Kodachrome Basin State Park

Trip is on...

Cycle #3 is about to become a reality. In process of getting plane tickets and planning my itinerary. Looks like I'll hit Albuquerque on March 13th and return home to Crimea on May 30. That's 2 1/2 months. Plan is to hit my old standby, Grand Canyon, followed by Joshua Tree NP near LA and then head north to the Pacific Coast Highway and Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP. I'll work north along the California coast with a several day stop in San Francisco. I want to shoot the Golden Gate at low tide at both sunset and sunrise which means I have to be there on March 29th. I want to get out on the tidal flats near the south pier, ocean side and see what kind of images I can get. It's a bit risky as the place I want to go is under water except at low tide but I am devising a plan so I won't be in trouble. I plan to get shots of the gate from as many angles as I can before heading further up the coast. The intention is to work the coast all the way to Seattle and then head east into the Rocky Mountains and both Glacier and Yellowstone. Not sure if the weather will cooperate but that's the plan. Getting good chains for the truck as a precaution and may also hit REI to buy a good pair of snowshoes just in case. It's going to be a very intense trip but I hope to get a ton of great images to work on when I get back in late May. We'll keep our fingers crossed all goes well and I return safely home. Wish me luck.

Kodachrome Basin State Park

This isn't the most popular place in Utah but it's certainly interesting. I had some time to spare and was in the area so I drove to this small park to spend a few hours. It"s not nearly as dramatic as Zion or Bryce or Arches but there's certainly some pleasant scenery to capture. This image is of a dead pinon (I think) and it was just so nice to look at. Because the air is so dry these trees last for a long time and they take on such a wonderful patina. The sky also cooperated. This is a 5 image sequence, run through Photomatix and then Lightroom to finish.

Kodachrome Basin - 24mm,f/11,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Balanced Rock, Arches NP

Politics ... not for the faint of heart

I'm not a big fan of Trump. I think I've said that before but will continue to repeat it until he's gone. Unfortunately, if he leaves before term's end we get an even bigger disaster ... Pence. I think Trump picked him as a shield ... shoot Trump and you get this turkey. May just work but who knows. Only people in Indiana, his home state, are happy about his selection because he goes away for a while. He's been a complete wipe-out for that state and they're glad to see him go. Not the best endorsement for national office. Hopefully Trump can keep this bozo under control. We'll see.

Anyway, the Trump administration is about to take office and it will be interesting to see how the country reacts. I'm hoping that a real opposition emerges, not just in the congress but in the streets. Trump won't listen ... he will in fact trash-talk the whole effort ... but it could be a real distraction for him and the congress. His ego is based on stroking and positive feelings and he tends to come off the rails when that warm glow is gone. Even his base will disappear, I suspect, if he and the congress really mess with 'entitlements' (you know, things we paid for but the political class thinks we didn't). But we've entered uncertain times and it's anyone's guess as to the outcome, I personally think this is the beginning of the end for America as any kind of functioning country. The political elites intend to flush the whole thing down the drain and start over. I don't object to that idea but the power at this moment is on the right which isn't a good thing. Regression is not the way to fix this ... going back to the past isn't possible because 1) the past isn't the paradise most of these people long for and 2) the country is much changed from those simpler times. Ask minorities if they pine for the past. Most would probably say no. Even most whites long for a time that never existed. The only way forward is to find a way to coexist. No winners or losers. Everyone has to be part of the solution or it's DOA. But I somehow think our elites can't see this or believe they can somehow keep the whole mess together for a while longer while they bleed the corpse dry. Not going to happen I think.

Balanced Rock

I spent several days this trip at Arches NP near Moab, Utah. The surrounding area is a magnet for all types of off-road activities and the the town is overflowing with dune buggies and dirt bikes. The park is filled with hundreds of sandstone arches and other natural wonders. The geology underlying the park is just as interesting so there's something for everyone. Much of my time was spent around Balanced Rock, a rare piece of geology that really emphasizes the strange nature of the sandstone formations in the area. This rock has been balanced, precariously, on this pedestal for a very long time. Looking at it one expects it to fall at any moment as the center of gravity is not over the pedestal. A small scab of rock seems to be holding the rock in place and it's cracked in many places. I would not be surprised to hear that the rock has fallen. That's one reason I spent so much time there.

I shot many star photos at this rock because it lends itself to the orientation of the milky way. I have several photos of the milky way arching over the rock and I'll show you one in the future. This shot is along the same vein but was taken long before the milky way appeared. It was just at sunset. I was sitting in the parking lot, eating my dinner and talking to several folks who were similarly waiting to do night shots. I saw that the sun was just illuminating the rock and the small butte behind so I took out the 6D with my Samyang 14mm f/2.8 which is the go to lens for night shooting. I was hoping I'd catch a few early stars high in the sky and I did. This is a somewhat different shot in that it breaks all the rules. No thirds, no real compositional elements to speak of, just the night sky and the rock. But it works and I really like it. Hope you enjoy the change of pace.

Oh, by the way, this is a single exposure, run through lightroom to bring out the colors and to remove some of the haze.

Balanced Rock - 14mm,f/4,8 sec, ISO 3200,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Natural Bridge National Park

Cycle #3 Plans...

