salt lake city

chrismoore

Hi, going to salt lake city this winter, just wondering if anyone had suggestions for photo opportunities in the city or surrounding areas (a few hours drive is no problem). Thanks!
Chris

Tango

what are you "into" ?

chrismoore

mainly landscape. i live in florida so don't have much snow in my collection. Thanks.

swintonphoto

I grew up in Salt Lake City, and I don't think there is a more beautiful city in the country. It is really in the mountains. Here are some recommended places to go shooting:
-Go up Big or Little Cottonwood Canyons. They branch right off of the Salt Lake Valley. Big Cottonwood is about a 20 mile drive to the top, and Little Cottonwood is about a 9 mile drive to the top. Both are beautiful with great hiking trails that are wonderful with a camera. Big Cottonwood is my favorite.
-Downtown Salt Lake. There are some fabulous buildings in Salt Lake if you like photographing architecture. Temple Square is truly unique. The LDS Church has done a wonderful job with the area and it is quite breathtaking. The Capitol is the most impressive state capitol I have ever seen. The City & County building in Salt lake is a great spot to shoot, as is the city library. So, if you like architecture, those are great spots.
-Logan Canyon. This is about 90 miles north of Salt Lake. It stems off of the city of Logan. It is the most beautiful canyon in Utah in my opinion. Amazing rock formations. Also, the top of the canyon climbs to the top of the mountains and opens up onto Bear Lake. It is the "Lake Tahoe" of Utah. Again - great trails, and some good roads if you have a 4x4 vehicle. You can practically drive to the top of the mountains. (though I guess this would be difficult in the winter)
-If you are ok driving about 3-4 hours there are some awesome places in southern Utah. My personal favorite is the San Rafeal Swell. It has dozens of amazing slot canyons that are wonderful to photograph. Make sure you check the forecast so you are not at risk for flash floods. Zions National Park, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Canyonlands are always great spots to visit. Bryce is perhaps the most impressive, but is also the smallest.
-The Great Salt Lake. If you are interested in some unique water shots, shooting at the marina at the great salt lake can be interesting. But, don't plan on a lot of shots - but can be interesting.
-Heber Valley - a beautiful little valley that is about 50 minutes up Parleys Canyon from Salt Lake. It is a quaint little valley near Park City that is quite lovely.

I'll think of some other places...

Tango

look into some backcountry web sites and find some cross-country ski trails, and some snowshoe trail information and find some group outings...
never never go alone. and make sure your in really good shape for those activities. snowshoeing is much more intense than commonly known, and when you combine the altitude your in for a heart pumping lung burning experiance.

and also i +1 everything Jonathan suggested, i myself will be doing a couple of those locations very soon.

chrismoore

That's very helpful thank you very much. We spent a week doing the southern national parks last year and they were gorgeous. I think we're going to be staying at a ski lodge for a few days and then taking the rest of the week to explore, so I'll try and see as much as I can. thanks again