Where is Ben?

A Few More Shots

Here are a few more shots that I took near the Superstition Mountains near Phoenix, AZ.

Exploring Superstition Mountains

I spent all day yesterday exploring the Superstition Mountains area near Phoenix with Jim, Carol and Stephanie. I met Jim & Carol while exploring "the Wave" near the Utah/Arizona border last year and Stephanie is the president of the camera club they all belong to. I was running on about 4 hours of sleep since I had presented my Photoshop for Photographers seminar in Columbus, so I don't think I had all my brain cells available.

I've only had time to process one of the images from yesterday's shoot, which is shown above. This is a combination of a three-shot bracket of exposures to help maintain detail in the highlights and shadows.

Heading to Columbus, OH

I'm heading to Columbus, Oh to present my one-day Photoshop for Photographers seminar.

On a side note: Many people have expressed concern about my mobile lifestyle, worrying that I might be lonely and might not bump into people all that often. I don't know why anyone would think that... here's an example from within a seven day span to give you an idea of what I mean:

• Met two motorcycle riders who are crossing the country from Florida on Tuesday and talked for a while about where to visit (I don't remember their names though)
• Had dinner with Bob and Holly Coates in Sedona, AZ yesterday
• Had dinner with Gary C. tonight in Columbus, OH
• Having dinner with Dave C. in Columbus, OH
• Will be going out shooting and going to dinner with Jim & Carol in Phoenix right after landing
• Finally, I have two whole days on my own to shoot Sedona, AZ, but I might meet back up with Bob & Holly if our schedules allow for it.

That's not an uncommon week. I meet and visit more people per week than I have at any other time in my life. When I lived up in the mountains of Colorado, I might see Lance (the FedEx guy) a few times a week, but otherwise would have to go out of my way to see a human.

More Route 66

Here's another shot from Route 66. I only spent about two hours exploring parts of Route 66, but after editing down the images, I really want to go back to explore more.

Let me know if you can think of any great resources about Route 66 (books, web sites, etc.). I'd even consider traveling the whole route one of these days. Also, let me know if you'd like me to start posting more shots for other areas like I've done here for Route 66.

More Route 66 shots after the jump...

Back in Sedona, AZ

I'm back from a three city tour (Palm Springs, New York, Seattle) and have until Thursday before my next flight. I've been spending the last few days catching up with everything that fell through the cracks while I was writing the Photoshop CS3: Up to Speed book.

This week, I plan to explore Sedona and work on updating my Photoshop Studio Techniques book.

I took the shot above while exploring parts of historic Route 66 in New Mexico a few weeks back. I call this one "Where's the past?".

Cadillac Ranch

Thought you might enjoy one of the shots I took while exploring the overly muddy Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, TX. That one cow was very interested in what I was doing while most of the others could have cared less.

The bus should remain parked near Sedona, AZ for the next month: I want to thank Jim & Carol for hanging out with me, Eddit Tapp for some nice location suggestions, Todd Shreve for finding me a temporary bookdocking site and Bob Coates for not returning my e-mails.

Heading to Palm Springs, New York and Seattle

I'm heading to the airport! I'll be speaking at the following events on this trip with one extra day in both New York and Seattle.

• May 7-9-Palm Springs Photo Festival: I have one session per day including a half day pre-conference session on advanced Photoshop.
• May 11th-Photoshop for Photographers, New York, NY: My normal one day seminar that costs only $99... $79 for NAPP members.
• May 15th-Photoshop for Photographers, Seattle, WA: My normal one day seminar that costs only $99... $79 for NAPP members.

The bus will remain parked near Sedona, AZ for the next month... I've changed my plans yet again (did I mention that I'm flexible). I'm now thinking that I'm not going to drive all the way to Canada. Instead, I'll be spending more time in Arizona and Utah and I might spend some time at Yellowstone.

Exploring Sedona, AZ

Today, I explored Sedona with Jim and Carol, who I met last year while exploring the Utah/Arizona border. We made it around to quite a few areas and enjoyed some Thai food for dinner. I had a great time and can't wait to have more time to explore the area.

Amarillo, TX to Sedona, AZ

After visiting a very muddy Cadillac Ranch this morning, I started to drive West and crossed the entire state of New Mexico and kept going all the way to Sedona, AZ  (a 636.6 mile drive). I'm actually parked for the night 20 miles North of Sedona. This was about the longest drive I'd want to do in a day. Getting a late start (due to spending a few hours photographing the Cadillac Ranch) and spending a few hours photographing Route 66 didn't help. I prefer to drive during the daytime and this trip involved a lot of night driving.

I'm going to meet up with Jim & Carol who I met last year while exploring "The Wave" near Page, AZ.

May Photoshop Seminars

I'll be speaking at the following events in May:

• May 7-9-Palm Springs Photo Festival: I have one session per day including a half day pre-conference session on advanced Photoshop.
• May 11th-Photoshop for Photographers, New York, NY: My normal one day seminar that costs only $99... $79 for NAPP members.
• May 15th-Photoshop for Photographers, Seattle, WA: My normal one day seminar that costs only $99... $79 for NAPP members.
• May 25th-Photoshop for Photographers, Columbus, OH: My normal one day seminar that costs only $99... $79 for NAPP members.
• May 30th-Photoshop for Photographers, Milwaukee, WI: My normal one day seminar that costs only $99... $79 for NAPP members.