The next cycle home is in the early planning stages and I thought you'd like to get some details. This year I'll be leaving early as my asthma is already getting much worse. Also, last year I didn't allow enough time for my lungs to heal and I have suffered ever since my return. So I'm planning more like 3 months this year and to leave in early March with a return around June 1. My plan this year is to skip all of southern California and to start somewhere around Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP (south of Big Sur) and slowly make my way up the coast to the Canadian border. I'll spend a few days around San Francisco, visiting some friends and trying to get a good set of images from the Golden Gate and elsewhere. That town is really hard to deal with as its almost impossible to keep people from stealing things from the truck and finding a place to crash at night. 2 years ago I was forced to drive south to Half Moon Bay and sleep in a shopping center to feel safe. Hopefully I can find a better place to overnight this time so I can really concentrate on getting some super shots. I also want to spend time in Crater Lake and other national parks along the coastal range plus maybe get some nice images around Seattle. Then I hope to travel east and hit Glacier NP along with Yellowstone before heading south and back to Albuquerque. I know that snow is especially a problem in Glacier so I may not be able to get much done there but we'll see. Yellowstone is also problematic but I'm hopeful enough will be accessible to make the trip worthwhile. As always, I'll adjust my plans as conditions dictate and get as many images as I can. This year I want to take "timeouts" along the way where I can organize my images and get some downtime to rest. Last year I was overwhelmed with all the personal issues and spent far too much time driving back and forth to Albuquerque to fix them. This put a lot of excess miles on the truck and on me personally. Hopefully not this year. I just want to get my gear and head out, not to return until my travels are over. I'll keep my fingers crossed that's what happens this time around.

Natural Bridges National Park

This is one of those hidden gems that few people know about. It's in the southeast corner of Utah and well worth the drive to see it. Not very big, and only a few standout features but WOW, are they something to see. Unlike the sandstone arches found in Arches NP, these arches are due exclusively to water erosion of hard rock. There's a river (dry most of the time) running through the park and these huge bridges are a direct result of the swirling water slowly eating away the rock until it collapses. What's really nice is you can, if you have the legs, walk down into the river bed and see the rock features up close. There's a very small staff, just a few rangers, and not a lot of visitors so you get the whole place to yourself most of the time. It's definitely worth the drive and a day to see these amazing features.

This is Sipapu Bridge and the surrounding area. The bridge itself isn't obvious but can be seen near the center-right (about 1/3 from the right edge) as an opening in the rock face. Don't feel bad if you can't see it ... I stood at the overlook for a long time trying to find it until someone pointed it out to me. It tends to blend in with the surrounding rock. The big problem is they put the overlook high above the river, on a bluff that's at least a mile from the arch. Not the best place but I understand their reasoning for doing it that way. There's a broad, flat area below the overlook that get's you much closer to the canyon (right on the edge in fact) but you have to negotiate a dry riverbed and walk about a mile to get there. I parked at the picnic area below the overlook and walked down hill until I got to a small bridge over a wash. Get into the wash and walk toward the canyon. You'll see some warn paths off to the right, across the crust, which you should follow. Eventually you emerge onto the flat and then you simply walk along the canyon edge until directly below the overlook. That's where I took this panorama. As always, I set up early and took several sequences as the sun set, then selected the best once I was back on the computer. There are 90 images in this pano, consisting of 5 images per frame. I ran them through Photomatix using the batch processor, adjusting the white and black levels along with strength to get the overall look I wanted. Photoshop was used to create the panorama and I used Lightroom to finish. There were just enough clouds to get an interesting sunset and the canyon speaks for itself. This is all water erosion and it took millions of years to get this far. There are 2 additional bridges, just as interesting, and maybe I'll show them in the future.

Sipapu Bridge - 24mm,f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Kolob Canyon

The Animal Kingdom...

We have a lot of animals in our family. My wife is a real animal lover and she has a hard time keeping the total number of creatures below what is unmanageable. At present we have 4 cats and 2 dogs in our small flat (on top of 3 humans). As I wrote in an earlier post, we lost our beloved Cocker Spaniel earlier this year and there was a gaping hole in our life. Well, this last summer, my wife filled that hole with a new Russian Toy Terrier. A very small dog in stature but with a huge personality. She's quickly becoming the boss of the animal kingdom. She loves to chase the cats and to play with our huge guard dog (the Crimea is a bit lawless at the moment and there are a lot of break ins). It's comical to see this little dog, all of about 5 lbs, 'fighting' with this 150 lb monster. Holly, the big dog, is very gentle with her but still, because of the size difference, occasionally steps on the little guy. As for the cats, well, they seem to be adjusting to being chased constantly by the 'boss' although one cat, Puma, isn't all that enamored with her and tends to give her a whack whenever the chasing gets too aggressive. Sometimes it's like the Keystone Cops with animals flying all over the house as the big game of 'tag' rages around us. One big happy family most of the time but there are days...

Kolob Canyon

There's more to Zion NP than most people realize. I'd say 95% of the visitors confine their visit to the main attractions in the south end of the park but they're missing some really spectacular scenery. The northern park comprises Kolob Canyon and is it ever amazing. There's only one road that winds up into the mountains from the small ranger station. As you climb higher the canyon comes into view and you are treated to these amazing rock formations and butts that soar high above. I would strongly suggest taking the time to drive north up Rt. 15 and visit this wonderful place. You won't be disappointed.

I took this image from the last overlook on the canyon road. It's looking east. There were storms in the area and that always gives dramatic views and amazing colors. This is a 5 image HDR run through Photomatix and finished in Lightroom. I use Photomatix a lot when needed but I've been pulling away from the more dramatic 'grunge' effects as I've become more confident in my photography. These days I limit my adjustments to tweaking the 'black' and 'white' sliders and then moving the 'strength' slider until I get the image I want. The main idea is to let Photomatix combine the various exposures into one tonemapped image and then use Lightroom (and Photoshop if needed) to correct any issues that emerge. This seems to give me the results I really want without introducing unpleasant artifacts that can destroy the photo. As users of HDR already know, it's very easy to go too far and create images that are overblown and unattractive. I'm trying to project the emotions I feel as I look at the landscape ... not to create some surreal alien landscape that offends the viewer. I also am running some image sets directly into Photoshop where I combine them to get the best presentation. This is especially true when I get photos that have a lot of contrast which seems to drive Photomatix crazy. Direct sunlight into the lens (or filtered through the clouds) seems to be a real issue for Photomatix and I'm forced to find different ways to get around this problem. I think it's really an issue with the way tonemapping works so there's no easy way to get around it. It's all part of being a serious photographer.

Kolob Canyon - 35mm,f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Monument Valley

Not much to say...

