Big Bear Lake
I wanted to find local fall color; i drove up to big bear lake and found some patches of color. I enjoyed the drive up to the lake (hwy 18), there is some patches of color you can photography if you can pull over.
LandscapeMetro Adventure
The Los Angeles Metro is an adventure that all photographers should try once. It requires a lot of walking (if you do it as we did)
All in all the Metro allows you to park outside, the heart of LA, and cover a lot of ground quickly. All of the stations that we visited were very beautiful.
To see more photos please see this thread -
http://forum.fourthirdsphoto.com/showthread.php?t=39135
Within the Metro Stations Tripods are not allowed.
It is best to shoot early to get decent lighting, as well as I feel more secure in the morning rather than the evening.
Aquarium of the Pacific - Long Beach
The Aquarium of the Pacific isn't really my first choice of shooting locations, however, it is a lot of fun. It is a place that the entire family can enjoy. My 2 year old though loved the visit.
The Aquarium gives ample opportunities to shoot which are quite family friendly. Often time, if I have the family they want to move on to the next thing, but at the Aquarium everyone didn't mind doing their own thing.
The cost is around $20 per-person but for a quick Southern California get away it is well worth it.
I doubt that tripods are allowed, but with all the people around I doubt that I would want to use one.
Fast glass is a Big plus as well as a Polarizer (to reduce flections off the water) Notice the differences between the 2 reflection shots.
Please see this post for pictures.
http://forum.fourthirdsphoto.com/showthread.php?t=39454
Ice House Canyon
Excellent place for photographing lots of small 12" or so waterfalls. The Spring is the best time and in the winter there can be lots of snow. Hike along the trail for about 5-10 minutes and then hike down to the stream and follow it up.
Old Mill off 191 in Asheville, NC
There is this old mill or something, that is located off Highway 191 in Asheville, right near the North Carolina Arboretum. The property of this mill or whatever it is borders the French Broad River.
The building is really old and decrepit, there is TONS of graffiti and gang symbols and the place generally does not feel that safe, as it's tucked way back in the woods out of sight from the road and the parking area.
However, being in the woods, on the water, and easily accessible (not sure about tresspassing or not, proceed at your own risk) but it makes a good day of shooting everything from closeup graffiti and old building textures, to shooting landscapes of the French Broad River. This is a great place to spend several hours with a digital camera...