Hearing about vandalism to pictographs really gets me worked up! To think they survived all these years just to be ruined by an idiot. So sad.

I am familiar with the Wave, although I haven’t been there. At least they are limiting access to the area which should help to minimize the impact a bit. Thanks, Ron

This discussion is especially timely because of an article in the current (April 2010) issue of Sedona Monthly, which has some unforgetable photographs of a place called the Wave. I had never heard of it before. It is somewhat similar to Antelope Canyon, but more open to the elements. Its exact location in the northern strip is kept secret until people succeed in getting a permit to travel there — very hard to obtain. Only 20 people are allowed in each day. Heaven knows what kind of demand this article will bring. I hope those who read your blog are trustworthy. In light of the above discussion I am somewhat reluctant to spread the word. Think I will email contact info to you.

The Hotsheet has been a great resource over the years, but in this information age of blogs and tweets I’m sure the passing of valueable information will simply fine another conduit. Above all, the source of our inspiration and livelihood must be preserved even if that means we just have to head out for the hills and see for ourselves.

I’m glad Carol shared her thoughts a bit more on her decision; and I understand how hard the decision was to make (I respect you taking a stand and follow your heart Carol!). Just like Rick’s books on Europe, sharing your knowledge is great when you consider how many eyes you have helped open on the beauty of the places you have seen. But it also works to change that same beauty. One axiom still holds true: Change is Constant. The rate of change is what keeps accelerating.

We have seen the same impact 150+ years ago from travelers talking about the “wonderful land out west” that lead to more people “moving out west”. We only noticed the impact of that information sharing 50, 60, 70 years later. Today we can see the impact of that information sharing within a few years. This is just another example of how we have to think more broadly (and quickly) about the actions we take in today’s world of free flowing information. (Information does not equal knowledge…)

Steve, thanks for taking the time to comment, you make many good points – multiplying the need for driving is certainly a significant one.

Carol. Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and comments here, they are enlightening, and more importantly, thank you for all the time and effort you put into supplying current wildflower information to so many people over the years. I feel for you situation, but your motivation is pure and if you stay true to your heart I believe you will usually make the right decision. If you don’t continue the Hot-sheet I will miss it, but I will completely understand.

Thanks again,

Ron

You’ve got a good discussion going about should we or should we not share “our” places with others. Since 1979 that’s what I’ve been doing, publishing newsletters, guides, books, and websites that basically say, “Wow! Look at this! And here’s how to get there to photograph it. And here’s a map to help you out.”

I discontinued all the “where to go” publishing to concentrate more on my own photography and to teach online photo classes. The only two things that remain are my Wildflower and my Fall Foliage Hotsheets. The closure of the Wildflower Hotsheet has been 8-10 years in the making as over the years I received more and more comments about crowds in the wildflower fields, people jumping fences, trespassing, etc. I wondered how much I was contributing to the destruction of places I loved. Then people began telling me that they weren’t contributing reports for the Wildflower Hotsheet because when they did, their favorite spots were being overrun. That hurt.

85% of the e-mails I’ve received so far have been understanding and supportive. 14.5% of the e-mails have been supportive, but think I should maintain the Wildflower Hotsheet and use it to educate people. And then 0.5% demand that I put it back up immediately. I am thankful for the 85% of supportive e-mails. But I take VERY seriously the 14.5% of them that offer suggestions and solutions.

I’m too emotionally wrapped up in this right now to make an objective and dispassionate decision. But I sincerely appreciate the fine suggestions I’ve received and I’m enjoying reading the intelligent discussions that are going on here in your blog. Someone (LindaB) pointed out the irony of my still selling my “California Wildflower Locations” CD at the website. And yeah, I see the irony there, too. But the CD was created in 2001 and hasn’t been updated. Those are locations that people know about anyway, so I’m not telling people anything new, nor telling them that NOW, RIGHT THIS MINUTE, IS THE PEAK OF THE BLOOM! BETTER GET YOUR BUTT OVER THERE!

