Advice on Red Rock Canyon, NV

[DivotMaker]

I am planning a trip to Vegas, and want to get out to Red Rock Canyon.

Anyone have advice on where, when (time of day), "must do's"....etc. ?

TIA

[navcom]

Time: early or late in the day.

Must do's: Take your camera! Post your pictures on DPS!



...couldn't resist. I have no clue...never been there but would love to someday! Best advice? Have fun, relax, and don't stress out too much trying to get the perfect shot. I find my best shots are those I plan but don't stress about.

[Florida Farm Girl]

I can't really address the photo aspects, but Red Rock is a beautiful and rugged place that I always enjoyed visiting when I lived there. Depending on when you'll be going, you may need to take into account the heat. And because the sun is really glaring out there, early morning or later afternoon will work better, just like everywhere else. Allow plenty of time to explore and visit the visitor center for good information on the various areas. The wildflowers may still be in bloom and the cactus blossoms are beyond spectacular. Hope you have a good trip!

[VegasMike]

Great choice for a photo op! Take the scenic loop. It's a one way road with places you can stop along the way to take it all in. Early morning or late afternoon is best, depends on when you plan on being here. If you have the time the Valley of Fire is also a great palce to visit and Hoover Dam with the spectacular new bridge is always a must see.

[autofocus]

Went there in June 2009..it was memorable. We got there in the early morning...unfortunately, it was a bit of an overcast day. Here's a couple of samples of what to expect


C 029 by vmontalbano, on Flickr


C 026 by vmontalbano, on Flickr

[mrteacherdude]

Having never been to Red Rock Canyon myself, even though I live reasonably close to it, I can't provide any specific advice for that area. However, in general I would suggest the following for preparation for photography in the desert:

(1) Like Navcom suggested, early or late in the day. Unless it is cloudy, you can get great pictures during the twilight hours, and for a little while after sunrise and before sunset. The light generally gets quite harsh and reflective after that, really flattening things out. I personally like this 2D look, but it doesn't look great in photographs. If you can find an area that slopes upward toward the east, preferably covered with vegetation such as creosote bush, and shoot toward the east during the sunset hour, it can be quite amazing. Sunrises and sunsets themselves can be, but are not always, quite spectacular in the desert. The air is dry and often has lots of fine particulates to scatter the light. Light scattered clouds also make this particularly incredible as the bottoms can look almost as if they are on fire.

(2) Partially shaded canyons can be interesting (don't know if there is such a thing there), and I've found that they are more effective as a photo if there is someone or something familiar as part of the photo in the canyon to give it some sort of perspective so it's not just a canyon shot. I was reviewing some pictures I took when me and a friend hiked to an oasis in Joshua Tree last year, and found that my favorite pictures of the oasis had people in them. I'm not really a people shooter, but I do find that most of favorites have familiar people in them, or my Jeep

(3) Circular Polarizer - I use them often when shooting after the sun has been up for awhile because of the amount of reflected light off of so many shiny surfaces. Sometimes it helps a lot, sometimes it doesn't help at all. It depends on what direction you are trying to shoot relative to the position of the sun in the sky.

(4) I'm not sure what your timing is for this trip, but things are pretty lush right now for the desert. We have received a fairly substantial amount of rain and many of the annuals are growing like crazy. However, it has also been unusually cold (I think), so many of the more showy flowers have not likely germinated yet. I don't know what the wildflowers are like in Red Rock normally, but I'm guessing that within the next month or so they will be pretty lush if that is a normal thing for there.

This website may help also help you.

Hope this helps!

Just curious - why Red Rock if you're going to Vegas? Not that I have anything against Red Rock, just wondering.

[edit] I just looked at that website a little more closely - I think I should go there too! Looks like a cool place to go.

[DivotMaker]

Thanks for the help everyone. Some great ideas here.

I am hoping to get some great shots of the landscape, and possible "inside/looking out" of canyons....

mrteacherdude - Thanks for the link, this is going to come in real useful....

autofocus - great pics.

VegasMike - thanks, done the Hoover dam thing a number of times, and want to do something different. Gonna plan on being in the area, before sun up, and probably stay all day. Any specific "trails" to recommend?


Thanks, for ALL of your comments and suggestions....they really have helped.

(navcom - you can bet I will be posting upon my return. )