While on our way back from our small Christmas vacation, we decided to drop into a Rest Stop. The landscape looked so amazing that it felt like a perfect opportunity to grab a few shots with the drone.
The Superstition Mountains are located in central Arizona inside the Lost Dutchman State Park. It's a 320-acre state park named after the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine, a famous gold mine legendary among the tales of the Old West. Nestled just below the summit of the Superstition Mountains is a great local attraction called the Goldfield Old West Town. This place was a great little experience that only takes an afternoon to enjoy with the whole family.
Canon 5D Mark iii, Canon 50mm f1.4, ISO 160
You'll find all kinds on interesting artifacts laying around the property that help to really sell the atmosphere of an old west town. Not to mention great gifts shops with hand crafted nicknacks made by the locals.
One of the great parts of this old west town is the staff that puts on a gunfight show every hour on the hour. These folks really put a lot into the production, and make it fun for the whole family.
Canon 5D Mark iii, Canon 50mm f1.4, ISO 160
The staff really do take the shows very seriously and make it a fun and interactive experience with the people visiting the town. From what I understand they are also volunteers, so if you stop in be sure to give them a tip for doing a great job.
Be sure to explore the entire town. There has been so much attention to detail you'll most likely miss a few things the first time round.
If you're interested to stop by this attraction, be sure to visit their website here which has all the directions and info on fees. 🤠👍
Canon 5D Mark iii, Canon 50mm f1.4, ISO 160
In June of last summer we decided to try a new camp ground near Springville, CA which is located at the southern entrance to the Giant Sequoia National Forest. This place had some great shade to shield us from the June sun, but the mosquitos were a bit insane. Plus we had a bear walk past the tent the first night. But definitely would go back at some point.
Canon 5d Mark iii, Canon f1.4 50mm
Unfortunately the tree-line was way too thick by the campsite for me to see any stars, so I decided to venture back down near the highway where we entered the campground. Besides the light from the dam near that entrance, there was barely any light pollution. This made for a good opportunity to see what would come up with a 25 second exposure. I wasn't disappointed.
Canon 5D Mark iii, Canon f2.8 20mm, 25sec
These type of photo docs are a lot of fun. Just traveling around an area with the camera, experiencing it for the first time. This always seems to help me be more creative in how I capture the moments I'm seeing.
Camera: Canon 5D Mark iii, Canon f2.8 24mm, Canon f1.4 50mm
