bodies, multiple lenses etc) just so I don't miss out on a shot lol....What I find about photography is that it really forces you to slow down and view things from a totally different perspective. I can do a very short hike but take the entire day to do so, just taking different types of pictures from different perspectives. I find it very therapeutic and relaxing :)

Here's a couple samples from some trips to Alognquin Park and Killarney (sorry no BW stuff):

Killarney - September

Algonquin Park - November

Algonquin Park - March
"

SteveElms73.... I need to find a case for my BWCA trips. I will be bringing 1 body, 2 lenses plus batteries and couple of smaller misc items. What size case would you recommend? Thanks for any help you can give me.

I can't recall which models I have. I have my huge one that fits my two bodies, multiple lenses, batteries etc. This one is a bit too big for tripping so I do have another one that I use that is smaller (but I can't bring ALL of the gear). If I were you I would bring whatever gear you plan on bringing into the camera shop and physically lay it out in the various cases they have. That way you will get a good sense as to what size will suit your needs best. I make sure I have at least one (preferably 2 or 3) squares of foam between pieces when I cut out the foam. I use toothpicks to plot the outline for my various pieces of gear and then pluck away.

So it kind of depends on what gear you have and really want to bring. On a canoe trip I will bring the following in my case:

Nikon D3S body
Nikon D700 body
70-200 lens
24-70 lens
105 macro lens
spare batteries for both cameras
filters
Remote release
Rain protection (cheap plastic bags designed for cameras...about $10 for 2).

All of those fit tightly in the case (sorry I can't recall the model of Pelicans I have).
I also always bring a tripod (which doesn't go in the case).

The cases are big, clunky and heavy but I'd rather deal with that and not have to worry about my gear getting wet or bashed around. The cases are so well made I never worry at all about my gear getting damaged. I leave my case in front of me in the canoe on a pack so I can access it super quickly if needed, and close it up again if the water gets rough or it starts to rain. I'm a big proponent of having your camera gear readily accessible. I've missed too many photo opportunities because my gear is tucked away in a pack somewhere...

The problem is in a canoe space is obviously limited so I have to sacrifice other gear so I can bring this gear. But like I said above the photography has become a main focus of trips for me, so I don't mind.

Hope that helps a bit.

Jeff (lindylair) great shots by the way!!!

quote SteveElms73: "I can't recall which models I have. I have my huge one that fits my two bodies, multiple lenses, batteries etc. This one is a bit too big for tripping so I do have another one that I use that is smaller (but I can't bring ALL of the gear). If I were you I would bring whatever gear you plan on bringing into the camera shop and physically lay it out in the various cases they have. That way you will get a good sense as to what size will suit your needs best. I make sure I have at least one (preferably 2 or 3) squares of foam between pieces when I cut out the foam. I use toothpicks to plot the outline for my various pieces of gear and then pluck away.


So it kind of depends on what gear you have and really want to bring. On a canoe trip I will bring the following in my case:


Nikon D3S body
Nikon D700 body
70-200 lens
24-70 lens
105 macro lens
spare batteries for both cameras
filters
Remote release
Rain protection (cheap plastic bags designed for cameras...about $10 for 2).


All of those fit tightly in the case (sorry I can't recall the model of Pelicans I have).
I also always bring a tripod (which doesn't go in the case).


The cases are big, clunky and heavy but I'd rather deal with that and not have to worry about my gear getting wet or bashed around. The cases are so well made I never worry at all about my gear getting damaged. I leave my case in front of me in the canoe on a pack so I can access it super quickly if needed, and close it up again if the water gets rough or it starts to rain. I'm a big proponent of having your camera gear readily accessible. I've missed too many photo opportunities because my gear is tucked away in a pack somewhere...


The problem is in a canoe space is obviously limited so I have to sacrifice other gear so I can bring this gear. But like I said above the photography has become a main focus of trips for me, so I don't mind.


Hope that helps a bit."

Helps a lot...thanks. Thanks for the suggestion on bringing my gear to a shop. I will do that for sure. Over the last few years I have done less and less fishing and have spent more and more time trying to observe all of the wonderful things the wilderness has to offer us. I am trying to have my trips geared more toward photography as well. I have much to learn but I guess the only way to get better is to get out there and try it??? I think the idea of having a sturdy but reliable case easy to get is another great idea. There our usually two of us in my SR18.5 so we do have plenty of room. So the idea of a big Pelican case doesn't make me too worried (I have not seen many yet though:)) This adds to the fun of packing and preparing. Thanks again for the quick and thorough response. Trent

No problem Trent. I will try to remember to check my model nubmers when I get home and let you know...They make so many cases it's hard to keep track!