NoVA Photo Op - Potomacfest 2008

MRRiley · 07-06-2008, 04:40 PM

Is anyone from northern VA or MD interested in going to shoot the Potomacfest 2008 kayak races at Great Falls (on the Potomac River) this coming Saturday (or Sunday if Saturday is not good)?
Potomacfest 2008 description & schedule...

I will be running over to the park sometime this week to see if I can find out which side of the river they will be running. This will determine where we need to set up. If they are running the VA side, we have better choices for observation areas . If they are running the MD side we'll need to get there very early as the only observation area is very small and if you don't grab a place along the rail you have to shoot between the crowd.

Let me know if you'd like to go. I have an annual park pass and can carry 4-5 folks in my F150.

Lets show them darned Canoniers and Nikonites that they ain't the only game in sportshooter town! hehehe

Sample from last years race...

Mike

jmdeegan · 07-06-2008, 10:15 PM

how far are these from DC? I am in the area for business the next 10 days or so, and Sunday seems more free than Saturday. Was kicking around a visit to Nationals Park one night, and I figure monuments and/or the zoo....but I am open for ideas.

little laker · 07-07-2008, 12:32 AM

That sounds like a fun shoot Mike, I wish that I could join in.

cupic · 07-07-2008, 01:40 AM

Nice vantage point in the middle

cheers

cardinal43 · 07-07-2008, 04:29 AM

Originally posted by jmdeegan

how far are these from DC? I am in the area for business the next 10 days or so, and Sunday seems more free than Saturday. Was kicking around a visit to Nationals Park one night, and I figure monuments and/or the zoo....but I am open for ideas.

This is about 10 west of DC. If you have access to a map of the DC area, look at the outer beltway (495) at the MD/VA line and note the Potomac River. Great Falls is right in that area.

MRRiley · 07-07-2008, 07:25 AM

Originally posted by jmdeegan

how far are these from DC? I am in the area for business the next 10 days or%0
0Ao, and Sunday seems more free than Saturday. Was kicking around a visit to Nationals Park one night, and I figure monuments and/or the zoo....but I am open for ideas.

About 4 miles outside of the beltway. The VA side is Great Falls National Park while the MD side is Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

I will most likely be going on Saturday so if you get free, let me know. Sunday is good too if you get there early but I probably will be shooting motocross in southern MD that day.

If you can you may want to call the parks to see which side will offer the best viewing of the races (depends on the water level and chosen race routes).

Best of luck.

Mike

mel · 07-10-2008, 06:45 AM

are you still going? is there still room in the truck?

MRRiley · 07-10-2008, 11:03 AM

Originally posted by mel

are you still going? is there still room in the truck?

You bet Mel. So far it's just me, Kim and you if you can make it.

By the way I went over to the park yesterday and the water looks pretty high so if they follow the standards they posted on their website they will either be running the VA side or the central section. This means we will be going to the VA side.

I suggest we meet between 7:30-8AM in the Best Buy parking lot in Reston (NW corner of the Reston Pkwy/New Dominion Pkwy intersection).

I'll be in a Blue Ford F150 SuperCrew pickup.

If anyone else wants to come PM me or reply here in the thread.

Mike

cardinal43 · 07-10-2008, 12:09 PM

I'll be with you guys in spirit.

I would love to join you, but I am leaving for Seattle Saturday to spend a week with my grandson. So much spoiling to do, and so little time.

mel · 07-10-2008, 12:10 PM

Originally posted by MRRiley

You bet Mel. So far it's just me, Kim and you if you can make it.

By the way I went over to the park yesterday and the water looks pretty high so if they follow the standards they posted on their website they will either be running the VA side or the central section. This means we will be going to the VA side.

I suggest we meet between 7:30-8AM in the Best Buy parking lot in Reston (NW corner of the Reston Pkwy/New Dominion Pkwy intersection).

I'll be in a Blue Ford F150 SuperCrew pickup.

If anyone else wants to come PM me or reply here in the thread.

Mike

I'll be there!!! What would you recommend as far as gear? And be general. I don't have a bigma. Is it best to be mobile or is a tripod needed/preferred?

Thanks and I can't wait!

MRRiley · 07-10-2008, 03:12 PM

Long glass is preferable particularly since it looks like the race will ba taking the center line of the falls (due to fairly high water levels). I'll bring my manual Soligor 200mm and Vivitar 300mm lenses if anyone wants to try them (the shot I posted above was taken with the 300mm)

Wide angle lenses are good for overall views of the falls, but will probably be of little use to shoot kayakers. Kayaks are small and Great Falls lives up to it's name. It is BIG!

A tripod could be useful, a monopod better as there is lots of rock clambering at the best viewing areas. I'll bring an extra tripod as well as the Trekpod that I won at the East Coast Gather (someone probably needs to take a pic of me with it anyway so Brendan can send it to Trekpod).

Also... bring bottled water. The drinking fountains at the park are not safe at this time.

Anyone else wants to go... Let me know ASAP!

Mike

mel · 07-10-2008, 04:06 PM

Originally posted by MRRiley

I suggest we meet between 7:30-8AM in the Best Buy parking lot in Reston (NW corner of the Reston Pkwy/New Dominion Pkwy intersection).

Mike

I see Reston Pkwy on the map but not the other road. Does it have a highway number or another name? Orrrrrr, I have the older ADC (not the newest ones with the 4-digit page numbers, but the ones with regular numbers, 1,2,3 etc.), a map page and grid number would be swell!

Mel

nevermind - i found it.

