I'm going to mexico! - DPChallenge Forums

10/02/2008 11:20:34 PM · #1

*edit*
Change of plans, I am leaving Friday evening!

It's a three day drive (road trip yea!) From northern CA taking I5 all the way down into LA, head to Arizona from there, cross the border at Nogales(yes we would rather spend the extra half day/whole day driving around just to not get anywhere near Tijuana) and the rest is outlined below. We stop/drive around in at every major city on the red line, just to check it out etc until the final destination.

So here it is

I am so stoked, I will be there through x-mas up until a week after new years. I will see all the festivities, all my old friends, my family down there. I will visit my grandmothers grave (which I didn't even get to say goodbye to and now im getting teary((and call me.. bad but the cemeteries are just beautiful down there and I will be taking pictures of it if I am not too emotional about it))). I am very excited and... just...excited there are no words to describe it.

I'm also sad because my husband wont be going with me, but he will try and take some time off work to go with me in Dec 09 (oh yes he wants to go so we're gonna try and make that possible!). And I have my two dogs and my cat who are like children to me

So we are in northern CA, my dad will be driving, I will be riding shotgun with my DSLR of course to catch some random street candids, document the trip, and click away until my heart is content. I've got the fireworks, and the nightly street fairs, and the culture, and the churches, and cathedrals, and the houses, and the streets, and and...so many things to take pictures of!

Here is what I have:
Laptop
80GB photobank
I only have one 4GB memory card (it was all I could afford at the time)
Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS USM
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Sensor cleaning materials
and me of course

I don't have much but I hope its enough.

Questions:
How do I get my laptop across the border? or any of my gear for that matter?

Message edited by author 2008-12-04 10:50:49.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

10/03/2008 12:00:54 AM · #2

I was in Mexico for the Baja 1,000 mile off road race last Nov, and took a laptop in it's bag, with many blank discs to use for backing up photos. I also took a Bogen tripod and about 35 lbs of camera gear. We flew from Florida to San Diego, then drove south all the way to Cabo San Lucas, at the south tip of the Baja while running support for one of the racing machines.
The only time any of my gear was inspected was my carry on bag of camera equipment when I was boarding the plane in Fl, and again when we flew out of Cabo. Going into Mexico was no problem at all, we just filled out forms and paid the "fees" at the border. There were 4 vehicles and two big trailers in our group though, not just a car or truck.
In any case, I hope that you have as nice of a trip as I did with my friends. Some of the pics are here; Gallery Waddy1 . Mac
Most of the scenics were shot at 70 mph from the back seat of the truck.
Wish I was going with your group.
I would be concerned about taking the pets. Going may be easy, but getting them back into the US may not be so easy. Check the US customs website about that.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

10/03/2008 12:06:52 AM · #3

The pets are not going. I'm just sad to leave them behind, I don't have children, and they ARE my children. All you need is a health certificate for the animal, and up to date vaccines. People take their pets all the time, my mom takes her winnie dog with her almost every year or everyother year.

Its not really a group thing. I guess it could be, its family and we go down for the holidays and to visit relatives and keep in touch you know? I just havent been down there in 8 years!
My mom leaves this Saturday as do my older brother, his wife, and my niece they too are driving

my dad and I leave in early December along with my youngest brother and two of my nieces,

I suspect most shots on the way there will be out the window on the passenger side, but sometimes we do slow down in traffic in the cities, plenty of photo ops, during bathroom breaks, food breaks gas breaks w/e.

I love your galleries! I am not nearly as good as you as a photographer, but I do hope to take lots of pictures

btw mikes house's bathroom looks very much like my bathroom right now lol

Message edited by author 2008-10-03 00:09:44.

Mick

Canon EOS-5D

10/03/2008 12:09:34 AM · #4

Sounds like fun! If you can swing by Portland Oregon on the way, I'll be happy to go with you guys. And thanks for asking! :D

Going through Mexican customs is pretty easy. Coming back through US customs is a pain.

10/03/2008 12:12:08 AM · #5

Sure lets all go, it will be like a caravan! Pick you up on the way, my parents have two houses down there. One 5 bed 3 bath house, and another 3 bed 2 bath, I'm sure we can arrange something! ( just hope you dont mind mingling with my family for a month! lol)

I know going down there is easy through customs, I just don't know about coming back

Message edited by author 2008-10-03 00:12:35.

