Phoenix ZooLights December 2018

22 December 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona.  It’s cool in the 50s and it looks like a perfect night to go to Phoenix ZooLights.  

I recently acquired a new Canon EOS R with the new RF 24-105mm lens and thought this would be a great way for me to get comfortable with the new camera.

It’s a smaller camera than the Canon 5D Mark IV and weighs less.  All good things for me.  I carry the camera with a Black Rapids strap and a Joby wrist strap.  

All of the photos I shot were in auto ISO, f/4, hand held.  

I set up the camera for back button focus.  The button on the back of the camera is in a slightly different place than it was on the 5D Mark IV, so that took some time to get used to.  There is a new multi-function bar on the back of the camera and I’m trying to figure out if I can use that for back button focus.  Otherwise, I’m going to turn it off.  

One additional thing I discovered is to go into the menu and turn on the econo mode to save battery power.  

The auto focus worked fast and effectively.  

All-in-all, I am quite happy with the EOS R.  

Until My Next Adventure,

See You On Down the Road!

Jim Patterson

And, all the photos!

Photoblog Addendum!

I had so much fun with my new Canon EOS R that I thought it would be a good idea to photograph the Christmas lights in my own Adobe Highlands neighborhood in Phoenix.

One thing I noticed was how easy it was to autofocus in dark conditions.  This was later confirmed by a few articles I read that said the EOS R was one of the best in autofocus when it was dark.  

Canyon de Chelly and the Navajo Nation

The Arizona Professional Photographers group sponsored a trip to Canyon de Chelly, on the Navajo Nation, in the far northeast part of Arizona 9 to 11 November 2018.  

It takes about five hours to get there from north Phoenix.  It’s worth the drive, but from Holbrook north, it is very desolate two lane roads to Chinle, Arizona.  

I highly recommend staying at the Thunderbird Lodge because that puts you right there at the Canyon. The rooms are clean and modern with television and WiFi and there is a restaurant right there.  A short drive into town and you will find other places to eat including a Denny’s which has a fine breakfast.  

The first evening allowed us the fun of taking night photographs from point White House, about a five minute drive from the lodge.  The first image I captured was taken about a half hour after sunset, pointing north into the canyon.  Then I turned looking east for these night shots.  One of the images I captured shows another photographer turning on her light.  She apologized but I thanked her because I thought it made a nice photograph.  

Before going into the canyon, we had a visit from some Navajo dancers.  This is the land of the Navajo Code Talkers, so there was a salute to veterans.  But military service seems to be ingrained in the Navajos as I suspect it is with other native nations.  

Daniel Draper and his other tour guides drove us into the floor of the Canyon.  To get in there you have to have a guide.  It is not a smooth luxury ride!  But who cares because the scenery is amazing.  

Then our time at the Navajo Nation ended with Daniel’s daughter Tonisha Draper singing for us.  

Until My Next Adventure,

See You On Down the Road!

Jim Patterson

And, all the photos!