07-06-2008, 04:40 PM	#1
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275	NoVA Photo Op - Potomacfest 2008 Is anyone from northern VA or MD interested in going to shoot the Potomacfest 2008 kayak races at Great Falls (on the Potomac River) this coming Saturday (or Sunday if Saturday is not good)? Potomacfest 2008 description & schedule... I will be running over to the park sometime this week to see if I can find out which side of the river they will be running. This will determine where we need to set up. If they are running the VA side, we have better choices for observation areas . If they are running the MD side we'll need to get there very early as the only observation area is very small and if you don't grab a place along the rail you have to shoot between the crowd. Let me know if you'd like to go. I have an annual park pass and can carry 4-5 folks in my F150. Lets show them darned Canoniers and Nikonites that they ain't the only game in sportshooter town! hehehe Sample from last years race... Mike

07-07-2008, 07:25 AM	#6
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275 Original Poster	Originally posted by jmdeegan how far are these from DC? I am in the area for business the next 10 days or%0 0Ao, and Sunday seems more free than Saturday. Was kicking around a visit to Nationals Park one night, and I figure monuments and/or the zoo....but I am open for ideas. About 4 miles outside of the beltway. The VA side is Great Falls National Park while the MD side is Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. I will most likely be going on Saturday so if you get free, let me know. Sunday is good too if you get there early but I probably will be shooting motocross in southern MD that day. If you can you may want to call the parks to see which side will offer the best viewing of the races (depends on the water level and chosen race routes). Best of luck. Mike Last edited by MRRiley; 07-07-2008 at 07:46 AM.

07-10-2008, 04:06 PM	#12
mel Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,531	Originally posted by MRRiley I suggest we meet between 7:30-8AM in the Best Buy parking lot in Reston (NW corner of the Reston Pkwy/New Dominion Pkwy intersection). Mike I see Reston Pkwy on the map but not the other road. Does it have a highway number or another name? Orrrrrr, I have the older ADC (not the newest ones with the 4-digit page numbers, but the ones with regular numbers, 1,2,3 etc.), a map page and grid number would be swell! Mel nevermind - i found it. Last edited by mel; 07-11-2008 at 01:07 PM. Reason: ummmmmm, i found it?

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07-06-2008, 10:15 PM	#2
jmdeegan Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: nyc Photos: Gallery Posts: 564	how far are these from DC? I am in the area for business the next 10 days or so, and Sunday seems more free than Saturday. Was kicking around a visit to Nationals Park one night, and I figure monuments and/or the zoo....but I am open for ideas.

07-07-2008, 12:32 AM	#3
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	That sounds like a fun shoot Mike, I wish that I could join in.

07-07-2008, 01:40 AM	#4
cupic Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia-NSW Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,824	Nice vantage point in the middle cheers

07-07-2008, 04:29 AM	#5
cardinal43 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,412	Originally posted by jmdeegan how far are these from DC? I am in the area for business the next 10 days or so, and Sunday seems more free than Saturday. Was kicking around a visit to Nationals Park one night, and I figure monuments and/or the zoo....but I am open for ideas. This is about 10 west of DC. If you have access to a map of the DC area, look at the outer beltway (495) at the MD/VA line and note the Potomac River. Great Falls is right in that area.

07-10-2008, 06:45 AM	#7
mel Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,531	are you still going? is there still room in the truck?

07-10-2008, 11:03 AM	#8
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275 Original Poster	Originally posted by mel are you still going? is there still room in the truck? You bet Mel. So far it's just me, Kim and you if you can make it. By the way I went over to the park yesterday and the water looks pretty high so if they follow the standards they posted on their website they will either be running the VA side or the central section. This means we will be going to the VA side. I suggest we meet between 7:30-8AM in the Best Buy parking lot in Reston (NW corner of the Reston Pkwy/New Dominion Pkwy intersection). I'll be in a Blue Ford F150 SuperCrew pickup. If anyone else wants to come PM me or reply here in the thread. Mike

07-10-2008, 12:09 PM	#9
cardinal43 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,412	I'll be with you guys in spirit. I would love to join you, but I am leaving for Seattle Saturday to spend a week with my grandson. So much spoiling to do, and so little time.

07-10-2008, 12:10 PM	#10
mel Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,531	Originally posted by MRRiley You bet Mel. So far it's just me, Kim and you if you can make it. By the way I went over to the park yesterday and the water looks pretty high so if they follow the standards they posted on their website they will either be running the VA side or the central section. This means we will be going to the VA side. I suggest we meet between 7:30-8AM in the Best Buy parking lot in Reston (NW corner of the Reston Pkwy/New Dominion Pkwy intersection). I'll be in a Blue Ford F150 SuperCrew pickup. If anyone else wants to come PM me or reply here in the thread. Mike I'll be there!!! What would you recommend as far as gear? And be general. I don't have a bigma. Is it best to be mobile or is a tripod needed/preferred? Thanks and I can't wait!

07-10-2008, 03:12 PM	#11
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275 Original Poster	Long glass is preferable particularly since it looks like the race will ba taking the center line of the falls (due to fairly high water levels). I'll bring my manual Soligor 200mm and Vivitar 300mm lenses if anyone wants to try them (the shot I posted above was taken with the 300mm) Wide angle lenses are good for overall views of the falls, but will probably be of little use to shoot kayakers. Kayaks are small and Great Falls lives up to it's name. It is BIG! A tripod could be useful, a monopod better as there is lots of rock clambering at the best viewing areas. I'll bring an extra tripod as well as the Trekpod that I won at the East Coast Gather (someone probably needs to take a pic of me with it anyway so Brendan can send it to Trekpod). Also... bring bottled water. The drinking fountains at the park are not safe at this time. Anyone else wants to go... Let me know ASAP! Mike