Activities - once your "there"

[BackofBeyond]

Oliver owners, and other RVer's

 

I am curious, once you have finally arrived to the desired location, what type of activities, other than just chillin, do you folks enjoy. For myself, I am not very good at "chillin" as the younger  crowd calls it- seems I need to have done something with physical activity, before I can chill.  As a couple we like to hike, ride bikes, swim, paddleboard, meet new folks, etc.,  and for me, some WW activities, perhaps get into fly fishing, and almost anything else that gets the heart rate up. My wife enjoys the sightseeing aspects more than I do, I'm more participatory.

 

We would love to discover yall's interests.

 

Thanks

 

RB

[topgun2]

RB -

 

My major trip of the year is fly fishing out West.  Usually I set off about the 1st of July and return to western North Carolina on or about September 1st.  This is all about fly fishing.  I will do some back packing to high streams and/or lakes but usually I'll fish three or four days in one spot and then move to another spot.  On days when I get tired I restock, do laundry and hike a little.  Other than that, I try to ask "locals" what there is to do in the area.  I prefer something that is a bit off the normal radar.  For instance - as a result of asking - I was directed to a wonderful Buffalo Bill Statue that is located just to the north, northwest of Oakley, KS.  Its only about four miles south of Interstate 70, but, if I had never asked I would have never known it was there.

 

On my shorter trips I usually have a main theme in mind - State Park for hiking, waterfall searching, bike riding, winery tour, museum tour and the like.  It seems that there is always something to do and not enough time to do it all!

 

Bill

[rideandfly]

When we camp in the area where we live, we normally take bicycles or kayaks or motorcycle depending on the area and time of year.   Next camping trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway, will probably drop off a motorcycle where we will be camping and tow the Ollie there later in the day. Plan to also install removable kayak and bicycle racks on our Diamondback cover on the Tundra, too.

 

When we travel around the US and locally we also use Ollie as a base camp while exploring and photographing the beautiful places in our nation.  We normally don't spend much time at campgrounds from 10:00AM to 6:00PM during day while out exploring.

 

Here's photos taken during local camping trips

 

Hunting Island SC

 

 

 

Blue Ridge Parkway

 

 

 

Eastern TN

 

 

Photos taken on trips out West

 

 

 

 

You meet the nicest folks in rest areas with Ollie

 

 

Took this photo of brand new Ollie owners in New Mexico

 

 

We have so many more beautiful places to visit and nice folks to meet during our Ollie adventures!

 

 

 

 

[BackofBeyond]

Great pics guys. Which leads me to photo gear... many years back I was using SLR, film, then picked up a SLR digital (not WIFI friendly) for my wife, but the tech changes so quickly anymore I just quit. The camera on my android phone is great, but not really for the cool landscape stuff. So what do you guys use - I enjoy those quality pics.

 

Topgun, - thanks for the Buffalo Bill suggestion, If I EVER get to Kansas again I'll stop by - however - with all the western trips we have made, Kansas is just a killer - we hate the drive through there - I go south or north to avoid - although SD was not any better - bland prairie - for miles and miles. Good idea - combine the backpacking with fishing. Jeeze - I have so much more to do - I going to have to live at least another 60 years.

 

RB

 

Die young - as late as possible.

[rideandfly]

RB,

 

We use two Canon Powershot cameras.

 

One similar to the Canon Powershot SX420 that has built in lens, powerful optical zoom, manual and automatic modes. Use one like this for landscape, eclipse, sunrise & sunset shots.

 

Keep another smaller Canon Powershot with us all the time that's similar to the ELPH 180 for unplanned shots.

 

 

[DavidS]

Photography is one my passions, and it is what I do when I get there.

Quote

Great pics guys. Which leads me to photo gear… many years back I was using SLR, film, then picked up a SLR digital (not WIFI friendly) for my wife, but the tech changes so quickly anymore I just quit. The camera on my android phone is great, but not really for the cool landscape stuff. So what do you guys use – I enjoy those quality pics.

@backofbeyond asks what kind of gear. I travel with a big Canon digital SLR and a compact Sony RX-100. Both take great pictures, as do most of the modern digital cameras. If you spend more money you will probably get a faster lens, a more sensitive sensor, and probably a faster processer. I love my Canon 6D because of how responsive it is; it responds quickly. A faster lens will allow you to take low light pictures without a flash, and the results are much more pleasing without a flash.

Ignoring the price range of the camera, my one suggestion is to consider whether to take pictures with the default setting for JPG file format, or the RAW format. If you take pictures and then print or share them, then you are fine with JPG pictures. However, if you enjoy "post processing," which involves transferring the files to a computer to that you can crop the photos, and adjust the brightness, contrast and white balance, then you should shoot in RAW. RAW files are 5 to 8 times larger than JPG files, but that means the photo has that much more information about the light and the colors, and that information is available for you to use at the computer. When you shoot in JPEG the camera’s internal software will take the information off the sensor and quickly process it before saving it. Some color is lost as is some of the resolution; the camera is throwing away 80-90% of the photo information in order to make the file smaller. With JPG, the camera decides how the picture should look; with RAW, you make that decision at the computer.

RAW pictures are especially good in low light situation. This is an interior shot of a cathedral in Orvieto, Italy. No flash, and it is pretty dark.

After processing of the RAW file on the computer:

This picture of Lake Guntersville was taken at last year's Oliver Rally.

After cropping, straightening, and adjusting the color, this picture really "pops."

Last year in Oaxaca, Mexico, we became friends with a couple from London. He is a retired professional photographer, and he told me he never crops or adjusts his pictures. Clearly, he is a better photographer than I am. Cropping is critical for me.

