Re: [at-l] Camera: to take or not to take.

[Ken Bennett <bennettk@wfu.edu>]

>Ok I already know that I wont be a journal keeper.  I dont care for writing
>or record keeping, and am not very good at putting my thoughts on paper.
>Even if I did keep one it wouldnt amount to much more than a mileage log,
>so I figure why bother.
>
>But a camera?  Did anyone go on a thru hike and NOT take a camera? Did you
>regret it in anyway?
>
>There are already lots of photographs out there on the internet.  Plus I
>figure if I do take a bunch of photos unless I come up with some complex
>record keeping system, I probably will not know were most of the photos
>were taken one year later when I finally have them all piled up together.
>
>I would really like to get some opinions on whether or not to take pictures.
>
>Mark Pearce


Mark--

Take a camera. I am not a thru-hiker, but I do a lot of hiking, and a lot
of short-to-medium sections, and the one time that I did not take one (to
save weight), I truly regretted it. (Of course, I am biased in favor of
cameras to begin with, as I make my living with them.)

I use an old, discontinued Nikon point-and-shoot. I would recommend the
current Canon waterproof point and shoot. I'm not sure the model (I can get
it), but it's designed to be used underwater to about 10 feet, so it is
quite resistant to anything a hiker can throw at it. It uses regular 35mm
film.

The problem of keeping track of the photos isn't easy to solve, but here's
one idea -- *always* shoot a photo of your shelter or campsite, any road
crossings, *especially* if they have route signs, any trail signs,
especially with mileage and trail names, every town stop, esp town signs or
motel signs. Then when you look at the prints when you get back, you can
more easily put them in order and context. Along with an ATC trail guide,
you might even be able to figure out every photo.

Plus, of course, you'll likely want to shoot photos of all the wonderful
people that you meet (like us <g>).

In my personal and very humble opinion, you also might want to rethink the
idea of not keeping any sort of journal. I am most decidedly *not* a
journal kind of person, but I find that I do like to keep one when I am
hiking. Even if it is only a mileage log, and a record of where I stayed
and with whom, I find that it brings back pleasant memories even years
later. I also find that I write a lot more than I expect to sometimes --
thoughts just pour out, and I have a hard time getting them down on paper
fast enough. Your mileage may vary, of course, but you might consider it.

Cheers,

Ken



Ken Bennett
University Photographer
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC, U.S.A.
Studio: 336-758-6009
Visit Wake Forest on the web: http://www.wfu.edu


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