I'm not usually at a loss for words but today I just can't find anything exciting to write about. Trump is doing his Trump thing, which looks to be a building disaster, and we'll wait to see how the congress reacts. Have no idea how he will govern or even if he gets Republican support so making any predictions is a waste of time. All I can say is we should expect the unexpected from him at every turn. Not sure how the foreign leaders react to him as they like someone who's steady and he's anything but. I do expect he will 'get even' with anyone who crosses him ... that's how a narcissist works. I also expect a lot of churn in his administration as he browbeats everyone (another narcissistic trait unfortunately) and they quit in frustration (or he fires them). We may be nearing the end of the US of A's run as big dog and the fireworks could be spectacular. Don't give Donald much of a chance of a second term as he'll be unable to deliver all the goodies he promised and the electorate will throw him out. He may also grow tired of being president and move on to something else. He seems to have a limited attention span. Won't be surprised by anything he does.

Monument Valley

Last year I stopped by the shops at Monument Valley but couldn't pull the trigger to make a visit. The West is covered with buttes and upheavals in all colors and shapes so paying the entrance fee to see more if the same just didn't get me really excited. This year I decided, what the hell, I'll plunk down the $10 and see what was so special. Found a seriously unimproved dirt road full of ruts and bumps and a lot of dust. And more of the buttes and upheavals I've seen all over the place. It was nice, even pretty in spots, but nothing to get really excited about. Actually spent most of my time talking to a Navajo guy who was selling jewelry. Turns out he was one of those Navajo high-steel walkers but had been forced to retire due to a bad back injury. Talked about that a lot as he was avoiding a visit to a back surgeon and that was not the right thing to do. I think he had some damaged discs and a spinal fusion would work wonders for his mobility. He was in a lot of pain and there are ways to mitigate that. Hope he listened to me.

Anyway, I was waiting for sundown as that and sunrise are the only times one can take really good pictures in the big sky country. The sun is brutal during the day and any attempt to take pictures then is usually a washout. So I hung out on a mesa that overlooked the park, waiting for the sun to get below the horizon. Just around the time the park was slated to close, I got the sky I wanted and took several sweeping panoramas. What I do like about this park is the red sandstone which makes for a really dramatic look. Obviously I'm looking to the north as the sun sets. In the center, you can see the dirt road that is the only access to the park. It's nasty ... almost got stuck climbing the final hill out with all the really loose sand. Being the eternal cynic, I think this is on purpose so most people will leave their cars at the reception center and take the expensive guided tours. I'm not one for tours as I want to go where my mind and eyes take me and work on my own timetable. I was, as always, the last person to leave the park. Always get nasty stares as I wave past the guard gate. Sorry ... I'm a photographer and my schedule is determined by a higher authority ... the sun. He commands and I answer.

This is an HDR panorama. Ran through Photomatix and then into Photoshop to create the merged image. Final touch up in Lightroom. Peaceful, isn't it? Hope you enjoy the view.

Monument Valley - 24mm, f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Upheaval Crater

Olympics...

When I was a young lad I really loved the Olympics. Would sit by the TV for hours, watching the most obtuse and weird sports and really, really enjoying it. Even went to the winter Olympics in Lake Placid. It was such a rush. Fast forward to the present and what a difference. I just can't gin up any enthusiasm for the games. Not interested at all, even in the sports I might have some connection with. Why? I think it has to do with all the controversy around the whole process, from the greed and corruption of the various committees to the professionalism of so many of the sports. Do I really want to watch basketball superstars who make millions go through the motions of playing the game? I enjoyed it when they required amateurs to play. Same goes for tennis and a whole host of other groups. Take track and field where there are very rich superstars ... most of them so doped up on performance drugs it's hard to see the human anymore. And who can overlook the politics these days ... the Russian doping situation for example. Why, I wonder, did the Olympic committee see fit to not punish the Russian athletes who are most likely guilty but throw the book at the para-Olympic team? Think maybe money had something to do with it? Just maybe? So I'm avoiding any Olympic coverage. Why would I be interested in Michael Phelps and his 21st gold medal? Been there, done that a long time ago. It just gets so uninteresting after a while. Quite frankly, it's much more interesting to watch the Russian Tank Olympics. Don't know what that is? Think big tanks and teams from various countries and obstacle courses and shooting at targets and ... you get the idea. It's really interesting to watch a huge tank going 60 mph while literally jumping into a huge tank filled with water. Some make it ... others don't. Now that's cool!

Upheaval Crater

Canyonlands National Park is one of those obscure parks that gets far too little attention. It's quite large and has some major attractions but I doubt most people have even heard of it. But I would guess you've probably seen pictures from there. Anyone who has Windows on their computer and uses the included landscape images as their screen's wall paper has probably seen the picture looking through an arch at the distant scenery. That's Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. I've been there and have some amazing pictures I'll show you later. It's definitely worth visiting if you're in the area. Just 'across the street' from Arches NP so do stop by.

One of the more interesting features there is called 'Upheaval Crater'. As one would expect, it's a big hole in the ground but that's where the similarity to any other similar feature stops. It's such an unusual shape and has such a strange composition that even the best geologists can't get a handle on how it formed. There are several craters, one inside another. The outer crater looks sort of like an impact hole but the edges are highly polished and smooth ... like one would expect to see in a water erosion canyon. That doesn't fit with an impact crater. Then there's the inner crater which appears to be blasted out of very hard bedrock. But there's very little blast debris to be found. It's not a volcano. It's really strange and mysterious. But, it's amazingly beautiful. I was lucky to get there on a day when the sky was unsettled and bad weather was threatened. I like those times. I get the most interesting images. The wind was blowing so hard I couldn't stand on the edge. Had to sit low with the tripod spread out so the camera wouldn't blow over. And the colors are really striking ... we're at the top of the grand cascade in Utah so we have lots of pink and red sandstone to work with. It's really an interesting place. I'd recommend it to anyone. Definitely add it to your bucket list!

