June 2019 – that was our last trip together. Obviously, the plan was not to wait 3 years before going back to work internationally, but we didn't really have another choice as you can imagine. However, as soon as the pandemic situation had stabilized, we decided to leave. We were looking for a wow place, for a breathtaking destination. We really wanted to come back with some great content, so we needed nothing less than unique landscapes, as our last trip to Iceland offered.
 | We had a few ideas of destinations before choosing: Portugal, Greece, Italy, but none of them were unanimous within the team. Oli suggested Utah, telling us that we would feel constantly on another planet. "Say no more Oli", we immediately agreed to Utah as our next destination. We couldn't wait!
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Première destination : Vegas! Mais simplement pour y récupérer le véhicule récréatif dans lequel nous devions dormir pendant tout le voyage, et qui se devait d’être assez spacieux pour y loger trois vidéastes ainsi que tout leur équipement. Parlant d’équipement, c’est : 4 caméras, 10 objectifs, 3 drones, beaucoup trop de batteries/chargeurs/fils et accessoires multiples. On était certain de ne rien manquer ! Dès qu’on prend possession du camper, on file tout droit dans Valley of Fire State Park dans l’optique d’y être à temps pour pouvoir photographier pendant notre lumière préférée, soit celle du coucher de soleil. Un endroit qui porte bien son nom – tout est orange feu, il y fait chaud et l’air y est très sec. Nous avons réellement été épatés par la beauté de l’endroit, ses textures et ses rencontres inattendues. |  Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS |
Whether it was during sunset or sunrise the next morning, we came across a dozen wild goats. As you can understand, they quickly became our models for a few clicks. Our Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lenses allowed us to take pictures of them while remaining at a safe distance for both us and them.
 Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS |  Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS |
One of the accessories that best served our photos during our trip on American ground, is the longboard of Lauréan. Since we were visiting during the low season, the roads were completely empty, perfect to take many pictures and videos. Skateboarding in the middle of the roads, in these breathtaking landscapes, Lauréan fell back in love with this activity. And seeing the pictures we took, it is now a must for our next trips.
 | At the end of our first day, we left the park to go to sleep under the stars not very far from there. After waking up, we took the road for the Zion National Park. A very tourist national park in high season, it is quite easy to understand why, considering its beauty and its rock formations. That was our first destination in Utah and it was a very expected one from our team. We wanted to do Angels Landing, a beautiful hike that offers breathtaking views. However, for a matter of traffic, the park makes a lottery to distribute the daily access to do this hike. It's quite simple: we have to pay a small fee to enter the lottery and if we are picked, it's possible to do the hike the next day. Since we were not taken at our first try, we decided to spend the day in Zion anyway. We were impressed enough by this park that we decided to apply for the lottery again, but this time at the end of the trip. The second time was the good one – we obtained a daily access for Angels Landing! |
Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
1/400 | f/4 | ISO 100
So we hiked about 8.5 km round trip with an elevation of 457 meters to get to a really interesting viewpoint. Throughout the hike, we walked through incredibly detailed rock formations.
Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
1/250 | f/4 | ISO 125
The road photographed is the same one we had driven on our first try at the lottery. It was quite impressive to see all the little cars moving like ants. On the other hand, the second picture gives an idea of how the rocks are cut with a knife in this magnificent national park. |  Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS |
Now to Bryce Canyon. This unusual place satisfies the curiosity of the thousands of tourists who visit it every year with its numerous Hoodoos. These pillars of compacted sand were very interesting to photograph, offering a multitude of compositions for our content.
Many surprises were waiting for us in this national park. Although we knew that this would be the coldest place of our itinerary, we did not expect to have a temperature of -8 degrees Celsius for the night. Olivier who slept in the tent on the roof of the camper will testify: that it was a cool one!
Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
1/500 | f/3.5 | ISO 500
 Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS | As the temperature was below the freezing point, we were hoping to find the hoodoos covered with a little snow that morning, but it was a desert landscape that presented itself to us. It was so pleasant to walk in the paths of this park; we spent about 3 hours there to try all kinds of photo compositions. We looked like little children so much that we had big eyes filled with wonder every time we turned a corner. |
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
1/120 | f/2.8 | ISO 100
The Hanksville area is a must see! Its landscapes are really unique. We spent two full days playing in these places that easily remind us of the moon and Mars. Everything was interesting to capture, whether in landscape, portrait or lifestyle. It's also a region where we were hot. Not because of the weather, but when it wasn't Oli running, it was Lauréan going to strategic places to appear in these unusual textures. |  |
It was after spending several hours producing unique content in these moon-like textures that we hit the road for, this time, Mars.
Since our research was well done, we always knew exactly or pretty much where we were headed. However, we were not ready for the surprise that awaited us.
We had been driving for several minutes on a gravel road when suddenly, out of nowhere, we noticed people wearing astronaut clothes walking in this desert landscape.
 Sony a7 III + Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS |  Sony a7 III + Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS |
They were still at a good distance, so we quickly got the camera out while continuing to get closer. As we approached, there was one of us on the camera and one on the drone – we really wanted to maximize the content of this unique encounter.
We knew that the location we were heading to was known by photographers, but seeing them made us wonder if we were supposed to be there. Best way to find out: to ask. Once we arrived at their level, Oli came out of the campground to chat with them, discovering at the same time that they were indeed astronauts in training. They also reassured us that we were allowed to walk around in this area.
Quite an unusual meeting!
Sony a7R II + Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
1/500 | f/5.6 | ISO 100
After passing by the research station, we finally arrived at the landscapes we were looking for.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
1/30 | f/2.8 | ISO 100
Despite a busy schedule, we allowed ourselves to spend the rest of the day there. We wished to stay until nightfall, because it is during the blue hour that the colours of this place come out.
So we played in these mountains of sand, crossing from summit to summit to find the best compositions for our evening photo session. The sun was hitting our skin hard, the wind was making sure we didn't get too hot, the air was good – a pretty special afternoon for our team.
It is not every day that we have access to such gorgeous landscapes, it is not even close to anything we had seen before.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
1/30 | f/2.8 | ISO 100
Sony a7R II + Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
1/320 | f/4.5 | ISO 200
Monument Valley! A place so rich in history, it had to be part of our itinerary. This area is located on the border of Utah and Arizona, and is part of a Navajo Nation and the Colorado Plateau.
 Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS | It is possible to get to the three main rocks since they are visible from the park parking lot. Nevertheless, since we were not too interested in staying where all the tourists do, we decided to take the camper van at sunrise and to venture on the path which crosses the park. It took us about two hours to explore the park and capture what we wanted to catch. This place is visually so beautiful, we felt like we were in a movie all along the way. No wonder that many film productions were shot there! |
Sony a7 IV + Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS
1/2500 | f/6.3 | ISO 1600
3 videographers in the desert means capturing every sunrise and sunset as well as making a few night outings for the stars. 3 videographers in the desert, it's traveling more than 4600 km in 12 days, it's also producing several thousands of photos and hundreds of videos. It's sleeping in breathtaking places, it’s skateboarding on mythical roads, but most of all it's being extremely grateful to have the opportunity to live this kind of trip, and to come back with the desired content. Our little eyes show it quite well, the short nights were an integral part of our experience on American soil. Our smiles show how happy we were to do it. See you next time in Utah! Oli, Lauré and Oli |  |
 | Lauréan Tardif Videographer and photographer, it all starts with a passion for storytelling. Through my various travels, I capture the beauty of the places I visit and share it on my social platforms, aspiring to inspire people to live a life of adventure. Image capture allows me to combine my passions for travel and content creation with my curiosity to discover new cultures. |
