Night Vision

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Some night photography.

When I was in college, I dated a guy who was studying photography. Back in those days, we used film cameras and processed our own black and white film, then used enlargers in darkrooms to create prints. (I still have a black and white enlarger from a darkroom I had in my New Jersey home years ago.) It was a pain in the butt, but the resulting images were interesting and artistic.

Anyway, my photographer boyfriend had an assignment called “Lights at Night.” He went out at night with his camera and photographed various lighted objects. My favorite was an ice storage building. The image remains in my mind all these years later.

I’ve always wanted to do some night photography, but until recently, I didn’t have a decent camera to experiment with. Sure, I’ve had SLRs in the past, but I had no desire to process my own film and it seemed too costly to experiment with film anyway. But I recently got a digital SLR — a Nikon D80 — and with some time on my hands during my current trip and a tripod handy, I decided to give it a whirl.

Here are a few images. I’m not saying they’re any good, but I do think some of them are interesting. I’d love to get your comments on them; use the Comments link or form at the bottom of this post to share your thoughts. Go easy on me, though.

Bright Angel Lodge Back Patio

Bright Angel Lodge at NightThis photo is of the patio between the Bright Angel Lodge’s main building and the Grand Canyon’s South Rim at the Grand Canyon.

What I like most about this photo is the loneliness of it all. During the day, this patio is jam-packed with tourists. But last night, on the way back to my room from dinner, it was completely deserted. The gift shop was still open, but no one was around. I liked the way the light made the area glow.

Bright Angel Lodge Cabin

Bright Angel Cabin at NightThis is the entrance to two of the cabin rooms at Bright Angel Lodge at the Grand Canyon. The cabins are small buildings, each of which house two or four guest rooms. They’re located right on the rim and some of them even have views into the Grand Canyon.

This building looked particularly cosy and inviting on a cool autumn evening. I could imagine guests inside, cosy in bed with a book or magazine. (More likely, they were watching television.) The photo reminds me of Christmas.

Lookout Studio

Lookout Studio at NightLookout Studio is perched on the rim of the Grand Canyon. I’m not quite sure of its original purpose at the canyon, but it now houses a gift shop that seems to specialize in t-shirts, rocks, and postcards. It has a wonderful balcony and a series of lower terraces.

I love the look of this building during the day, but it also looks special at night. The blue door and window frames are especially appealing.

Wahweap Marina

Wahweap Marina at NightI took this photo from the balcony of my room at the Lake Powell Resort. The marina is in the foreground; the Navajo Power Plant is in the background, almost floating in the blackness of the empty desert around it.

The marina is filled with privately owned houseboats and other pleasure boats. It’s a huge marina and most slips are currently filled.

Navajo Power Plant

Navajo Power Plant at NightHere’s a close-up of the power plant. I used a 210 mm lens to get a this shot of the plant, which is about four to five miles from here.

What’s neat about the power plant in both photos is that you can see the emissions from two of its smokestacks. Before sunset, those emissions were clearly visible in the otherwise clear sky as a horizontal line of brownish haze. Ick.

Fuel Station at Wahweap Marina

Boat Fueling Station at NightThis is a boat dock with a fueling station at the Wahweap Marina. It looked cool from my room and even better in the photo.

Unfortunately, the focus is not as sharp as I’d like to see in this shot. I think it’s because it’s a floating fuel dock and the exposure was pretty long — at least 10 seconds. But it could have been a bad focusing job on the part of my camera or me, too.

On Someone Else’s Vacation

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Reflections of a tour guide.

First of all, I’m not a tour guide. I’m just responsible for organizing, providing transportation for, and ensuring the smooth flow of someone else’s vacation.

A Southwest Circle

The vacationers in question are a very pleasant, very flexible, very likable young couple from Canada. About four months ago, they signed up for one of Flying M Air‘s Southwest Circle Helicopter Adventures. The excursion is a series of helicopter charters that takes them to popular destinations throughout northern Arizona, with an overnight stay in each place. The price they paid covers the helicopter flights and ground transportation, lodging, and tours at the destinations.