Upheaval Crater - 24mm,f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Capitol Reef

Starting but...

I've been home 2 weeks now and, surprisingly, am still plagued by exhaustion. I'm sleeping a lot more than I should, much to the consternation of my wife and daughter. I just can't seem to get back on Moscow time no matter what I do. I've probably had one night of good sleep so far but most I get maybe 4 hours and wake up just as the sun comes up. Really not sure what's causing this but it's a major headache. I've been using a new asthma inhaler which sort of works but I still find myself short of breath much of the time. Maybe that's the issue ... the new med may be making me sleepy and I may be chronically short of oxygen. Oh well...

As for my processing, it's proceeding slowly. As I feared, many of my images are not all that impressive. I knew I had an issue with holding steady ... I've discovered that my sense of balance isn't what it used to be and that really messes with holding still during longer exposures. Even with stabilization turned on I find too many images are blurred and worthless. Add to that I wasn't really able to get in a groove with the new camera and too many of my images are not in focus or the exposures are wrong. Not sure yet what the problem was/is but I need to figure it out by next year. Probably just need to get time with the instrument so I can learn it's sweet spots. Really hope it's not the camera.

Photomatix & chromatic aberrations

Chromatic aberrations (CA) are the bane of  every photographer's work. They are a fact of life, an issue with every lens ever made. Because glass bends different colors of light at different angles, there are always issues with color fringing. This is especially an issue when an image goes from bright to dark. I'm sure you've seen them if you look at your pictures close enough. Photomatix, the HDR software, has the ability to remove CA but there's a problem. In some images, especially when there is a very strong transition from bright sun to heavy shade and it's very sharp, you tend to get bleeding from the bright area into the dark. This is an acute issue at higher f-numbers. Because of the way Photomatix works, it merges and tone-maps the various exposures before attempting to remove CA and that's an issue. If you have any of this bleeding in your brighter exposures, the resulting merged image has a very messy transition between light and dark and the CA algorithm can't handle the transition. That means you have an ugly fringe along the transition and it's really noticeable. You can't really fix this after the merge. So, to remove the issue you need to run a CA pass on the photos BEFORE putting them into Photomatix. I use the excellent CA in Lightroom which is available in the Develop module under "Lens Corrections". If you do this first and then use Photomatix the problem disappears. Check out the light/dark transition in today's image ... middle of the photo on the left side. No CA to be found but boy was there an ugly mess there without correction.

Capitol Reef

I had never heard of this national park until I saw it on the Utah map. It's been around for a long time but gets very little attention. It's really a hiker's park as there aren't a lot of things to see from the road. I also didn't have a lot of time there as the campground was full and there weren't a lot of places to pull off and sleep. All parks discourage your sleeping in the observation areas although I do on occasion break this rule in some of the larger parks. I even get a 'wink' from the rangers as they tell me it's not allowed. But Capital Reef was very adamant that I couldn't sleep in the park. So I decided to find a good spot for a sunset shoot and then move on. Little did I know that 'moving on' would entail driving for several hours on very dark mountain roads to find a rest area. Saw way too many large elk standing at the road's edge ... all it would have taken was for one to jump out in my path and I would have been ... literally ... roadkill. Driving at night in the mountains is not a good idea.

After driving up and down the only major park road I found a spot just south of the campground. These huge vertical walls just screamed out to be part of the image and the road had just the right curve to make it an interesting compositional element. I was fortunate that the sky cooperated with a massive, dark cloud bank in just the right spot. And the sky was completely open to the west so the sun could make it's contribution to the overall look. I parked and waited. As the show progressed I kept taking 5 image sequences, spaced 1 ev apart. It took a while but was worth it. The resulting image is the essence of Capitol Reef ... wild and utterly amazing.

Capitol Reef Sunset - 16mm,f/18,HDR,ISO 100,copyright CC BY-NC 4.0

Bryce Canyon Overlook

Trip Finalized...

Finally have the trip finalized. I leave Crimea on March 31st and return on June 4th. Fly from Simferopol to Moscow where I catch an Aeroflot flight to Paris (ahhh ... so close and yet so far away), then Atlanta and finally Albuquerque. Return trip is the reverse. I'll stay in ABQ for a few days to get things ready and to make some arrangements for medical testing to see what's up with my blood chemistry and then head west. Plan now is to hit a few parks (maybe Grand Canyon if there's snow and Death Valley before it gets too hot) and then on to LA and a few weeks of shooting at night. After that I'll hit a few more national parks and monuments before making my way back to ABQ and home. Need to sit down and really plan out the trip which I hope to do in the coming days.

I'll be working on astrophotography for much of this trip along with the time lapse for the LA video. Expect to be working from sundown to sunrise for most of the trip and sleeping during the day. That may help with finding places to crash as cops aren't as worried about a truck parked in the daytime. Was a real hassle finding places to sleep at night with all the prohibitions on 'overnight camping'. Put a lot of extra mileage on the truck looking for places to park. Especially a problem in CA where they really don't want you overnighting anywhere.

Bryce Canyon Overlook

If you take the road south from the main canyon there are a series of overlooks that highlight various parts of the park. There's an arch and lots of hoodoos to see. This photo was taken at one of those overlooks. I wanted to show something different, beyond the actual sight and this overlook was really interesting. I was lucky that no people were standing there (I had to wait for a small group to leave) so the image is all about what you see. As you can tell, I'm not really keen on taking pictures of people in natural settings. Sometimes they can add to the image but not usually. They're rarely solemn enough and who wants someone taking a selfie to appear in their landscape pictures?

Anyway, this image is really nice. I like the composition and the wonderful sky with some residual storm clouds. Everything is wet so the colors are deep and rich. This is a single image, run through Lightroom and that's it. Enjoy.