This is a picture I took while on a safari in Kenya. It was nearing sunset, and I had to act quickly to get even this shot. The camera in the foreground ruins the picture.

After cropping, I think it is one of my best pictures.

Summary. Any camera will be give you more control over your pictures than a phone. If you want to do post processing on a computer, be sure to shoot in RAW.

Edited January 24, 2020 by DavidS
Photos not correct after migration to new web server.

[Overland]

Great photos, David.

 

I gave up my SLR a few years ago, in favor of just the iPhone. There are times I miss it but the benefit of not lugging something else around has been worth it for me.

 

I do agree on the post processing. I always shot in RAW with my Nikon and processed with Aperture. In fact I think Apple’s abandonment of the software (and it’s users) had a lot to do with me giving up the Nikon.  I could never get used to Lightroom as a replacement.  But I was really pleased a few months back to see that Nik tools have been revived after being bought up by Google and left on a shelf to collect dust.  And I’ve been doubly pleased that the new version works perfectly with Apple Photos, reviving much of the utility of Aperture. I’ve been going back through my library from the past few years and getting good results with iPhone photos.

[DavidS]

Overland, I loved Apple's Aperture software and I stayed with it because it kept working for me. Until last November, that is, when our IT people upgraded me to MacOS 10.14. Now Aperture could not read the RAW files from my Sony camera. So I finally made the jump to Lightroom. Like all Adobe products, Lightroom is extremely powerful but completely non-intuitive, making it hard to use. A friend told me about these teaching videos on Lightroom from Anthony Morganti. They have been extremely helpful. I have been using the YouTube set on

 because that is the software I have; he has another set on

.

 

I don't want to scare anyone off from post processing because of the difficulty of learning Lightroom. You can do a lot of quality post processing with Apple's Photos app (or their older iPhotos app). Both are free, completely intuitive and easy to use.

[rideandfly]

David, always enjoy seeing your fine photos!

 

Great pics guys. Which leads me to photo gear… many years back I was using SLR, film, then picked up a SLR digital (not WIFI friendly) for my wife, but the tech changes so quickly anymore I just quit. The camera on my android phone is great, but not really for the cool landscape stuff. So what do you guys use – I enjoy those quality pics.

 

RB,

 

I'm an amateur photographer using two economy Canon Powershot cameras, one smaller point and shoot and one with powerful zoom with manual controls and automatic modes. Have not used an SLR, but still have my Canon AE1 program 35MM film camera, it's retired.

 

Don't use post processing unless cropping or adding text.

 

While taking sunset shots at the last Alabama Ollie rally, used zoom on the Canon Powershot SX520 and rested the camera while taking shots in the automatic mode.

 

 

Used manual exposure mode with Canon Powershot SX520 on this shot to lighten landscape with cloudy sky at Badlands:

 

 

Made a solar filter with a UV filter to hold in place with the SX520 lens in auto mode using a 6' ladder as a tripod:

 

 

Solar Filter installed:

 

 

 

 

Took this shot with a  Powershot in the manual exposure mode with manually set aperture on a tripod during a cloudy, low light day.                                                 Crabtree Falls Blue Ridge Parkway NC

 

 

 

[ScubaRx]

Back to the OP’s original question, when traveling we “collect” National Parks. We are up to over 200 of the 400+ National Park units. We have been to 41 of the 59 National Park’s. This summer we will go to Alaska and see the ones there.

[BackofBeyond]

Thanks folks, really appreciate the feedback.

 

ScubaRx, - my wife's goal is similar - all National Parks, as many State Parks as possible, and everything in between. We have done a good part of this, but not with the Ollie. Currently planning for this summer - something I don't usually do - we usually just go. Trying to pin down a few reservations that are hard stop -  gotta be there days, (Yosemite) and plugging in around them.

 

As for the photo equip - please don't laugh, well, go ahead, I did,  "So" from the hidden location, where only my wife knew,  I pulled out the digital SLR I bought for her - what I though was just a few years  back - well it turns out it was ten, TEN+ years ago. The batteries were dead - my wife preferred her phone. Charge both batteries, presto - a nice working camera - so its mine - now.

 

The Cannon rebel T1i, EOS 500D - with multiple lenses, represents a challenge - it gives me something to start with, at 15 megapixels it will be fine for now. Your wonderful shots have rekindled an old interest. I'll add this to my list of things to do.....

 

Yes Ride n Fly - there is an old Nikon film SLR somewhere in the back of a closet - its been retired for - well apparently I'm not good with remembering time, but it is many years.....

 

RB

[DavidS]

Bill, those are awesome photos.

 

Russell, I am certain you can get good pictures with the Canon 500D. Instead of the Automatic setting, try shooting with the Aperture Priority setting. Have fun with it!.

[Rumline]

I have nothing to add, other than to say:

 

As a weekend warrior, I can't wait until I have this "problem".  :-)

[rideandfly]

I have nothing to add, other than to say:

 

As a weekend warrior, I can’t wait until I have this “problem”. ?

 

 

A few activities while camping

 

While at the 2018 Ollie Rally, we played golf several days:

 

 

 

Some folks fly drones

 

 

Kayaking

 

 

 

Hiking

 

[Mike and Carol]

We are doing National Parks and hiking. We are on our way home now and just did Death Valley, Pinnacles and Yosemite National Parks this last month. We also spent a week in Napa and did some serious wine tasting. Enjoying some mountain scenery in New Mexico the next couple of days. We like photography too, with a Canon digital SLR and iPhone. But, we are amateur amateurs! Mike

[topgun2]

RB -

 

Sorry it has taken soooo long, but I finally found a photo of that Buffalo Bill statue outside of Oakley, KS that I mentioned above.  Note the crop dusting plane in the left of the background.

 

Bill