Getting Ready For A Major Road Trip! Where Am I Going And What Gear Am I taking?

This is the general plan.  Southeastern Virginia all the way to southern Utah to visit the
big five national parks, then to Arizona to visit slot canyons and Horseshoe Bend as
well as Monument Valley, then south and east slowly working our way back home.
(Hand Drawing Vectors by Vecteezy.com)

I believe I still have at least a couple more major, cross-country road trips in me.  Although I've been into my eighth decade of life on this planet, I still feel good.  I sleep well.  I have no regular aches nor pains.  My mind seems to be pretty much intact, at least I think so.  The only maladies from which I suffer are the ones us "getting older" people seem to acquire as our bodies start to wear out a bit.  Nonetheless, I know I yearn to hit the open road once again for about a three week road trip.

So, the two questions I am often asked are where are my wife and I going and what photo gear am I taking?

Well, since we live in southeastern Virginia, we can't go east.  I don't have one of those 1960s era Amphicars, a hybrid automobile and boat.  So, that leaves north, south or west.  West it is!

1961-65 Amphicar (click to enlarge)
Courtesy of Wikipedia

Our plan is to drive west at leisure, stopping at interesting places, deviating from any planned route as necessary and, each night, ending up wherever we end up!  I call it 'no stress' traveling as there is no place we have to be and no time line for return.  The only exception is when reservations are needed for entrance to highly busy places.

Our final destinations going west will be the "Big Five" national parks in Utah as well as the slot canyons and Horseshoe Bend near Page, Arizona and an overnight stop at Monument Valley.  I've been to almost all of these places before but my wife has not.  From there, we will most likely head south and start working our way back east, returning who knows exactly when?  We get home when we get home.

As for gear, this is going to be an ‘experiential’ trip, not a photography road trip.  The goal is to come home with a couple of representative images of each location and not to fully photograph them.  That means I’m not taking a full load of gear to capture everything.

That said, it is time to put my money where my mouth is.  I’ve been an advocate of Micro4/3 gear for 13 years now so that is all I’m taking.  Can Micro4/3 handle everything I encounter?  Can Micro4/3 handle the extreme contrast of the slot canyons near Page, AZ?  Can Micro4/3 capture the detail in the grand landscapes of Monument Valley, Zion, Bryce Canyon and Arches National parks?  I’m betting it will.  Otherwise why would I set myself up for failure?

I’ve taken only Micro4/3 gear on several multi-week road trips as well as shorter trips over the past decade and I’ve never been disappointed in my resulting images.  I’ve never felt my Micro4/3 gear couldn’t handle the task at hand.  If you have been reading this blog for years, you’ve seen them.

As I said, I've been to most of these places before and photographed them but I don't want to pass up an opportunity to create some visually compelling images if the occasion arises.  I may never get back to these places.  In fact, most likely this will be the last time I see them.  Additionally, I want to make some memories of this trip for the two of us.  My Micro4/3 can will easily meet the challenges ahead.

This small, lightweight kit should serve almost all of my photographic needs. (click to enlarge)

Here is what I plan on taking:

OM-1 Mark II*

OM 8-25mm f/4 Pro lens

Olympus 12-100mm f/4 Pro lens

72mm polarizing filter (both lenses have the same filter size)

Spare Battery

L-Bracket

Lens Cloths & Zeiss Lens Wipes

Small Rocket Blower (pretty dusty in the desert SW)

In-camera battery charging cable

2 spare 64gb SDXC cards (2 128gb SDXC cards in the camera)

Gitzo Traveler Carbon Fiber Tripod with a geared head

That's it.  It will all fit in my small Belroy 9L sling bag and I'm off to the races!  The tripod and L-bracket will stay in my vehicle unless I find a need for it.  Frankly, with 8 stops of IBIS, Sync-IS, built-in ND and Graduated ND filters in the camera, I most likely won't use it.  But...  Just in case I do I would not be happy to need it and not have it.

My thinking is along the lines that I should be able to cover 95% or more of what compositions I anticipate encountering with the two lenses I've chosen.  If not, so be it.  I'll just enjoy the view and burn the mental image of the scene into my brain.

So, that's it.  If I have the opportunity, I plan on posting some blogs while on the road trip.  No guarantees.  But I know some of you like to follow along on my road trips.

Any comments or questions?  Please leave them below or email me.  My email address can be found on my website.

*Most likely, I will take some sort of backup camera.  I have not yet decided if it will be another MILC or a point-and-shoot.  After all, it would be foolish not to do so, agree?

UPDATE:  I bought an OM-3 as a backup camera.

UPDATE #2  Since my wife ordered a Fujifilm X100VI for me in January and I received it not long before the start of our road trip, I thought it appropriate I take it with me.  In fact, she expects me to take it.  More about how and when as well as in what circumstances I used the OM versus the Fujifilm camera at the end of the road trip.  I will definitely write a post about it.

UPDATE #3  To be honest, I’m now taking a lot more gear than originally planned,  My plan was to go small, simple and easy.  Minimal.  We’ll see how this now works out.

Now—I’m outta here!  Gone west.

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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