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December 2, 2008 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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by Gabby Salazar |
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America’s National Parks are stunning and varied. As a photographer, I enjoy each venture into the parks, but often feel as though my time is too short. Could I have gotten the shot if I just had a few more days to shoot? I decided to explore ways to spend extended periods of time within the park without paying for costly hotels. Last fall, I came across the Artist-in-Residence Program run by the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS offers opportunities for photographers, as well as two-dimensional visual artists, sculptors, performers, writers, composers, and craft artists to live and work in the parks. The park service is looking for serious artists who are interested in devoting time to their medium and currently has positions in 29 parks throughout the country including Acadia National Park, Cape Cod National Seashore, and Grand Canyon National Park. These positions range anywhere from ten days to more than eight weeks. Most parks provide housing and some provide a stipend. You can work with the park to create a contract that benefits the park and protects your rights as an artist.  Day 1: Cedar Pass Area
It snowed last night. Not everyone is pleased with this development, but I am thrilled! I woke up before sunrise, dressed in many layers and ventured down the loop road through the park. The snow has dusted the buttes and coated the ground. As I walked around one of the trails, I spotted these rabbit footprints in the snow. © Gabby Salazar 2008
I explored the list of parks, the application requirements and the times when positions were available. Eventually I chose to apply to a number of parks including Badlands National Park in South Dakota. A few months later Badlands invited me to be their 2008 Spring artist-in-residence. After three days of driving from Virginia, I arrived in Interior, South Dakota (population 67). I made my way to headquarters, checked in with the rangers and settled in my apartment to prepare my equipment for sunrise the next morning.  Day 3: Dried Flowers near Cedar Pass
The sun came out today and covered the landscape with a beautiful glow. There were no clouds in the sky so my landscapes were dull and I decided to focus on macro. I searched the field for flowers and could not find anything colorful. Finally, I came across these dried brown flowers that are the same color as the buttes. © Gabby Salazar 2008 I have been here for 12 days so far. My apartment is in the heart of the park and I rise every morning before dawn to explore a new location and head out about three hours before sunrise. I spend part of the afternoon, when the light is not as good, exploring for other sites to photograph. I go out again in the evening to photograph. I keep a notebook in the car to keep notes on the different trails and overlooks and I mark them on the map as sunset or sunrise spots. The park is enchanting, especially because I have so much time to experience it in different light and different weather.  Day 5: Behind Ben Reifel Visitor Center
I went out around noon today to scout for sunset locations. The sky was covered with big fluffy clouds and they cast interesting shadows on the landscape. I set up my tripod and waited as the wind pushed the clouds over the badlands. Eventually, the shadows cast a pleasing pattern on the buttes below. © Gabby Salazar 2008 The gift of spending an extended period of time in a park comes with the challenge of continually looking for new and unique images. Each day, I have to push myself to look at the landscape with fresh eyes and to find a new focus, shape, or scene. Some days, the weather does not cooperate and I spend those days walking the trails and planning out locations where I will return when the light is right. The experience is not only about creating great images, it is helping me to learn more about my photography and creative vision. I would highly recommend the Artist in Residence program if you are a serious and committed photographer and can spare a few weeks to shoot. You can also explore seasonal volunteer positions within the park system that allow you time to photograph sunrise and sunset. Both opportunities offer a chance to give back to the park system – a system that offers photographers so much.  Day 10: Badlands Loop Road
It has been snowing and raining for two days and the sky finally cleared. I went out with my camera only to find huge storm clouds rolling in over the horizon. I drove until I found a nice foreground for the ominous sky. Then, I grabbed my 16-80mm lens and made this image with a raincoat covering the camera between shots. © Gabby Salazar 2008 Visit: http://www.nps.gov/archive/volunteer/air.htm for more details. National Parks Photography Tips: - Talk to park rangers and biologists. They can provide helpful advice about good locations for sunrise and sunset and for wildlife photography. - Scout locations for sunrise and sunset in the middle of the day when the light is harsh. - Keep a notebook in your car. Write down driving distances to different locations so you can plan how early you need to leave from your hotel, apartment or campsite. - Research the park ahead of time. Search for images, information and trail guides. Also, learn about the local wildlife and know what to expect at different times of year.
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