Planning these excursions was no small feat. I had to come up with destinations that people would want to go to and that had ground transportation, lodging, and dining opportunities accessible from the helicopter’s overnight landing zone. This trip starts in the Phoenix area and goes to Sedona, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell (at Page), Monument Valley, and Flagstaff before returning to Phoenix. To further complicate matters, each client’s trip is customized with preferred flight times, hotel accommodations, tours, and tour times. I get a list of client preferences like a handful of puzzle pieces, then work the phones to get reservations made and fit those pieces together.

Like Clockwork

What’s amazing me right now, on day three of the trip, is how well everything is falling into place. Weather — which is the main thing I can’t control — has been cooperating with clear skies. It’s been a bit windy, but not too windy to fly. My clients are enthusiastic about every flight and every destination and are having no trouble keeping themselves busy between flights or tours. They haven’t called me yet with any problems or concerns.

Of course, I’m handling a bunch of the bothersome stuff — like checking into hotels and handling luggage. We arrive at a place, I give them a briefing, and they’re off. They return to the hotel whenever they like, claim their key at the desk, and go to their room where their two bags are waiting. (With an unusual amount of foresight, I purchased appropriately sized wheelie bags and sent them to my clients before the trip, so not only does the luggage fit in the helicopter, but it’s easy enough to pull around.) The next day, they meet me at a predetermined time and place for the next flight or tour.

My Vacation, Too

Oddly enough, it’s turning into my vacation, too. I don’t go home each night — it would be too costly to fly the helicopter back and forth. So I’m at the same destination my clients are at. Of course, while they have deluxe view rooms, I have the budget rooms nearby. While they’re on tours, I’m shuffling around luggage, preflighting my helicopter, and handling the tasks that need to get done to make the trip work smoothly for them.

Sedona SunsetStill, I have plenty of time between tasks. For example, on Sunday, while they were enjoying a walk around Uptown Sedona and a sunset Jeep tour, I was walking about an art festival and setting up for some sunset photography on one of Sedona’s hiking trails. Yesterday, while they were exploring Grand Canyon for the first time, I was shuttling out to the visitor center, then walking along the rim.

As long as my work is done — getting things ready for my clients — I’m free to do what I’d like to do. And my cell phone is always on and ready if they have a problem or question or need a lift in one of the destinations where I’ve secured a rental car.

I have to admit, it feels good to relax when the work is done. I’ve been working far too hard lately on writing projects and flying gigs. I need a vacation. This might be enough to satisfy that need.

Grand Canyon SunsetIt also feels good to visit these places and linger a bit. I’ve been taking a lot of photographs, especially around sunrise and sunset. And I’ve been trying to stay active with daily hikes of at least two miles. I just wish I had more willpower when it comes to mealtime!

The Adventure Continues

Today, we leave Grand Canyon National Park for the Grand Canyon Airport. My clients will take a 50-minute helicopter flight with Maverick Helicopters. While they’re doing that, I’ll load our luggage onto the helicopter, settle my fuel bill, and preflight. By the time they’re back, we’ll be ready to go. Then it’s a 1-hour flight up to Page that includes an overflight of the Little Colorado River Gorge and mile after mile of Navajo Reservation. If we have time, I’ll swing by Horseshoe Bend and a few other scenic areas — otherwise, I’ll overfly them tomorrow on departure from Page. At Page, I’ll get a rental car and shuttle them to the Marina for a boat tour on the lake. While they’re doing that, I’ll get the luggage, secure the helicopter for the night, and check us all into our rooms.

Then more R and R for me, this time at Lake Powell.

Cheap Lodging Steps from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim

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A Grand Canyon lodging secret.

I just wanted to take a minute to share one of my Grand Canyon secrets: The low-budget rooms at Bright Angel Lodge.

I’m sitting in one now. It’s small — perhaps 10 x 12 — and features a neat full-sized bed with a single night table, four drawer dresser, desk, and chair. There are two windows overlooking a deserted area filled with bushes and wildflowers. There’s a toilet, a sink, and a telephone. There’s heat if I’m cold and a fan if I’m hot. There’s a small closet, too.

