Buzz Aldrin was the first to walk on it. Great. Can someone please show me a decent photo of Buzz Aldrin on it?
This isn't an "I challenge you to prove you're not lying" request. It's a "WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!?!" request.
Is it that the Hualapai are frightened of cameras? Is it that the real-life structure is far less impressive than the artist's depictions? Is there some gas in the air that kills photographers if they walk too near the area?
"Come and see the marvelous tourist attraction that we will only show you in artist's depictions and in smudgy UFO-style photos!"
I utterly believe that this structure exists. I'm just dumbfounded at how bad the marketing and photography are. It looks like Buzz Aldrin strolling around on a highway overpass. Whooh! Whooh! Buzz Aldrin walks around!
A junior-year j-school photographer or film school student wouldn't be this dumb. Would they?
My wild speculation would be that somebody's trying to put together a big smash premier event, and has issued orders to keep it low key until then. I've seen that sort of thing, where the person didn't realize that it's too late for a "surprise" style event, and you should just start getting people talking about it.
Because after all, when you invite all sorts of members of the press, and even invite (and almost certainly pay money for) a well-known astronaut to be there at your big press unveiling, you keep all the good photos secret.
Because that's how to really build your "Buzz." LOL.
At this point I'm going to give them "incompetent marketing." And keep wondering what's wrong with the reporters.
Maybe it's something genius and my jaw will drop next week. If so I'll admit it.
Dean,
A video and good photo's of the skywalk were on Fox news webpage last week. The real problem right now is the fact that one can not just drive out to the skywalk and see it, it must be part of a package tour, sold by the reservation.
Maybe someone's trying to rake in bucks from tourists, and is afraid to let anyone see it without paying. That's not much different from a lot of museums, traveling museum shows, and even circuses that ban photography of their exhibits or acts, because they want only paying customers to see them.
The Frederick Meijer Gardens isn't so bad: they'll let you take all the pictures you want, and even blog about it. But darn it, if you want to see Da Vinci's Horse in person, you're going to pay admittance. They've sculpted a valley for it, so that you can't see it from the ground anywhere but inside the Gardens.
So maybe someone from the tribe is just overzealously trying to milk the thing for money, not understanding that tourist attractions need, ya know, tourists, and that means PR.
Don't get me started. Almost every day I run across a news story that just begs for a photo. And when there is a photo it's barely more than a thumbnail. Check on flickr in a few days and you'll probably find some nice shots from the visitors.
For a while I figured that as a photographer myself I was just spoiled or expecting too much. Now I figure they're just lazy, because I don't know what else it could be. Good cameras are cheap and easy to use, and almost anybody (even a professional journalist) can be trained to take a pretty decent photo. Maybe it's a holdover from print days, when each picture in the paper competed for valuable space with column inches and advertising.
Scott TLA: Dude, you're singing my song. Some story you saw on Fox News. For which video is no longer available. For which the only photograph is a chieftain standing on a rock with no evidence of the Skywalk in question.
Bryan: I'm hoping you're right. I can't believe the level of incompetence here.
Dean, I have a 1.40 minute clip I grabbed from ABC news if you want it (I assume you have broadband). It is rather large because it is in DVD format (75MB) but I can reduce it to 320 x 240 better for blog display and probably 10-15 megs.
I saw a FOX live broadcast from bridge the other day. I’m pretty sure it was their 7:00 PM broadcast, because that’s usually when I watch them. I did a quick search but couldn’t find video.
It had some good shots. The reporter was actually jumping up and down on it at one point. Just watching it almost made my wife hurl.
Ok, I uploaded my ABC news clip to YouTube. It isn't a whole lot better than the other clip, but it conveys some of the controversy within the Native American community.
This is driving me batty. How can you have story after story after story about this amazing new structure, unique in world history and a huge tourist attraction, and not have any decent goddamned photos of the thing? .... Finally with digging I found this pathetically bad photo, and this story with somewhat better images. Dean, three days ago I sent you a link to this AP story and 48-pic "slideshow". No need for all the strenuous "digging" if you just read your email.
There's also quite a bit of confusion as to whether the cost to walk on the thing is $25 or $75.
I suspect the lack of info might stem from the fact that people are going to be expecting to see THE GRAND CANYON, in other words, the well-known view from the South Rim, which is not at all what you're going to get that far west.
My son is the IT guy for Western Newspapers, which owns the Kingman Daily Miner and a bunch of other AZ and east Cal papers, so maybe I can dig around and find something out.