Bryce Canyon Overlook - 35mm(1.6 crop),f/18, 1/125 sec,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Slot Canyons in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

Update ... again

I'm 90% there on the trip home. Am presently setting up flights home from Crimea to Albuquerque. This will probably be my last flight out of Crimea as the western sanctions have made it almost impossible to get money from America. We've lost Western Union, VISA/MasterCard and SWIFT. There's not much left except maybe carrier pigeon. Unfortunately, we need money to live and that comes from the US so we've made the very painful decision to relocate, at least until the sanctions ease, to a relative's house in the eastern part of Russia. Ulan-Ude is just south of Lake Bikal, near the Mongolian border. It's a wild place, with lots of mining and logging. My wife has a cousin living there so we're taking up residence with her until further notice. Not sure how my asthma will take to all the dust but we'll find out when I get back. I'll be returning to Simferopol for a short visit with my relatives and to see how our flat is faring then on to the east. Oh joy...

Oh, dates of travel ... March 28-29 on the trip to ABQ and June 2-3 on the trip back. 2 months in the states and lots of things to do. Will be running the whole time. Have to wedge in some doctor's visits to see what's up with my blood chemistry (which is all over the place it seems) and to clean up the ever messy financial situation. Not sure yet how these off items impact my main agenda but we'll adjust as needed. Since I'm wandering I don't need to really have reservations and the road's always there leading to the next place. I'll update my trip map when I know more.

Slot Canyons in Vermilion Cliffs NM

I didn't win the Wave lottery (had a 1 in 100 chance) but I'm still determined to hit Vermilion Cliffs during my trip and maybe stop by the BLM office to see if I can get a second chance. If not I'll find other parts of the area to explore. There's lots of beautiful scenery to check out so it's not a lost cause.

One of the most amazing parts of that area is the slot canyons. Over 10 miles of wildness and are they spectacular. Not as well known as Antelope Valley in AZ but still a great place to hike and take photos. I have literally dozens of shots in the hopper and each one is better than the last. I like this one because it looks like an animal (maybe a camel or an elephant laying it's trunk against the rocks). It's amazing the shapes one gets with fast running water and sand. Just watch out for the rain as these canyons can fill up very fast.

This is a 3 image HDR, run through the usual treatment with PhotoMatix and Lightroom.

Slot Canyon/Vermilion Cliffs - 29mm(1.6 crop),f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC-BY-NC 4.0

Zion West Entrance

Trip on Hold...

It's not been a good 2 weeks. 12 days ago I was getting the kid ready for her shower when I noticed a black streak across the center of my left eye. Having seen this before I knew immediately what had happened ... a vein in my eye had ruptured and blood was flowing into the fluid inside my eyeball. I had this happen to my right eye 2 years ago. Within seconds my eye was filled with floating debris and I knew that my trip home was in jeopardy. I informed the wife who immediately went ballistic and then got crazy. After she settled down it was decided I needed to see the eye doctor the very next day. After about 30 seconds the doctor made the decision that we needed to see the laser surgeon and get the veins sealed before the bleeding got worse and I lost the eye. So, after a very nervous weekend we went to get the procedure done. It's very uncomfortable and painful ... feels like someone is driving a needle into your retina. The surgeon directs a powerful green laser beam through your cornea and focuses it on the back of your eye. He literally vaporizes the tissue, sealing the vein and stopping the blood flow. In 15 minutes he was done and I was sent home to recuperate. I'm not allowed to do any heavy lifting or any activity that might raise my blood pressure or put any strain on the repaired vessels. So, travelling is now out of the question for a while. Last time this happened I was told no plane flights for at least 2 months. That means I could be stuck here until at least the end of March. Now, I many not actually stay here that long but I'm probably not leaving here until the end of February. I have to get home to fix some financial issues pretty soon under any circumstances and I'm still having real problems with my breathing. But all my planning is out the window for now. Stay tuned and I'll update you as I know more.

Zion West Entrance

Much of the action in Zion happens on the west side of the park. The visitor's center, the museum, the campgrounds and the valley all sit there. There's some spectacular scenery in the east but it's not as organized or as concentrated. People tend to congregate in the west and venture out by car to see the rest of the park.

My first night in the park campground, I took a short drive to the west gate. I wanted to get a really nice sunset and, as I've pointed out in previous posts, much of the park is in shadow long before the sun goes down. So I drove to the parking area just outside the entrance and walked across the street to a bluff that looked to the east. I wanted to get the line of peaks just as the sun was hitting their bases so they were somewhat isolated from their surroundings. This is an HDR panorama. You can just see the Zion entrance sign in the lower left. Out of view at the bottom is the parking lot and entrance road. To the extreme right is the Watchman, a famous feature in the park. I'm sure the other peaks have names but I don't remember them.

Beautiful, isn't it? I hope to see them again if, and when, this next trip happens. Care to join me?

Zion West Entrance - 31mm(1.6 crop), f/25, HDR, ISO 100, license CC BY-NC 4.0

Zion Guardians

Update...

Still not sure of my trip. Wife has been sick and that's thrown everything sideways. She's getting better so I hope to make some decisions pretty soon. I want to spend at least 2 months stateside so I have plenty of time to visit all the places I've been researching. Will let you know as soon as I have a plan.

Zion Guardians

Have I mentioned I really like Zion National Park? Although it's not the easiest place to photograph due to it's north-south orientation, it's still an amazing place. The colors are beyond spectacular and the geography is just out of this world. I'm planning to visit again this trip and to try and get back into the slot canyons (up at the Temple of Sinawava) and beyond. This is an arduous trip as you spend much of it in the Virgin River, chest deep in very cold water. There are shops where I can rent thick wading suits and special packs to protect my camera gear but it's still a big deal and one has to always worry about rain and floods when there. Last year, during the summer, they had a serious flood that killed several people so one can never be too careful. But I really want to photograph those canyons.

One of the best things about Zion is the diversity of geography. All along the Virgin River there are deep cuts and soaring cliffs to enjoy. The sky is always filled with fluffy, white clouds and the sun, even at its highest, provides wonderful contrasts and shadows. It's a photographer's dream.