But what there isn’t is what makes this room less desirable to the average American tourist, thus keeping the price down: there’s no shower, television, or air conditioning.

The Grand Canyon is Steps AwayThe shower is down the hall in a private, lockable, two-part room that includes a dressing area and a shower. That’s not a big deal — how many showers does a person take during an 18-hour hotel stay?

As for television, who needs that when the Grand Canyon’s South Rim (see photo) is less than 50 paces out the door?

And air conditioning? The Grand Canyon seldom gets hot enough to need that. (I do expect to make use of the baseboard heater tonight.)

The price for all this non-luxury steps away from one of the most awesome sights on earth: $61.91 per night, including all taxes.

Hell, I’ve paid more than that at a Motel 6.

Best of all, the housekeeping staff didn’t spray a whole bottle of room freshener in here.

Old Congress Days 2007

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A great local gig.

Today I flew for the second year in a row at Old Congress Days, an annual event in nearby Congress, AZ. The event includes a parade, flea market, music, and other activities and draws crowds from Congress, Yarnell, Peeples Valley, Stanton, and North Ranch. There were even a few people from Wickenburg who came to the event just to fly with me.

Assisted by my very able ground crew of Darlene and Dave (who took these photos), I did 6 to 8 minute rides around Congress, AZ for $25 per person. I started flying right after the parade at about 10:45 AM and didn’t stop until 1:15 PM, when I had just enough fuel left to get home.

Congress DaysHere’s a photo of the landing zone as Dave loads passengers. I want to thank the Congress Fire Department for allowing me once again to use the emergency medevac helipad beside the firehouse. This helipad makes an excellent landing zone for events because it is completely surrounded by a short chain-link fence, making it very easy for my ground crew to secure. But best of all, it’s paved, level, and dust-free.

Congress DaysHere’s a shot of me taking off on one of the flights. I picked up from the pad, made a 90 ° turn, and took off to the northeast. My only obstacle (other than the short fence) was a set of power lines a distance away. I had no trouble clearing them on any flight. Although a train track runs right behind the helipad area, only one train came by during the entire event — and it stopped until I landed on the pad!

Congress DaysDarlene took this shot at the end of the day while I was cooling down the helicopter before shutting down. Do I look tired? We packed up the gear — table, chair, flags, signs, etc. — in the helicopter, then went for lunch at the Community Center, where they were serving barbeque. Afterward, I flew back to Wickenburg, where I washed the helicopter in preparation for the six-day excursion I start tomorrow.

Many thanks to the folks who organized Old Congress Days for asking me to be part of their event. It was a pleasure to fly so many people — especially so many young people — many of whom were on their very first flight.

And a special thanks to Darlene and Dave for their support at this event. I couldn’t have done it without them. Thanks for the photos, too!

Question: When does an apparently fun way to earn income become a "job"?

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Answer: From the moment you start.

While I was in the middle of the Big September Gig, I found several times to post “tweets” to Twitter about my progress, using the text messaging feature of my Treo. Later, when I got a chance to read the tweets of the people I follow, I found this comment from a fellow Twitter member:

Wish I was out flying but after so much, does it become a “job”?

The question kind of floored me. After all, the flying I do for hire is a job. So I replied:

Any time you’re required to perform a task at someone else’s whim in exchange for money, you’re doing a job, aren’t you?

But that doesn’t mean it has to be a bad thing.

And that pretty much sums up the way I think about all the things I do for a living, whether it’s writing or flying.

Why People Might Think Otherwise

That got me thinking about why some people might think that my flying or writing was not like a job. What did they include in their definition of job that I wasn’t including?

And I came up with the following list of items:

  • Many people’s jobs require them to be in a certain place at a certain time every day, such as an office or a jobsite. There’s usually some regularity to this, for example, 9 to 5, five days a week.
  • Many people’s jobs have a limited amount of time off that has to be approved before it’s used. For example, a 2-week vacation or “personal days.”
  • Many people’s jobs include a manager or supervisor or some other kind of “boss” who keeps tabs on their work and has the final say over how their work is done. This same person will also evaluate performance and provide input into promotion and raise decisions. And this person can terminate employment at any time.