I doubt that I'll be able to get up there anytime soon, as I keep having to go someplace else for the job, but if/when I can, I will.
For some reason Tim's comment struck me as hilarious. . . I'm just picturing him typing about how he wants to see the Grand Canyon Skywalk, and suddenly Ron Coleman appeared at his side, presumably dressed as some kind of Sith Lord.
And I might fly over the Grand Canyon someday, but I doubt I'd go out on that thing.
You have to pay to take the tour which will take you back to where the walk is, and then you have to pay again - $25.00 to go on the walk. It's very very expensive.
3.24.2007 3:45pm
Commenting on Dean's World is a privilege, not a right. Dean is your host, you are his guest, and you should behave in that fashion. Dean is not your babysitter, nor is he your punching bag. Please remember this. In general, you are free to disagree with anyone on any subject you wish, but abusive behavior will not be tolerated.
Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.
Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.
Buzz Aldrin was the first to walk on it. Great. Can someone please show me a decent photo of Buzz Aldrin on it?
This isn't an "I challenge you to prove you're not lying" request. It's a "WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!?!" request.
Is it that the Hualapai are frightened of cameras? Is it that the real-life structure is far less impressive than the artist's depictions? Is there some gas in the air that kills photographers if they walk too near the area?
"Come and see the marvelous tourist attraction that we will only show you in artist's depictions and in smudgy UFO-style photos!"
I utterly believe that this structure exists. I'm just dumbfounded at how bad the marketing and photography are. It looks like Buzz Aldrin strolling around on a highway overpass. Whooh! Whooh! Buzz Aldrin walks around!
A junior-year j-school photographer or film school student wouldn't be this dumb. Would they?
Because that's how to really build your "Buzz." LOL.
At this point I'm going to give them "incompetent marketing." And keep wondering what's wrong with the reporters.
Maybe it's something genius and my jaw will drop next week. If so I'll admit it.
A video and good photo's of the skywalk were on Fox news webpage last week. The real problem right now is the fact that one can not just drive out to the skywalk and see it, it must be part of a package tour, sold by the reservation.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,259863,00.html
Now I can not find the video...
It was also on the local news here in Wyoming, Colorado.
Maybe someone's trying to rake in bucks from tourists, and is afraid to let anyone see it without paying. That's not much different from a lot of museums, traveling museum shows, and even circuses that ban photography of their exhibits or acts, because they want only paying customers to see them.
The Frederick Meijer Gardens isn't so bad: they'll let you take all the pictures you want, and even blog about it. But darn it, if you want to see Da Vinci's Horse in person, you're going to pay admittance. They've sculpted a valley for it, so that you can't see it from the ground anywhere but inside the Gardens.
So maybe someone from the tribe is just overzealously trying to milk the thing for money, not understanding that tourist attractions need, ya know, tourists, and that means PR.
For a while I figured that as a photographer myself I was just spoiled or expecting too much. Now I figure they're just lazy, because I don't know what else it could be. Good cameras are cheap and easy to use, and almost anybody (even a professional journalist) can be trained to take a pretty decent photo. Maybe it's a holdover from print days, when each picture in the paper competed for valuable space with column inches and advertising.
Bryan: I'm hoping you're right. I can't believe the level of incompetence here.
Or if you don't have broadband I suppose I can upload it to YouTube. There is one fair clip on YouTube, but it isn't done, although apparently near the end of construction.
It had some good shots. The reporter was actually jumping up and down on it at one point. Just watching it almost made my wife hurl.
Dean, three days ago I sent you a link to this AP story and 48-pic "slideshow". No need for all the strenuous "digging" if you just read your email.
That is a good slide show. I wouldn't have noticed it just reading the page, but thanks for pointing it out.
I suspect the lack of info might stem from the fact that people are going to be expecting to see THE GRAND CANYON, in other words, the well-known view from the South Rim, which is not at all what you're going to get that far west.
My son is the IT guy for Western Newspapers, which owns the Kingman Daily Miner and a bunch of other AZ and east Cal papers, so maybe I can dig around and find something out.
I doubt that I'll be able to get up there anytime soon, as I keep having to go someplace else for the job, but if/when I can, I will.
And I might fly over the Grand Canyon someday, but I doubt I'd go out on that thing.
You have to pay to take the tour which will take you back to where the walk is, and then you have to pay again - $25.00 to go on the walk. It's very very expensive.
Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.
Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.