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

10/03/2008 12:23:01 AM · #6

It took our truck driver who was pulling our trailer with the dirt bikes and other gear in it about 4 1/2 hours just to get from the beginning of the line to the check station at US customs on the way back from Mexico. I hear that it is not an easy thing. There may be days of the week or month that are easier, if you can find out which ones, maybe it will save you a long wait.
If you shoot as you ride, keep shutter speed up to at least 1/1,000 sec, even if you have to up the ISO, and try to not shoot anything close to the roadside while at highway speed. You may want to practice shooting while riding shotgun during the time before you leave, and you will quickly get good at it.
One of my best memories of my trip was that we loaded up with penny candy at Cosco, and tossed it out to the children in the remote villages when we slowed for the speed bumps in the roads there. They all wanted "Steekers" (race team stickers,) even the local police wanted them. The kids were thrilled to get the candy, which was good because we had no stickers to give them.
The night sky in the desert and mountains is just unreal beautiful. I will never forget that.

10/03/2008 12:44:44 AM · #7

ohhhhhh

i forgot about the night sky, you can see EVERYTHING! One more thing for my checklist, long exposure of the nightsky, preferabbly with some nice landscape and a full moon
not as polluted by lights and smog as it is here (at least where I'm goin)

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

10/03/2008 12:51:47 AM · #8

The star shot in the "Mexico Senic 1" album is Orion's belt with the nebula. It was shot with an old manual focus 180 Nikkor 2.8 at f4, 10 sec , iso 1600.
I am happy that you enjoyed looking through my Mexico galleries. It's a beautiful country, but very dry compared to here in Florida. I was very impressed with the way the desert goes right up to the shore of the ocean and bay there.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

12/02/2008 02:12:42 PM · #9

I LEAVE ON SUNDAY NIGHT!!!

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

12/02/2008 02:17:29 PM · #10

Originally posted by Sugarpie:

I LEAVE ON SUNDAY NIGHT!!!

Woo hoo!

I grew up in San Diego, seems like I spent half my life in Baja, mostly before they built the highway when it was extremely remote and primitive, even more than it is now. I love Mexico... I once spent a month in Guadalajara on assignment, that was fantastic... Have a great trip!

R.

alanfreed

Nikon Z9

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

12/02/2008 02:19:13 PM · #11

Have a great time and a Feliz Navidad! We'll be cruising on the other coast... we'll be in Cozumel on Christmas day. I'm definitely ready to escape the snow! :)

Message edited by author 2008-12-02 14:19:33.

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

12/02/2008 02:20:41 PM · #12

This is the dad in me talking...

...just be careful. Have fun, do your thing, just come back broke, not broken.:)

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

12/02/2008 02:22:45 PM · #13

Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:

This is the dad in me talking...

...just be careful. Have fun, do your thing, just come back broke, not broken.:)

Dude, she'll be WITH her father! No need for worry :-)

R.

12/02/2008 02:31:07 PM · #14

Yes I will be with my dad but I will also be careful who I talk to and what I tell them. A few things I learned from previous trips. Don't tell people what you have/are carrying and don't tell people where you are going. No godlike jewelry. Basically dont make yourself a target :)

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

12/02/2008 06:51:31 PM · #15

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:
This is the dad in me talking...

...just be careful. Have fun, do your thing, just come back broke, not broken.:)

Dude, she'll be WITH her father! No need for worry :-)

R.

Sorry, just a worry wart. Mexico is a whole other world.

12/02/2008 07:32:41 PM · #16

Yes it is a whole new world. I've been there before since I'm mexican. I was born in CA but my parents go down almost every year and I used to go with them, up until I hated missing school in high school then I became a college student, then got married. And I figured well, if I don't go now I may never go.

I'm so excited.

In the meantime I've started cooking big batches of food, and freezing whats left so that the hubby wont go out and binge on Carls Jr lol which I am sure he will anyways

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

12/04/2008 10:51:04 AM · #17

bump
sorry I am just so excited

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

12/04/2008 11:23:56 AM · #18

Well, you should be! Have a great trip and show us lost of "real Mexico" pix when you get back!

R.

12/04/2008 08:29:49 PM · #19

ill be taking my laptop and my uncle has internet :D

FocusPoint

XIAOMI Redmi Note 8 Pro

12/04/2008 08:35:09 PM · #20

Hey, stop by to say hello :)