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Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Azimuth" mean?
The Webster says:
Az'i-muth n 1,An angle measured clockwise from north to south. 2, Astrom. this angle measured on a horizon circle.
So, an azimuth in degrees can be any number up to 360, since there are 360 degrees in a circle. Due east is 90 degrees, due south is 180 degrees, due west is 270 degrees, and due north is 360 degrees or 0 degrees.
(updated 03/01/06)
Where are you?
In our current home, in Bellingham, WA. Enjoying the snow in the Cascades and in dire need of a vacation!
Where were you?
Trips in 2005 included:
(not many trips in 2005 - I spent most of the year shooting weddings, which left time only for small trips
Wales (Alpine endeavors, and Dragon Tour 2005 - see travelogue)
Local aventures in Bellingham, WA: fun in the snow, Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan.
Moved to Bellingham, WA in September
Local aventures in Bend, OR before September: fun in the snow, Broken Top and Middle Sister summits.
Mt. Rainier climb
That's it.
Trips in 2004 included:
New Caledonia (Noumea mostly)
Maui (Melissa taught a photo workshop there)
Tunisia (Jerba, Tozeur, Douz, Sahara)
Switzerland (Alpine endeavours)
France (Cadiere d'Azur, Canyon of Verdon, Calenques, etc.)
Moved to Bend, OR - North Cascades
Trips in 2003 included:
Moved to France
France (St. Malo in Brittany, Hyeres on the French Riviera, and the Canyon of Verdon in Provence, Poitiers)
Wales (Hay-on-Wye, Brecon Beacons, Brokeshire Coast, Snowdonia, Conwy, and many castles)
Death Valley - Bend, OR (twice) - Richmond, VA, Myrtle Beach, SC, South of the Border, NC.
Mt Rainier Climb
Trips in 2002 included:
Yemen (Sana'a, Manakha, AlHajjara, Ma'rib, Sayun, Shibam, AlMukalla, 'Aden, Kawkaban, etc.)
Ecuador (Quito, Otovalo, Cayambe, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Banos, etc.)
Death Valley - Mono Lake - Bend, OR.
Eldorado, Mt. Adams climbs
Trips in 2001 included:
New Caledonia (Noumea, Bourail, Poro, Houailou, Touho
Mexico, Isla Mujeres (El Centro and various beaches)
North Cascades - Joshua Tree
Ruth Mt, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens climbs
Trips in 2000 included:
Mexico, Baja (Kayaking)
Tahiti and Moorea (Papeete, Faaa)
Death Valley - North Cascades - Fort Collins, CO
Eldorado, Mt. Adams, Mt. Daniel climbs
That's far back enough, don't you think?
Where are you off to next?
- France in late June, Bend, OR around there too.
- Namibia in December.
- Melissa will be continue working towards her degree in Geology.
- Chuck will be oppressed, as usual, and work a real job to finance our adventures.
Melissa - I have been working as a full-time photographer since November 2001. I have recently returned to school to work towards getting a degree in geology, and am now running All Azimuths Photography, Inc. only part time. However my shooting habits have not diminished, as my new career requires much fieldwork in beautiful places. In fact, I believe that I spend more time outdoors now than when I was a full time photographer. About how it all started: My love of travel initially drew me to photography, as I wished to bring little bits of my adventures home with me. I took a Black and White Photography class at the local community college, and for the next three years spent an unbelievable amount of time fiddling in the darkroom. Though I now shoot only slides and digital, I still use the knowledge I gained in the darkroom for every shot. Eventually, my photos (almost exclusively landscapes at the time), began to sell enough to make it worth my while going into it full time. Since then, my collection of travel images has grown to about 7000, my mountain sport images (snowshoeing, hiking and backpacking mostly) has grown to about 3000. I have also tried my hand at racing, portraits, weddings, and a little bit of commercial photography, but still what I love most is the gathering of images from those far awy lands and hard to reach places.
Chuck - Chuck has been pursuing his interest in photography for over 20 years, most of it with the same Canon AE1 and 50 mm lens. While a Marine assigned to embassies, he photographed Egypt, Switzerland and neighboring countries extensively. Later, while a software engineer at Microsoft, he developed a passion for mountaineering and began to regularly spend weekends in the beautiful North Cascades near his home in WA. Chuck describes himself as a “rock and wood photographer”, referring to his ability to extract the beauty in patterns and often overlooked elements in landscape scenes. His shooting style is a meticulous one; he usually studies an area at length before setting his tripod, and composes each image as though it were the only one he might ever take. As a result, each of his images is unique and stunning. Chuck’s style allows him to be just as comfortable with a large format view camera as he is with his Nikon FM3 or Canon AE1, though he usually carries only the “little ones” when climbing or backpacking.
Melissa's Bag
Nikon N80, Nikon D70, (just sold the Nikon D100 and FM10, both to good homes), Nikkor 24-85mm, Nikkor 70-300mm, ProOptics Fish Eye lens attachment, Nikonos V with a 35 mm fixed lens (for those rainy days and occasional south pacific lagoons), Nikon Speedlight SB-28, Nikon Speedlight SB-800 (by far my cutest piece of gear, I call it "the owl"), Polarizing, UV and neutral density filters for all, B+W is my favorite brand, Cokin neutral graduated filters in 3 flavors, Minipod (hooks to the end of a pole, or around a tree branch), Velbon tripod (my "mountaineering" tripod), heavy Manfrotto tripod with ball head, and a Fuji FinePix F10, just for fun images. That's it. I try to keep my bag light, and do not beleive that more gear equates to better photos. I usually carry the main camera in a Lower Pro bag harnessed in front of me, and the rest in a Lower Pro Orion bag around my waist (or in my backpack, if I am trying to be inconspicuous). Film of choice is Provia 100, still and always.
Chuck's bag
Canon AE1, Nikon FM3A, Nikkor 24mm, Nikkor 85mm, Canon 50mm, filters for all (yellow, red and polarizer), Vivitar flash, Pentax Digital spot meter, Velbon tripod (same as Melissa's but with chrome legs), very heavy Manfrotto tripod with tilt head, and an assortment of Black and White film, most of them Ilford. Sometimes, also Agfa 50 chrome film (nice browns!). Most of the essentials he carries in a MaxPedition bag, swung over his usual backpack. A large format camera will join the gang soon.
Mountain gear suppliers
> The Mountain Gear site (or mgear.com) - Awesome selection, small prices. About 90% of our gear comes from there.
> Devi Outdoor - Finally some serious mountain gear that is specifically designed for women.
> The Marmot site - Excellent gear. Love the people at the Bellevue store.
> Prana - Cool clothes for climbing, hanging out or anything else. Awesome service, but the clothes are pricey.
Photography gear suppliers and lab
> B&H, NY - Where I buy film and gear in bulk - Cheap, fast, but impersonal.
> I am in search of a new lab for my slides. If you know of a good one, send me mail!.
You can also send us mail with any special request (i.e. I really like that photo of ... can I have a 8X10 of it?), and we will send you a quote.