By sheer chance, as I'm getting ready to head west, I just came across an article I wrote while I was living out west in in 2009. It was published in the Boulder Weekly in August, 2009. It's a hoot. Check it out!
http://boulderweekly.com/archives/20090820/webadventure.html
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Saturday, September 27, 2014
The Native American Flute
On October 15, 2014, I'm heading west on a two-month walkabout in southern Utah and Arizona. My ultimate aim is to see the Wave, a phenomenal rock formation in northern Arizona.
But, let's face it, the Wave is just a day trip. (You couldn't stay any longer if you wanted to - a hiking permit to the Wave is only good for one day. If you're lucky enough to get one at all!)
So what am I going to do the rest of the time? I'm going to hike every day. There are a million great hikes out there. I'm going to take pictures and produce little videos. I'm especially interested in ancient Indian rock art - I'm going to track down and photograph every petroglyph and pictograph I can.
I'm also going to Tai Chi. Just started it, and I'm fascinated by it.
Lastly, I going to play my flutes. I have two Native American flutes made by a Navajo craftsman named Jonah Thompson, both in D minor pentatomic. I'm a poor excuse for a musician, but they are very easy to play. On a good day, I can make them sound just right. Can't wait to play in the desert, home to the legendary Kokopeli, where the instrument was invented.
But, let's face it, the Wave is just a day trip. (You couldn't stay any longer if you wanted to - a hiking permit to the Wave is only good for one day. If you're lucky enough to get one at all!)
So what am I going to do the rest of the time? I'm going to hike every day. There are a million great hikes out there. I'm going to take pictures and produce little videos. I'm especially interested in ancient Indian rock art - I'm going to track down and photograph every petroglyph and pictograph I can.
I'm also going to Tai Chi. Just started it, and I'm fascinated by it.
Lastly, I going to play my flutes. I have two Native American flutes made by a Navajo craftsman named Jonah Thompson, both in D minor pentatomic. I'm a poor excuse for a musician, but they are very easy to play. On a good day, I can make them sound just right. Can't wait to play in the desert, home to the legendary Kokopeli, where the instrument was invented.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Be prepared!
Only 19 days before I begin my journey to the Wave, and I'm making sure all my gear is in order, starting with the daypack I always carry when I'm hiking in the desert. As day packs go, it is on the large and heavy side. That's because, if you get caught out by nightfall in canyon country, the wise child bivouacs in place until daylight. No sense stepping off a cliff if you don't have to. So I pack with an eye to not only surviving a cold desert night, but doing so in some comfort. So, what's in there?
Six half-liter bottles of water.
One liter bottle of water.
A down vest.
An insulated hoodie sweatshirt.
A down jacket.
Two space blankets.
Two fleece beanie hats.
One pair of boot socks.
One pair of long underwear.
A day's supply of peanuts, snack crackers, Payday bars, vanilla creme cookies and the like.
Toilet paper.
First aid kit.
Swiss Army knife.
Three flashlights.
Spare flashlight batteries.
Compass.
Matches.
50 feet of para cord.
25 rounds of .380 ammunition.
Tried to get a box of wine in there too, but it wouldn't fit. Darn!
Questions? Comments. Anything I'm leaving out?
Six half-liter bottles of water.
One liter bottle of water.
A down vest.
An insulated hoodie sweatshirt.
A down jacket.
Two space blankets.
Two fleece beanie hats.
One pair of boot socks.
One pair of long underwear.
A day's supply of peanuts, snack crackers, Payday bars, vanilla creme cookies and the like.
Toilet paper.
First aid kit.
Swiss Army knife.
Three flashlights.
Spare flashlight batteries.
Compass.
Matches.
50 feet of para cord.
25 rounds of .380 ammunition.
Tried to get a box of wine in there too, but it wouldn't fit. Darn!
Questions? Comments. Anything I'm leaving out?
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Solar Power! The Suntactics sCharger-14.
On October 15, I'm taking off on a two-month camping trip to southern Utah and Arizona. I'm going to be tent camping the whole time, in some of the most remote and desolate country in the lower 48 states. Off the grid.
So how am I going to keep my iPad and my Samsung phone charged?
With solar power, of course. I have acquired the Suntactics sCharger-14 to keep my electronics running. The photo shows one of my tests on the back porch. In full sunlight, it charged my Samsung phone from 63% to 89% in an hour and fifty minutes. It took my iPad from 37% to 65% in about an hour. You put a white cloth over the device you're charging to keep it from getting fried.
And it is extremely compact. It looks big in the picture, but it folds in half, and each of the wings is only about as thick as a piece of poster board. Very backpackable. The Suntactics sCharger-14 is $230 on Amazon - a lot of money for a poor man, but I think it will be worth it for two months of charged-up electronics in the desert.
So how am I going to keep my iPad and my Samsung phone charged?
With solar power, of course. I have acquired the Suntactics sCharger-14 to keep my electronics running. The photo shows one of my tests on the back porch. In full sunlight, it charged my Samsung phone from 63% to 89% in an hour and fifty minutes. It took my iPad from 37% to 65% in about an hour. You put a white cloth over the device you're charging to keep it from getting fried.
And it is extremely compact. It looks big in the picture, but it folds in half, and each of the wings is only about as thick as a piece of poster board. Very backpackable. The Suntactics sCharger-14 is $230 on Amazon - a lot of money for a poor man, but I think it will be worth it for two months of charged-up electronics in the desert.
The Countdown Continues!
One day closer to starting my journey to the Wave!
Meantime, I'm still getting the hang of using the iPad as a digital camera. Here's my latest macro shot.
