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AZRA's subsidiary Grand Canyon Discovery and Arizona
Highways
are
combining resources to present a fabulous photo
workshop on the Colorado River through the Grand
Canyon. This trip is perfect for individuals looking to
focus their river adventure around photographing
some of the most beautiful scenery in the Southwest.
Our skilled river guides know just how to cater to
photo trips and will take care of your needs so you can
concentrate on your photographic pursuits. Camps,
side hikes and daily stops are all picked to best fit
their proximity to photo opportunities for you to pursue
your love of photography and express your creative
side.
We have hired Arizona Highways photographer
Ralph Lee Hopkins
to provide photo
instruction on a 10-day motor trip from May 2-11.
In addition to the on-river portion of the workshop, you
will
also have 2 days of instruction prior to the river trip.
Ralph will conduct photo sessions which will cover
basic photographic technique, Photoshop for
photographers, using histograms, creating good
compositions, and more. He'll also conduct a
portfolio review of up to 10 of your images. Once the
workshop is over, you are encouraged to share your
photos with him on our photo sharing site so he can
critique them and offer you suggestions on how to
make your images even stronger. Not only does he
offer expert opinion before and after your trip, he has
run the river several times himself and uses this
experience to provide you with the utmost professional
instruction.
There are still spaces available on this trip. If
you are
interested in finding out more information on this
photo workshop or interested in finding out
information about future Colorado River Grand
Canyon photo workshops (May 1-10, 2009), please
contact Arizona
Highways directly.
(Above photo: A passenger sets up his tripod for a
perfect shot of Vasey's Paradise. By Rob Elliott)
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Ya'at'eeh! My name is Nikki Cooley, and I am a river
guide at Arizona Raft Adventures. I am also of the
Towering House Clan, born for the Reed People Clan,
paternal grandparents are of the Manygoats Clan, and
maternal grandparents are of the Water that Flows
Together Clan. I was born and raised on the Diné
Nation (also known as the Navajo Nation) where my
respect and love for the outdoors
came from sheepherding, helping my family grow
crops of corn, squash and watermelon, and my
elders' teachings and stories of the connections
between living beings and the earth.
Growing up, I would often herd the sheep down a
nearby canyon where I explored and thought about the
environment around me. Sometimes, my paternal
grandfather and I would walk among the sage and
pinion pine as he talked of the emergence of animals,
plants and Diné people. These experiences prepared
me with a strong sense of respect and care for the
environment. I knew at a young age I would find a
career that would involve being outdoors and
sharing my culture with others. My life was to be about
exploring, experiencing, and learning, and I continue
that tradition today. (Photo by Rob Elliott)
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On March 4, we began taking reservations for the
2009 river season. It was a successful day as 4
reservation staff answered phone calls all day. At the
end of opening day, we were already 61% booked up
for the 2009 river season! If you were hoping to get
back on the river in 2009, you might want to start
planning now! (Photo by Rob Elliott)
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Lorna Corson has been running the Colorado River
through
the Grand Canyon since 1978. She is most well
known by her passengers for her amazing finesse on
the river, her incredibly strong body and her passion
for hiking. In fact, Lorna loves guiding on the new
specialty trips that focus on side hiking. Although all
of the trips have side hiking opportunities, Lorna loves
the passion for hiking that the passengers on the
hiking trips have. Some of her favorite hikes include
the long version of National Canyon and the North
Bass Trail.
Lorna spends the winters living in Wilson, Wyoming,
with her partner, Norm Larson (also a GC River
Guide). They have a small cabinet business which
keeps them busy. Lorna loves
the winter because it is her opportunity to participate in
some other outdoor passions including rock
climbing and backcountry skiing.
If you have not had the pleasure of running the river
with Lorna yet, perhaps you will on your next trip!
(Photo by Rob Elliott)
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This photo was taken last July and submitted by a
passenger named Fiona. On the spur of the moment,
Fiona and Tony (her boyfriend of 10 years), thought it
would be unique to exchange nuptials in such a
majestic place.
"It certainly was a wedding to
remember," Fiona said "and the guides made it
fantastic." She said it was
amazing what the guides did in a just a few hours.
One guide, Jan, had an eclectic wardrobe of clothes to
share and had fantastic ideas about how to make the
best with the resources they had. The trip leader,
Harlan, performed the ceremony beautifully and
included a song which he sang. The other guides built
an
aisle out of the oars and some of the other
passengers wrote songs and painted a picture as
a wedding present. Fiona also told us what a delight it
was that her son was able to be part of the
experience. She does not get to
see him that much because he
lives in the States and Fiona and Tony reside in the
UK. (Above photo submitted by
Fiona
Lewis)
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We would like to thank everyone who opened and read our first two e-newsletters. We have almost 1800 river rat readers spanning over 5 river seasons! We hope you will choose to continue receiving this publication so that we may keep in touch throughout the years. In fact, if there is a specific topic or idea you would like to read about, we welcome and appreciate all comments and suggestions for future newsletters. In addition, if you have a story or photo and would like to share it on The V Wave, please drop us an email as we would love to hear from you! (Arizona Raft Adventures and Grand Canyon Discovery are concessioners under contract with the U.S. Government and administered by the National Park Service.)
See you downstream!
Arizona Raft Adventures and Grand Canyon Discovery
email:
info@azraft.com
phone:
800-786-7238
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