And Steve is “irked” by my decision to close the Wildflower Hotsheet, and I can understand that. I’m irked, too. But I tried really hard to do the right thing right now. I’m sad and angry and confused. My idea in 1996 for a Wildflower Hotsheet was brilliant, if I do say so myself. And this free service was widely used for 15 years. Times have changed. There are more people on the planet. There are more people with cameras. There’s information available and being exchanged 24/7. And, as Greg mentioned, there are a lot of people who are lazy and want the info dumped in their lap(top)s. But oh, what wonderful information it is, isn’t it? I see so clearly BOTH sides of this dilemma that it hurts.

What’s good about all this is that it’s made people more aware of the consequences of their actions. (Which sounds self-righteous, but I do not intend it that way.) Based on all the “thank you” e-mails I’m getting, I think that people are going to be a bit more vocal when they see people trashing these wildflower locations. And perhaps people will think twice before blithely trespassing.

I probably have just 12 characters left before I completely fill your comment field, so I’m going to shut up now. But I just wanted to say that I am finding your conversation here interesting and enlightening. And that Ron, I will ALWAYS be on the lookout to make sure no one is stealing your photographs! — Carol Leigh

What Carol is talking about here goes beyond sharing information…this has to do with educating people and promoting preservation as well as respect for private property.

I think most people visiting your blog here as well as Carol’s site are more than likely nature lovers, but there are also some over zealous photogs out there who get blinded by that desire to get ‘The Shot’.

I don’t know, I really hope Carol reconsiders her stance here… I really enjoyed her site. Sharing with others peak times for wild flowers as well as fall colors (which she also has shared on her website) can be valuable to those of us who are avid nature photographers, but don’t have the time to continuously explore various regions. Some of which may be a very long distance from our homes. Think of a dozen or so photogs making a 4-5 hour drive out to some obscure area 3 or 4 weekends in a row to get that peak color whereas her site could narrow that down to likely 1 trip for most of those photogs. That’s a lot of carbon saved (assuming most of us can’t afford Priuses.)

The more I think about this the more I’m irked by her decision. I can see where she’s coming from but I disagree with her method. My suggestion to her would be to require people to join her site (don’t just let anyone read your site; kind of like a Yahoo Group, force people to join and be approved first…make them log in) and in doing so have them go through a very specific agreement…sort of a 10 commandments of nature photography:

Thou shalt not trample fields of flowers…Thou shalt not invade private land…Thou shalt lecture any moron who IS trampling fields of flowers…etc…

Make people sign up and agree to those things so that people are more aware. If you have enough people who are educated, they will more likely help educate those obtuse peddle stompers who are don’t realize (or don’t care.) I’m sure not everyone visiting these locations are doing so because they read about it on her site. This is an opportunity to encourage others to help educate people on preserving nature.

Another thing she could consider is giving certain areas a rest (IOW, not reporting on them) for a season or two to let the area recover a bit. If an area is reported to get too much traffic, then just omit info regarding that area for a while.

I don’t know…just some thoughts.

I’ll share my techniques; I’ll teach any skills that my clients or others want to learn. But I will never tell a photographer about MY spots, where exactly to stand, or what to photograph. Self-discovery and determination drive photographic growth.

I like the challenge of finding my own locations, and doing my own thing. I am not the kind of artist who would try to recreate someone else’s moment. I want to create my own unique moments; if my work one day inspires within someone the desire to imitate what I have done, then I will consider myself flattered And, I will keep my lips sealed as to the coordinates, if it’s not obvious in my pics.

Ron

If one pays attention, it’s clear how much effort goes into this- you’re always on the move and always scouting, hiking, driving, shooting, why share all this with a demographic that will be happy just to have their name in a gutter credit at worst and undercut your livelihood at best?

We receive a lot of inquiries/info dump requests that I can make disappear with the simplest of means- when someone emails us for advice, an internship, technique info, I give them some sort of homework- nothing big, but something that requires 10-15 mins on their part and guess what, voila! they disappear. It’s fine to ask me for the same or more effort, but when the roles are reversed, I just hear crickets.

I’m not against sharing at all , but as the value of the information goes up, the population that sees it goes down- we don’t keep anything from our interns and we don’t share too much of the really good stuff on forums and the like. We too have to pay the bills with photography alone and it gives you a different perspective from the “information should be free” camp.

Hi Steve – Thanks. Glad to hear Glorieta Canyon is looking good – that is a pretty area.