One of the most popular places for taking photos is behind the natural history museum near the west entrance on rt. 9. I got up very early and drove to the museum just for this picture. These three peaks are called ... I think ... the guardians. There's a huge amphitheater behind the museum and these peaks backstop the whole thing. I did a panorama here which I'll put up some day but for now I'll give you just a single image. This is an HDR processed the usual way. The sun was over my right shoulder just below the cliffs on the east side of the valley. Only 4 of us saw this scene that morning. It was definitely worth dragging my sorry ass out of bed so early. Damn ... the colors are just so amazing!

Zion Guardians - 33mm(1.5 crop),f/18,HDR,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Bryce Canyon Splendor

Cycle #2

With my breathing getting really bad my wife finally broached the subject of going back to America last night. I always wait for her to bring this up as it then seems to be her idea and she can't get too irate as she's the one who suggested it. Last night was a pivotal moment as I finally crossed that threshold where even she couldn't deny that I was in trouble. I was so hoarse I was having trouble talking and I started sounding like Brando in the Godfather. And today I've started seeing junk when I cough which is not a good sign as it means I'm accumulating stuff in my lungs. So it's time to start planning the trip home. I've already done some stuff but there's lots more to do before I leave. Looks like I'll travel in mid to late January and stay for 3 months (mid-April). So look for more planning ideas from me in the next month and a final itinerary by year's end.

Bryce Canyon Splendor

I love Bryce Canyon. An amazingly beautiful place far removed from large cities and not so popular that it's ruined by all the people. Even with all the bad weather I suffered through it was still one of the high points of my trip. I got around to working through all the pictures I took there and many made it into my portfolio and "On the Fence" collections. What's so nice about the place is it's almost impossible to take a bad picture. Once you've got your camera adjusted just point and shoot. The colors are so amazing and the rock formations are truly out of this world.

Anyway, this image was taken after the big snowstorm my last night there. It was brutally cold and the wind howled all night long. I huddled in my bag and tried to get some sleep but really didn't do very well. In the morning I was dead tired but had hope (realized) that Zion, my next stop, would be much better. I broke camp and made my way to the canyon for one more session. I took several major panoramas and also some impressive shots of the better formations. This is one of them. Actually, I was driving the road that runs south from the main canyon and this was taken from an overlook. I really like this image because of the depth. You can see for miles and get the sense of 3D by the way the distant features fade into the haze. I think I'm looking to the east. It was just after noon so the sun is high but behind the clouds so I'm not fighting any glare. I'm at f/22 which is supposed to be a no-no as it creates diffraction (and blurring) but I don't see much and stopping down helped me get great depth-of-field. And the colors ... well, I'll let you decide on that.

Bryce Canyon Splendor - 16mm(1.6 crop),f22,1/25 sec,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

Zion Virgin River Dream

Sony Takes a Gamble

I've been contemplating a new camera body this summer. I've grown frustrated with how easily my sensor gets contaminated when I switch lenses all the time. By the time I finished the last cycle my Canon 60D took images that looked like they had chicken pox. I had to spend a small fortune to get it cleaned but I know that the dirt will return as soon as the next cycle begins. The only way to keep a camera clean is to never open it. But since I have several lenses (with another one being contemplated for astro photography) the only solution is to buy more bodies and commit each one to a certain lens. I'll do that for my 2 main lenses (the Canon wide angle and telephoto) and only swap in the astro lens when I'm doing night shooting. I'll have to set up a system for making those changes as clean as possible (maybe inside a big plastic bag to minimize environmental contact) and keep them to a minimum.

Anyway, I've been watching the camera market intently since January and it's become very interesting. Canon opened the bidding with their 5D SR, a 50 megapixel monster that sells for almost $4K. It is an interesting offering but has one serious drawback ... the same noise issues that plague my 60D. Canon sensors are just horrendously noisy and there's no getting around that. I'd need to get seriously dedicated to noise reduction and to buy some not so cheap software to help mitigate the issues this noise creates. But I'd at least not have compatibility issues with my lenses.

Sony offers the only serious competition for the Canon bodies. Their mirrorless design leaves room for adapters that allow the use of almost any lens from any manufacturer but, up until now, there were big issues. Auto focus was painfully slow and often failed so manual focusing was almost a given. That's OK most of the time but when you're trying to take candid photos (like on the street) it's a huge problem. And the image stabilization systems in most lenses didn't work very well either. It was a mess and, quite frankly, the first version of their high pixel count camera, the A7R, had some serious issues with shutter noise, vibration and lifetime. I know a lot of pro photographers made the switch but they were not all really happy with it. But, just this month, Sony introduced the next round ... the A7R II, and it looks like a game changer. It has a big sensor, 42 megapixels, so it competes directly with the new Canon but the really exciting ideas involve 5 axis image stabilization in the camera (by moving the sensor) and auto focus is now fast because they have 399 phase detection sensors spread across the sensor and they work with Canon auto focus lenses. I've seen several videos and the system is very fast indeed. They also seemed to be listening to their customers and made major changes in the software so HDR shooters have more bracketing options and video shooters can now shoot 4K internally to the camera. This last item is a huge advance ... a small camera that shoots ultra HD to the internal memory card (not everything is great ... only 8 bit and the color space is somewhat limited but still...). And the new sensor is very low noise so I can do my HDR thing and my star photo thing and even my video thing all with the same camera. Price is an issue ... $3200 ... and $399 for the adapter, but it's still a major step for them and for me. I can now get the resolution I want, a full-frame 35mm image and some really nice features that will make my life a whole lot easier. Now, all I need to do is find that $3600 and I'll be set to go ... hmmmmm.