Meantime, I'm still getting the hang of using the iPad as a digital camera. Here's my latest macro shot.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Another example of what Adobe Photoshop Express can do
One day closer to my October 15th departure date!
In the meantime, I'm still experimenting with using the iPad as a camera, and also for editing my photos after they are shot. Here's another little example, using Adobe Photoshop Express to crop and enhance. The top shot is straight out of the camera. The cropped version on the bottom is the one I worked on in Photoshop Express.
In the meantime, I'm still experimenting with using the iPad as a camera, and also for editing my photos after they are shot. Here's another little example, using Adobe Photoshop Express to crop and enhance. The top shot is straight out of the camera. The cropped version on the bottom is the one I worked on in Photoshop Express.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Using Adobe Photoshop Express
Counting down the days before I head out to southern Utah and Arizona!
On this trip, I'm going to chronicle my adventures using my iPad Mini. The reason is because I can do everything on one device: shoot and edit my photography, shoot and edit video, and upload everything to the web, all on this wafer-thin tablet. In the past I would have used a Canon DSLR camera and a laptop computer. This way is much simpler and more compact.
For those of you interested in digital photography, the app I'm using to edit my photos on my iPad is Adobe Photoshop Express. No, it doesn't have all the features of Photoshop, or even Photoshop Elements. It's really basic. But what it does, it does very well. And it's free! (It does have a noise reduction feature you can buy in-app for $4.99. I coughed up the dough.)
So here's an example of what it will do. The wider shot is straight from the camera. The tighter crop I worked on in Photoshop Express. I don't know about you, but I think the difference is incredible. Love this app!
On this trip, I'm going to chronicle my adventures using my iPad Mini. The reason is because I can do everything on one device: shoot and edit my photography, shoot and edit video, and upload everything to the web, all on this wafer-thin tablet. In the past I would have used a Canon DSLR camera and a laptop computer. This way is much simpler and more compact.
For those of you interested in digital photography, the app I'm using to edit my photos on my iPad is Adobe Photoshop Express. No, it doesn't have all the features of Photoshop, or even Photoshop Elements. It's really basic. But what it does, it does very well. And it's free! (It does have a noise reduction feature you can buy in-app for $4.99. I coughed up the dough.)
So here's an example of what it will do. The wider shot is straight from the camera. The tighter crop I worked on in Photoshop Express. I don't know about you, but I think the difference is incredible. Love this app!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Close-up and Macro Photoraphy on the iPad Mini - Part Three
Once I finished my test shots, I went outside to see what the Macro lens would do in the real world. Must say, I'm impressed.
Comments? Questions?
Close-up and Macro Photography on the iPad Mini 2 - Part Two
If you want to go closer than the very respectable two-and-a-half inches the iPad allows, you're going to need accessories. I have the extremely handy iOgrapher iPad case (about $65 on Amazon) and a 37mm wide-angle/macro Polariod lens. This lens comes in a set with a telephoto lens for about $35 for both, from Amazon.
Screw in the macro attachment, and you can get about twice as close. Here's my test shot.
Screw in the macro attachment, and you can get about twice as close. Here's my test shot.
Close-up and Macro Photography with iPad Mini 2 - Part One
I'm going to chronicle my upcoming journey to the Wave in northern Arizona using my iPad mini. In the past, I've been a DSLR man, so this is a big change for me. I really like the idea of being able to shoot and edit photography and video and upload it to the Internet all on one device.
But it means learning to use a new system. So, in addition to sorting out my camping gear and winter clothes, I've been preparing for the trip by experimenting with the iPad to see what it will do. Today my experiments focussed on close-up and macro photography.
I went on Google to see how close an iPad can focus, and, oddly, found nothing. So I did an experiment and found out the answer for myself: 2.5 inches, which is remarkable. Here's my test shot, totally unedited.
But it means learning to use a new system. So, in addition to sorting out my camping gear and winter clothes, I've been preparing for the trip by experimenting with the iPad to see what it will do. Today my experiments focussed on close-up and macro photography.
I went on Google to see how close an iPad can focus, and, oddly, found nothing. So I did an experiment and found out the answer for myself: 2.5 inches, which is remarkable. Here's my test shot, totally unedited.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Less than a month before the journey begins!
Hello world!
My name is Lance Nelson Porter. On October15, 2014, I'm going to throw my camping gear into the back of my truck and go on a two-month walkabout through southern Utah and Arizona.
My primary goal is a fantastic rock formation called the Wave, in northern Arizona. It's not easy to get to the Wave. It's three miles from the nearest road, and there is no trail. Additionally, the Bureau of Land Management only issues 20 hiking permits to the Wave per day. 10 are issued three months in advance, via an on-line lottery. (I tried that - no luck.) The other 10 are issued on a same day basis at the Kanab, Utah office of the BLM, again by lottery. That's my last chance.
I invite you to join me on my journey! I'm going to chronicle my adventures right here in text, photography and video. Come on along!
My name is Lance Nelson Porter. On October15, 2014, I'm going to throw my camping gear into the back of my truck and go on a two-month walkabout through southern Utah and Arizona.
My primary goal is a fantastic rock formation called the Wave, in northern Arizona. It's not easy to get to the Wave. It's three miles from the nearest road, and there is no trail. Additionally, the Bureau of Land Management only issues 20 hiking permits to the Wave per day. 10 are issued three months in advance, via an on-line lottery. (I tried that - no luck.) The other 10 are issued on a same day basis at the Kanab, Utah office of the BLM, again by lottery. That's my last chance.
I invite you to join me on my journey! I'm going to chronicle my adventures right here in text, photography and video. Come on along!
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