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Hello All,

I am trying to plan a 3 day photography trip in mid-August of this year, but I am having trouble figuring out a good location and good targets.  This does not seem like an ideal time to to go Florida, but I haven't ruled it out.  I'd also considered Sax-Zim Bog, Washington state/Vancouver, and the ranches in South Texas.  

If anyone has any experience at any of those places in August, I'd love your thoughts.  Additionally, if anyone has any other ideas, I am open to all suggestions.

Thank you in advance to any responders!

I don't think mid-August would be the best time for Sax-Zim Bog. Winter and late spring/early summer would be the best times.

http://saxzim.org/plan-your-visit/

Thank you for the reply, but I should have mentioned that mid-August is my only option. I can't change the dates.

August can be good for Rainier NP. Wildflowers will still be blooming and mosquitoes not as bad as July. And perhaps still some patches of snow. Mt St Helen's can also be good in August, but potentially hot since it is pretty exposed. The coast can be hit or miss depending on Fog which can show up when it gets hot inland. If it is clear, the northern parts can be good for scenics. The middle section can catch the start of migration of shorebirds. Olympic NP depends on how dry the summer has been. If it was a wet summer, the West and South sides can still be lush.

Of course, this IS Washington state, and even in August we can get low clouds and rain or even super hot (90's).

I live in MN and concur that "the bog" is not a good August destination. It will be buggy and the bog will be very thick with vegetation. It will be a good time to see ephemeral species of passerines, but it will be unlikely that you will do much owl photography at that time. If you are intent on going to Minnesota, you might consider spending some days in Orr at the Vince Schute Wildlife Sanctuary run by the American Bear Society. This will be a good time to see bears fattening up as the they prep for winter. The sanctuary has "photographer packages" where you can pay a fee to arrive in the morning and photograph bears from the ground rather than a platform. I spent 3 full days their in early June and came away with some really nice adult and cub photos...

With that said, as a resident of MN, I think I rather spend a few August days in the Kalaloch area of the Olympic Peninsula and work the landscape opportunities at the edges of the day.

regards,
bruce

FL is insanely hot and humid during the time you will be traveling....

Thank you all for the information. At this point, I'm still not sure where to go, but I appreciate the input. As far as the heat goes, it'll just be something I have to deal with since I cannot change the dates. Also, I live in Memphis, TN, so high heat and humidity aren't unfamiliar, though I recognize that FL is both hotter and more humid.

I would not go to South Texas. Way too hot and there will not be much to see at any of the ranches.

I'd love to go to the pacific northwest, but my wife has vetoed that location since she cannot go. And it seems like quite a bit of money to spend at the ranches if I'm going to be there at a sub-optimal time. I am thinking that Florida is the best option, although even that is not a great time to be there. Oh well. Should be able to find something interesting to shoot! Thank you all for the input.

It would help if you said what you want to photograph? I am assuming birds, but perhaps a lot more? I have been to Arizona once at that time of year and it was actually pretty good. Still lots of hummers at that time of year and good chances for vagrants and rarities. The reptiles will be out and are great subjects. Scenics and landscapes will still be okay at that time of year. Not sure if Elephant Head Pond and/or the Madera Drip are open at that time of year, but if they are, they could be good as well.

I hadn't considered Arizona, but that is a really interesting idea. I shoot wildlife and landscapes, both. This trip, I'd been thinking about mainly birds. I'll definitely look into Arizona. Thank you for the idea.

I have shot both Elephant Head Pond and the Madera drip in August. Lots of birds with lots of immatures and the plumages were getting a little rough. It is hot in August, but every day we were there it was cooler in Az than at home in Northern California. We did experience a severe dust storm followed by a monsoon like rainfall.

AZ sounds like a good idea, especially if the lodges are open. You can also send an email to the owners of the places you intend to stay at (assuming they are lodges). Also for landscapes, there are quite a few places in and around Tucson/Phoenix area. Saguaro NP (both east and west) for some iconic photos of (giant) cacti and hopefully colorful sunsets etc. Good luck.

Thank you both for the ideas. I have been looking into AZ, and it does sound promising. My next quest was to find out more about the area surrounding Elephant Head Pond and Madera drip, so thanks for the tip about Saguaro!

Lyle Gruby wrote:Thank you both for the ideas.  I have been looking into AZ, and it does sound promising.  My next quest was to find out more about the area surrounding Elephant Head Pond and Madera drip, so thanks for the tip about Saguaro!

If I was only spending three days there, I would not spread myself too thin. I would try to do Elephant Head Pond, Madera Drip, hike up the Madera canyon trails, go to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and maybe a trip down to Patagonia Lake State Park. The [font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Mission San Xavier del Bac can be good at times for Thrashers and general interest and is in the same area. Also, the road from the school all the way up to the top of Madera Canyon can be good at certain times of the year.  If you still had time perhaps a drive up Mount Lemmon.[/font]

Great advice.  Thanks, Tim!