Zion Virgin River Dream

Take the Zion park shuttle to the very last stop ... the Temple of Sinawava ... and take the path toward the narrows and you find the Virgin River. This river made the Zion Canyon and the narrows and pretty much the whole park so it's a big deal. In this area the river runs through a lot of rock fall, stuff sloughing off the nearby canyon walls, which makes for many turbulent pools and small waterfalls. It's an extremely picturesque area so I spent most of a day there. One place, in particular, caught my attention. Many rocks had pushed together to create an elevated pool which cascaded over the resulting dam and waterfall. I'm always looking for moving water as it gives me a chance to work with my 10 stop neutral density filter (here and here and you'll need an adapter ring to fit your lens). You've seen the effect I'm sure ... cascading water turns into the neatest mist. You achieve this by using this really dark filter which pushes your exposure times out to 30 seconds or longer. The result is an exposure that obliterates all evidence of individual drops and shows only a ghost of what's actually there. You get an image with some really sharp features (rocks mostly) and everything else is so ethereal. It's a really interesting effect.

Anyway, I spent quite a while at this waterfall and took many images. This one is probably the best of the lot although I'll develop all of them to make sure. This is a single exposure, extensively processed in Lightroom. I used several radial filters to highlight the rocks (especially the one in the middle) and worked with the colors to pull out the water and rock colors. Very dramatic I think.

Zion Dream - 106mm(1.6 crop),f/22,30 sec,ISO 100,license CC BY-NC 4.0

The Zion Watchman... Redux

The Zion Watchman

Sorry, no pithy comment this morning. A friend of my wife is seriously ill and my thoughts are with her and her family. Since I'm in Albuquerque there aren't any new images to throw your way so I thought I'd return to an image I captured a while back but just processed this morning. The watchman is an impressive rock formation at the entrance of Zion National Park. Because of the canyon's north to south orientation, not many of the beautiful formations get light during the golden hours. It's frustrating to say the least. But the watchman makes up for this by putting on a marvelous display every evening. It's such a beautiful structure and is the most photographed location in the park. Every night people congregate at the Canyon Junction bridge to snap photos as the sun baths it in warm light. This image isn't from that location but was taken further south near the history museum. The sky was so blue and the fluffy, white clouds framed the rock so well I had to take this picture. It's a 3 frame bracketed image, worked through Photomatix with minimal adjustments and then finished in Lightroom. I'll refrain from the technical details (which I think you can surmise pretty well) and just let you enjoy the result.

The Watchman - 35mm(1.6 crop),f/18,1/160 sec,ISO 100, license CC BY-NC 4.0

Vermillion Cliffs National Monument

Damn, that was close...

Wanted to visit Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. Several people have told me what a special place it is. So, yesterday I drove my truck down Rt 89 to the dirt road that provides access to the trails and features of this area. Explored the road from north to south and then back again before the sun started disappearing below the western hills. Arrived late in the afternoon and didn't have time to register with the BLM for a camping permit so I just stopped at the northern entrance and parked my truck, intent on sleeping there until sunrise. It was a miserable night with wind and some rain but we got thorough OK. Around 6 I woke up and dressed for a cold day as there were overcast skies and lots of dark clouds. Can't say I was thinking about rain all that much as the West is in a drought. Found Wire Pass parking spot (this is also the entry portal for 'the wave' but you need a special access permit for that). Loaded up all my camera gear (a big mistake) and started hiking down the dry riverbed toward where the slot canyons were supposed to be. Walked for what seemed hours, with a very heavy camera bag and tripod bag weighing me down with each step but never got to the canyons. Knew something was not right but didn't have my brain working well enough to figure out what it was. Discouraged, I walked back to my truck and decided to wait an hour plus I dumped all the unneeded camera gear but my body, the wide angle lens and the tripod sans carrying case. At 10 I started walking again and, this time, the going was much easier. Roughly 1/4 mile past where I gave up there it was ... the first of a long string of slot canyons. Some were narrow while others were wide and very deep but each was a structural masterpiece. The camera was overloaded with images. Not that the going was all roses ... several places were blocked with debris which is not cleared (this area has been given the wilderness designation meaning almost zero interference with natural processes in the canyons) but those were minor compared to the drama unfolding before my camera. Tired but happy I reluctantly turned and headed back to my truck.

I'd had a hard night so decided to catch a bit of sleep before starting back to the main highway. The sky was cloudy but not in a really threatening way so I was surprised to awaken to the sound of hard rain hitting the truck's metal roof. I looked around and could see people frantically working to stow gear and get out of the lot. The dirt road, under these conditions, would quickly become a quagmire. With some trepidation, I started driving north and it soon became apparent the drive would not go well. About 4 miles from the main road my truck, a rear wheel drive pickup, started swerving violently and soon I was half on/half off the road. As most people had already left the park, I worried I'd be staying in this position for at least the night if not longer. However, fate smiled and a BLM ranger plus a big 4x4 came tooling up the hill and rescued me. The Jeep easily pulled my truck off the edge and towed me all the way to the main highway. The driver was such a good guy he refused any renumeration for his wonderful deed. And, the folks from BLM were more than helpful getting me back on my way.

Rain has been a scarce commodity in the West for some time so it was a big surprise when a huge storm swept thru the area and dumped a ton of water. The road into Vermillion Cliffs was just graded a few days ago and is now badly rutted and in terrible condition again. The folks from BLM tell me it will be 3 months or more before another grading is offered so anyone going in or out of the monument is in for some rough driving. We all had a good laugh about the coincidence with the repairs and the bad weather but it's unfortunate this happened. But it's also a warning to me ... don't take these dirt roads lightly. I'd planned to take another dirt road to the Grand Canyon's north rim but it too received lots of rain so that's off for now. I'll have to wait for May 15 when the paved road is opened. I can wait as I have no desire to spend many days stuck in thick, sticky mud and perhaps even hurt myself. No picture is worth that much risk.