For many people, this is the true gist of what a job is. They go to work on a regular basis, they do something under the supervision of a boss, and they get paid. A few times a year, they take time off.

Freelancing and Business Ownership is Different

I’m a freelance writer and the owner of a business. These are my two “jobs.” And in both jobs, I’m subject to the same requirements of a regular job, but in different ways.

As a freelance writer:

  • Although I’m not required to be in a certain place at a certain time every day, I am required to complete my work on time. So that means I have to sit at my desk and work to get the book or article or whatever is due done. And if meeting a tough deadline means working 12- or 14-hour days — even on weekends — that’s just the way it is.
  • I get as much vacation time as I like and no one has to approve it. However, if I don’t work, I don’t get books or articles written. And I don’t get paid.
  • I have a boss: my editor. He or she decides whether I’m creating the content the publisher wants to see. He or she can also make changes to my work or require me to redo it a different way. And if I don’t do my job right, he or she is not likely to recommend me or hire me for future assignments.

As the owner and chief pilot of Flying M Air:

  • When I have a gig, I have to show up on time and stay until my client is satisfied that the job is done. That job can be any day of the week, any time of the day or night.
  • I get as much time off as I want — as long as there isn’t an upcoming gig on my calendar. But when I’m not working, I’m not making money.
  • My boss is my client. If he wants me to be on the ramp, ready to fly at 6 AM, I have to be there. (There are exceptions to this. For example, as pilot-in-command, I have final say over whether a flight is conducted. So if I feel a flight cannot be conducted safely due to weather or other conditions, I can cancel it.) If I don’t do my job satisfactorily, my client will probably not hire me again in the future.

But Wait, There’s More!

I can make a good argument that being a freelancer or business owner is a lot more work than being an employee with a desk job.

  • When I’m not working and have no work lined up, I have to work to find work. For example, I might need to write a book proposal or pitch an article idea. I have to maintain my Web sites to keep potential customers — editors, readers, passengers — interested in my services. Or meet with hotel concierges to convince them that they should be recommending my helicopter day trips to their guests.
  • I have to manage the finances of each of my businesses. That includes keeping track of all banking records, balancing bank accounts, paying bills, and filling out sales tax returns. (Thank heaven I don’t have employees anymore; dealing with that paperwork is a nightmare.)
  • I have to keep my competitive edge. That means learning about the new technology I might have to write about and purchasing the computer hardware and software I need to get my job done right. I have to take an annual Part 135 check ride with an FAA inspector and work with helicopter instructors to get advanced ratings (like the instrument rating I want to get this season) and practice emergency maneuvers. It also means preflighting and washing the helicopter and managing its maintenance.
  • I have to think about and plan for my businesses 24/7/365. So yes, I lose sleep when I have a seemingly impossible to meet deadline ahead of me for my biggest book. (I made it.) Or when I can’t figure out where that pesky oil leak is and wonder whether it’s serious enough to be squawked. (It wasn’t.) And I’m thinking in the shower or while driving or flying about things I can do to grow my businesses and my income.

Do you do all that in your job?

I’m Not Complaining!

I’m certainly not complaining. While it’s true that being a freelancer or business owner can be a headache sometimes, it’s never bad enough for me to face the alternative — that desk job. I’ve been there and I know.

There’s something enticing about collecting a regular paycheck (with benefits, if you’re lucky) and moving your way up the corporate ladder — or even just skating at a ho-hum job. There’s something sweet about not having ultimate responsibility for profitability of a business. It’s certainly great to leave your job at the office door when you leave at the end of an 8- or 9-hour day.

I made the move to a freelance career in 1990, after eight years of a “9 to 5” job. And after 18 years of working for myself, building a writing career and flying business, I simply could not go back to the 9 to 5 grind. I’d rather work my ass off on my own schedule, taking the ups and downs that come with the freelance/business owner lifestyle, and be completely responsible for my livelihood than to tie myself to an office job again.

But that’s me.

What do you think? Use the Comments link or form for this post to share your thoughts.

And please, no get-rich-quick links. They will be deleted.