Overview:

I have always marveled at strange and exotic geologic wonders. But not being a trained geologist, I am naturally drawn to the aesthetics of a given scene. Being a member of an MDRS Crew allowed for a great deal of such aesthetic wonder observations. I have supplemented the pretty pictures with the GPS coordinates. What follows are images acquired during several of the EVAs I participated in, with comments. Subject matter with one exception was chosen by myself on site.

Notes on Imaging in Full Sim:

As anyone who has pulled on Mars Suit gloves knows, digital dexterity is severely limited. This is coupled by the fact that many of our electronic tools - GPS, Radio and digital cameras - sport tiny buttons. One thing I found useful for imaging in full sim was to make use of an underwater housing for my camera, a Canon PowerShot A60. The water-tight seal provided an obvious solution to the ever-present dust problem. The case itself allows access to all the controls by transposing the tiny camera buttons out to larger buttons on the exterior of the case, (Fig. 1). In effect, an EVA suit for the camera!

Figure 1. - Rear View

Figure 2. - Front View

Figure 3. - Attempted Sun Shield

Two problems were encountered however. First, the clear case acts as a perfect little greenhouse, with the potential of cooking a camera in short order. I dealt with this by wrapping foil around much of the case, (fig. 2), and tried to keep it shaded while walking. The other problem was the view finder. It the bright sun through a plastic bubble helmet, it was all but impossible to see. So much of the time it was literally a matter of point and shoot. Going into macro mode for close-ups was particularly frustrating, as I couldn't see the icon on the screen. I did attempt to create a cardboard "sun screen," (Fig. 3) but that particular configuration did not work. I'm thinking more of a "funnel" shape curved at the end for the helmet.

In the case of macros, I often mounted the camera on the tripod backwards, and used the tilt arm as a support, giving a 10 cm or so distance from the target. It also allowed for long time exposures, as several sites were visited at dusk. The self-timer was used to initiate such shots to alleviate camera motion.

Notes on Locations:

All locations we visited are not what I would interpret as "sensitive," so all the GPS Coordinates are displayed here to facilitate future visits. This is in the MDRS Standard UTM/NAD27 formats. Maps were created with the National Geographic State Series, Utah. These are sections from standard USGS 7.5 quads.