June 2008 Photo Activities

Hi guys! It's been an active July, so I'm a bit behind on posting my June activities. It was a fun month, and I got some really unexpected photos.

Las Vegas

The first week of June, I took a trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Before I left, I found a fabulous $49/night deal for a room in the Luxor and couldn't pass up including Las Vegas in my travel itinerary. And what I found was a photographic treasure trove! Las Vegas can't be beat for incredible colors and architecture. There was something interesting to photograph everywhere I turned! I loved it so much, I stopped through again on my way back from the Grand Canyon, and even after that, I still felt I had only scratched the surface. I'll definitely have to go back!

For pics from my excursions in Las Vegas, click here.

North Rim of the Grand Canyon

I spent the bulk of my long weekend vacation on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was my first ever visit to the north rim... I've been to the South Rim and hiked down to the canyon floor, but never seen the north rim. I found that I absolutely loved it! The north rim is a bit different from the south rim in that the decline into the canyon is not as steep, so there is a lot of extra texture visible in the canyon. At sunrise and sunset, the individual wind-sculpted geological features become startlingly prominent, and offer incredibly striking views.

I did a lot of testing both sunrise and sunset views at the various overlooks, and so here's some free advice for my fellow photographers: sunrise is better than sunset at Cape Royal and the Bright Angel Point, which are the two best viewpoints on the north rim in my opinion. Views along the Transept Trail are better in the morning, and views along the drive to Cape Royal are better in the afternoon.

For pictures of my trip to the north rim the Grand Canyon, click here.

Danskin Triathlon

The weekend after I got back from the Grand Canyon, I took a trip to Anaheim to compete in the Danskin Triathlon. It was my first ever triathlon, and I have to say it was a trip! It was wonderful to get to compete after months of training. I particularly loved doing the run through the deserted California Adventure Park with rock blaring through speakers in the "Bugs Life" area. The swim portion in California Adventure Park lagoon (aka Paradise Bay) was a unique experience as well!

California Adventure Park

The evening before the race, I treated myself to a photo jaunt through California Adventure Park. I was surprised at how much detail is placed into the architecture and characters of the area.

For photos of California Adventure Park, click here.

Surf Dog Competition

I did one last photo shoot at the end of the month: the dog surfing competition at Imperial Beach. What a riot! I'm not sure the dogs quite understood what was going on, but they certainly were entertaining.
For pics of the surfing dog competition, click here.