Photographers have long understood the advantages of shooting during the ‘golden hours’ of the early morning and late day.
![ml-trip-1](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-1-720x480.jpg)
There are times when this can be especially challenging from a scheduling perspective – for example when on a driving holiday.
![Nikon 1 J5 + 1 Nikon 10-100mm f/4-5.6, f/8, 1/500, ISO-160, 10mm, efov 27mm, Badlands National Park South Dakota.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-2-720x480.jpg)
My wife and I recently returned from an extensive 26-day photography tour covering 10,187 kilometers.
![Nikon 1 V2 + 1 Nikon CX 70-300 f/4.5-5.6, f/5.6, 1/800, ISO-160, 300mm, efov 810mm, Mount Rushmore South Dakota, maintenance crew on top of monument.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-3-720x480.jpg)
The adventure was part sightseeing holiday and part field work for some photography-related books I have planned for 2017.
![Nikon 1 J5 + 1 Nikon 10-100mm f/4-5.6, f/8, 1/100, ISO-160, 30mm, efov 81mm, Monument Valley Utah.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-4-720x415.jpg)
We purposely planned our trip to replicate what the vast majority of people on holidays do, i.e. capture all of our images between 9AM and 5PM and keep individual hikes to photo spots to a very modest level.
![Nikon 1 J5 + 1 Nikon 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6, f/8, 1/125, ISO-160, 8mm, efov 21mm, Bryce Canyon National Park Utah.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-5-720x480.jpg)
While this may not be optimal in terms of lighting, we wanted demonstrate that folks can still have a ton of fun and create some pleasing images without the need to be sleep deprived or have to hike like Sherpa guides in order to get their photographs.
![NIKON 1 V2 + 1 Nikon CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 1600, 1/5000, f/5.6. Migrating hummingbird in flight Glendale Utah.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-6-720x480.jpg)
Our main focus was Utah, with some secondary emphasis on South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado.
![Nikon 1 J5 + 1 Nikon 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 10mm, efov 27mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO-160. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-7-720x480.jpg)
Many of our images were created roadside, some by shooting from the car window. Most of our park visits were limited to a few hours at most.
![NIKON 1 J5 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 10mm, efov 27mm, ISO 160, 1/320, f/8.0. Yellowstone National Park Wyoming.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-8-720x480.jpg)
Without question many of the locations we visited were worthy of multiple day explorations.
![Nikon 1 V2 + 1 Nikon CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec, ISO-160. Bison, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-9-720x480.jpg)
Like a lot of other ‘mature’ folks we have plenty left to see and do on our bucket list so our personal goal was to see as much as we could during our recent automotive trek.
![NIKON 1 J5 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 48mm, efov 130mm, ISO 160, 1/320, f/8.0. Mesa Verde National Park Colorado.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-10-720x480.jpg)
All of the pictures in this article were captured with Nikon 1 equipment. I’ve added some location information at the end of the EXIF data.
![Nikon 1 J5 + 1 Nikon 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 27mm, efov 73mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO-160. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-11-720x410.jpg)
I took a pair of J5s and a V2 with me, along with three 1 Nikon zoom lenses including the 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6, 10-100mm f/4-5.6 and CX 70-300 f/4.5-5.6.
![Nikon 1 J5 + 1 Nikon 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6, f/8, 1/200, ISO-400, 8mm, efov 21mm, Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs Colorado.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-12-720x480.jpg)
The 10-100mm ended up being the workhorse of the trip.
![NIKON 1 J5 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 10mm, efov 27mm, ISO 160, 1/320, f/8.0. Badlands National Park South Dakota.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-13-720x480.jpg)
Other than some ‘smooth water’ images captured at Sioux Falls South Dakota with the help of a Benro monopod and a variable neutral density filter, all of the images we taken hand-held in available light.
![NIKON 1 J5 + 1 Nikon CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 300mm, efov 810mm, ISO 160, 1/200, f/9.0. Great Sand Dunes National Park Colorado.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-14-720x480.jpg)
I shot using single point AF, usually using matrix metering.
![NIKON 1 J5 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 100mm, efov 270mm, ISO 160, 1/320, f/5.6. Zion National Park Utah.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-15-720x480.jpg)
I normally do not use any exposure compensation when shooting with my Nikon 1 gear, and during the entire trip I doubt if I took even a few dozen images with any kind of exposure compensation.
![NIKON 1 J5 + 10-100mm f/4-5.6 @ 77.8mm, efov 210mm, ISO 160, 1/500, f/5.6. Pronghorn at Custer State Park South Dakota.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-16-720x557.jpg)
Risking a bit of diffraction, I often shot my Nikon 1 gear using f/8 in order to help ensure desired depth-of-field.
![Nikon 1 J5 + 1 Nikon 10-100mm f/4-5.6, f/8, 1/400, ISO-160, 19mm, efov 51mm, Badlands National Park South Dakota.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-17-720x480.jpg)
All images in this article were produced from RAW files using my standard process of DxO OpticsPro 11, CS6 and Nik Suite.
![Nikon 1 J5 + 1 Nikon 10-100mm f/4-5.6, f/8, 1/200, ISO-160, 10mm, efov 27mm, Monument Valley Utah.](https://www.mirrorlessons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ml-trip-18-720x480.jpg)
I’ll be keeping Heather and Mathieu advised as my photography book projects progress and are eventually published in 2017.
All images and article are Copyright 2016 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, adaptation or reproduction of any kind including electronic is allowed without written consent. Mirrorlessons.com is the only approved user of this article. If you see it reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use.
Thank you Peter – I appreciate your supportive comment!
Tom
I like your style of photography. Classic!
Glad you liked them Joni!
Tom
Thank you for your positive comment James! I’m glad you enjoyed the article.
Tom
Your combination of making photos during the “wrong” part of the day with a small-sensored Nikon 1 system goes to show that it really is the photographer that makes the images. We all know that, and you show it quite convincingly.
Thank you for these images. I live in Colorado and much of what you’ve shown us here I’ve seen. It’s wonderful country, I’m sure you will agree.