Best retirement homebase for nature and BIF photos

[Brian K]

I currently live in southern CA, and now that I'm retired I am free to leave the traffic and crowding behind. I have seen a lot of fantastic photos on this site from all over the world, but I was wondering if there were any places that would qualify as a dream location to base photo adventures out of? I realize this is pretty wide open, and I'm not suggesting that you try to pick the right match for me. But, if you had your choice of where to locate, where would it be and why?

 

[bleirer]

I always thought this state would be pretty photogenic with 28 national parks:

California - List View (U.S. National Park Service)

California - List View

www.nps.gov

 

[Capturingtheunseen.com]

I live in South Carolina and it's pretty good here with nature and birds, but if I were to move it would be to Florida. The amount of bird images coming out of there from my friends is amazing.

 

[Brian K]

I totally agree bleirer, there is a ton of diversity here and I really do appreciate it. In some ways it is ideal, except when you want to get somewhere. It takes 2+ hours to just get out of Los Angeles and that kills my motivation for day trips. Maybe I just need to move North.

 

[bleirer]

If you have the means, Jackson, WY appeals to me.

 

[Snapshot2020]

Im kind of partial to the Northwest. Oregon / Washington Pacific Ocean, Cascade Mountains, Rain Forest, and the Raptor photography is great year around. There’s the downside too, wet cold and damp winters.

 

[R.Philip]

DON'T MOVE TO ILLINOIS! There is nothing here. I hope this helps and choosing from 49 states rather than 50 makes it easier for you.

 

[eaj101]

I totally agree bleirer, there is a ton of diversity here and I really do appreciate it. In some ways it is ideal, except when you want to get somewhere. It takes 2+ hours to just get out of Los Angeles and that kills my motivation for day trips. Maybe I just need to move North.

I know what you mean. I live in the Bay Area and there's a lot here, but there's also a lot that's not so easy at 3-5 hours away. But if I accept an eight hour radius then everything from Death Valley in the south to Redwood in the north is in range. I have the same debate about relocating. Seattle/Portland could be interesting. Ditto Jackson WY/Bozeman MT. Tahoe?

I suppose we should count our blessings that there are so many options.

 

[Pistnbroke]

Dont move to the UK ..no birds left

 

[Backdoor Arts]

I've got family in FL and love going down there to shoot, but I couldn't live there. In-laws are on the St. John's River and I get tons of herons, egrets, cranes, eagles and hawks there. Mom's on the Gulf coast and you get different types of water birds there.

I'm currently looking to end corporate life and we're looking at Delaware as a first stop. One of the advantages is we're a ferry ride away from Cape May, NJ, which is a migratory bird paradise. We're in NW NJ now and it's about a 3 hour ride to get there, but it's worth it. Not only do you get a huge variety of every type of migrating bird, but the Monarch Butterflies gather there for their mass migration south. It's other worldly to be surrounded by so many of them. Just up the coast you'll get Snowy Owls coming in for the winter. NJ is actually really great for birding - just too damn expensive to retire in.

 

[EricBowles]

I know number of photographers who have moved to Tucson, AZ and Reno, NV. You could add Flagstaff to the list if you prefer a cooler climate. All have great local photo opportunities as well as reasonable access to a large number of parks. Oregon is another western state worth consideration with both coastal and interior options.

Florida has a lot of advantages. The different regions of Florida provide a lot of options. There are obvious benefits with no state income tax and lots of wildlife. Jacksonville has a lot of access to undeveloped areas with nice wildlife. You do need to consider the climate with warm, humid summers.

Eastern Tennessee is another region that is attractive. Knoxville is a university town with access to the Great Smoky Mountains, but there are other areas toward the Johnson City area with access to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

[Andy Work]

I've always thought Wyoming would be ideal.

 

[bleirer]

As you get older thoughts turn to other priorities. Health care, amenities, transportation, culture. Cleveland, Ohio, boring as it is photographically, is at the intersection of 4 interstates and has 2 big airports. There is plenty of exurban land to build on. Plus 3 major hospital/medical networks, a world class art museum and orchestra, a thriving restaurant and night life scene, major league sports, and a very low cost of living.plus Lake Erie, which we just take for granted.

 

[Woody Meristem]

Since I hate hot weather, I'd go to the coast of Maine or northwest Wyoming -- but those places already have far too many people who have fled from urban areas so ...

When we retired we chose to stay here in northcentral Pennsylvania where we've lived for 50 years. We can easily drive to see elk, have deer and bears and birds in the yard and lakes nearby.

 

[Steve]

DON'T MOVE TO ILLINOIS! There is nothing here. I hope this helps and choosing from 49 states rather than 50 makes it easier for you.

Add Ohio to the list - now your down to 48

 

[Strodav]

I moved from Illinois to Texas almost 6 years ago now. You do not want to go to Illinois - PERIOD. You could do a lot worse than Texas, which is a no income tax state and where the state gvt takes individual freedoms seriously. The bird migration in SE Texas is amazing in both spring and fall and landscapes and wildlife in Big Bend National park are amazing. I'm only 40 miles from the Gulf and sunrises on the right day make me tear up. Astrophotography is a no brainer with virtually zero light pollution just minutes from the cities with all the open land. Landscapes as storms are moving in and out at sunset so beautiful. A lot of California is moving this way already. You mine as well join them.

 

[Viathelens]

Northern California is still a nice place to live, if we can actually say that about California anymore. I'm actually going to check out Nevada and Arizona although I've lived in California my entire life of 68 years. If you live near Sacramento your near I-5 and that makes it easy to get to the airport or to drive anywhere. The valley area has several bird refuges that I go to every year, 2 north of Sacramento and one in Merced. Getting to the coast is easy from I-5 and there are nice coastal scenes and some wildlife there, birds, sea lions, seals, pelicans, etc. You can also get to other states easily from there to visit their national parks.

 

[Brian K]

Thanks a lot for all your thoughtful suggestions, and I agree that there are many more factors to consider besides photography… mainly, where would my wife be happy! I’ve been giving Oregon & Washington a lot of consideration, but you have given me some other ideas to investigate. My parents moved from Illinois and Iowa in the 50s, so I grew up being told not to go back there!

 

[Marcus Slade]

I'll add the Pacific Northwest, or more accurately from my Canadian perspective, the "Pacific Southwest" corner of Canada. A variety of raptors year round make this interesting all the time. Perhaps, it's a bit of human nature to always want something else or to be somewhere else. The challenge is to like what we have, though retirement does give you a few more options.

 

[WildBill]

Florida! Retired here last year and I find myself complaining that it's summertime because the migratory birds went back north. Spoiled as hell. Alaska would be amazing as well, but you might die.

 

[Karl]

We could choose almost anywhere to live before I retired and we left California 11 years ago for southern Oregon. I was born and raised in California and didn't think I'd ever leave, but California is getting way too crazy for me. Florida sounds pretty good for the birds but I've been there and it doesn't work for me. Maybe southern Arizona/New Mexico if you can deal with the heat. We have a few acres just outside of Ashland, Oregon and I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else. I've seen 130 species of birds in my yard and there's a lot more close by. Southern Oregon weather is pretty close to N. Calif.

 

[Rassie]

If I was into landscape photography I would also consider Utah, Nevada, Arizona. Colorado also has nice landscapes, but lots of snow. If wildlife is more attractive, again Colorado or Florida.

If BIF is most important, then Pacific Northwest or Florida.

 

[DougC]

I’ve been in Texas for 40 years now and except for the weather, it’s a great place for photography.

 

[Woodpecker]

I'll add the Pacific Northwest, or more accurately from my Canadian perspective, the "Pacific Southwest" corner of Canada. A variety of raptors year round make this interesting all the time. Perhaps, it's a bit of human nature to always want something else or to be somewhere else. The challenge is to like what we have, though retirement does give you a few more options.

Sorry for jumping in as an "alien", but actually most of the comments her make me a bit envious looking at it from from my perspective.

On one hand the above comment is so true !!!

On the other hand, if I had the choice, I have to recall a memory of and old couple that I met in Canada ages ago (1994). They sold everything, pimped up an old greyhound bus and lived in there travelling the entire continent. Since these days I can't get the picture out of my head; the bus, the original living room furniture from their last house and - believe it or not - this guy was able to process his films right in the backend of the bus ! Of course, these days I would probably change the lab for a solar driven mini office stuffed with Apple and Nikon gear, but isn't this a tempting idea ???

 

[FB101]

DON'T MOVE TO ILLINOIS! There is nothing here. I hope this helps and choosing from 49 states rather than 50 makes it easier for you.

I second that and you can strike Indiana off as well. Unless you count some of the most polluted rivers on the continent as an attraction...