Vermillion Cliff Slot Canyon

Most of us are familiar with Antelope Canyon, the iconic slot canyon just south of Page, AZ. My AAA atlas' cover photo was taken there. The most expensive photo every sold (don't get me started on that again} was also taken there. It's a beautiful place and well worth visiting if you have the chance. Vermillion Cliffs also has slot canyons ... miles and miles of slot canyons ... but they receive very few visitors. Why, you ask? First, it's Vermillion Cliffs, a monument administered by the BLM, not the Park Service. It has zero amenities and only the bare essentials for it's clients. No flush toilets (just crude chemical tanks that you look into as you sit and do your duty), no electricity, no running water (or water of any kind), no internet, no cell phone ... no anything so It only attracts the most hardy or foolish of us. The road in is not for the faint of heart. And the slot canyons are not well maintained and are in a very natural and chaotic state. Second, there are no guides so you have to figure out everything for yourself. There aren't any signs telling you which way to go. There's no one to even warn you if a flash flood is coming. It's all very primitive and you're definitely on your own. But, and this is the big positive but, there's no $100 fee, no guide telling you to hurry along so the next group can enter and no herd of people randomly snapping away while you try to capture a picture worth remembering. Oh ... and the canyon walls are basically only 2 colors ... vermillion (thus the name) and black. Antelope canyon is a bit more colorful. You decide which is a better bargain...

Vermillion Cliffs - 1mm (1.6 crop), f/18, various exposures, ISO 100, license CC BY-NC 4.0

The dynamic range in the slots was all over the place. Near the bottom you could barely see while the open top was ablaze with light. I did bracketed exposures (5 with 1 ev between them) to get all the shades and that probably wasn't enough. I then put these images through Photomatix and, as usual, I tried not to get too carried away with my sliders. Just blacks and whites and strength in the tone mapping. Then back to Lightroom for some final tweaking of clarity and vibrance. Now, I've got maybe 28 sets of pictures so there's a lot more to process. I quickly scanned the lot and picked a representative but interesting image to process. I'll do more as time permits and, if they're worth it, I'll post them here later.

Water Play

Damn it's cold...

I'd grown lazy down in Zion Canyon. Thousands of feet below the plateau, nights were moderate and comfortable for sleep. Last night wasn't nearly so pleasant. No wind (probably made things a bit worse) but it was so cold. Slept fitfully and awoke around 5 to find the truck covered in frost. It's almost MAY ... hasn't the weather god been watching the calendar? Well, I think I'm heading south anyway, so it probably doesn't matter. Think the next stop is Vermillion Hills National Monument. Won't get to the 'Wave' as I haven't made any reservation and it is the weekend but maybe I can find some beautiful formations to photograph for my growing collection.

Update on the Bryce Canyon Snowfall Photo

The response to that photo (see it on my April 17th blog post) has been so universally positive that I'm now planning to offer the print for sale. Not sure yet of any specifics but hoping to provide smaller sizes from my commercial site (in the works but not ready yet) and a full sized print (roughly 45 x 27) in a framed and matted limited edition sighed by me ... probably through a gallery. It's going to take a while to get all that prepared so watch this space for updates. I really want everyone to enjoy that special image as it is very unique.

The facts and only the facts (I think)...

The big car chase is long over and some facts are emerging. Don't know the guy's name but, according to people here at the campground, he was a wanted fugitive and the cops had been surveilling his hideout for some time. He stole a car, the afore mentioned Hyundai, and made a break for it. Unfortunately, he chose Zion National Park as his getaway route. Not wise as the road forces one to drive very slowly with many switchbacks and a mile long, narrow tunnel to traverse. A park ranger told me he hit the south entrance at 50 mph (in a 15 mph zone) and then he really let fly. Virgin, UT was the last town he blew through, at 100 mph, and just outside of town he ran over some puncture strips. All 4 tires came apart. Understand the little, black Hyundai is now a twisted piece of modern art. He was apprehended and the story ends.

Water Play

I was hiking along the Virgin River, looking for interesting features to photograph. I've already alluded to my interest in long exposures so I was concentrating on the water cascading over all the rocks. Saw an interesting little waterfall and wandered across the sand to investigate. I took pictures there but as I sat on the rocks I noticed this little pile of boulders and the water merrily dancing over and around them. I must have watched this wonderful play for 5 minutes or more and decided to take some photos. Got really close using my 70-200mm and went to work. Once again I was interested in the idea of getting that wonderful misty look when exposures are really long (over a minute) combined with a blending of a fast image (1/2000 of a second) to get something unique. Below I've shown both of the base images along with the final result.

Double click to get larger versions. The stop motion image was rather dark so I lightened it first. Both images went into Photoshop layers with the misty image on top. I dropped it's opacity down to around 50% but I didn't like how muted the rocks were or how washed out the water looked. To correct this I put an adjustment layer between the two images and make it an overlay. Using a dark brush I worked around the rocks and the muddy areas of the water until I got the effect I wanted. Finished the composition in Lightroom with some clarity and vibrance enhancement plus a bit more blacks. Also warmed the image up a bit by increasing the apparent color temperature. It's a fun image and a learning experience which is good enough for me. Not every image can be earth shattering ... don't you think? Problem is I like all three images ... 

Water Play - 78mm (1.6 crop), f/18, various exposures, ISO 100 - license CC BY-NC 4.0

The Watchman

RIP

It is with a sad heart that I announce the apparent death of my Wacom Bamboo tablet. It refused to power up yesterday and all attempts at resuscitation have proven unsuccessful. I think it's the microUSB connection that has failed as 2 different cords made no impact on it's lack of response. I'll miss this little wonder as it's very essential to some of my work but I've no simple way to fix it out here. I'll wait until I get back to Albuquerque and see if I can find someone to look at it. Maybe I'll hardwire the connection as I've always disliked these quick connect fittings which are susceptible to failing, especially when you're in a harsh environment.

A Welcome Visitor

After a long day walking the Virgin River and making a vain but ultimately worthless attempt to climb the Watchman Trail (I have pretty severe asthma and climbing is more than a bit draining), I went back to my campsite to gather strength for the evening's photo shoot. Over the years I've gotten in the habit of taking a short afternoon nap as a way of rejuvenating my tired, battered body. I was sitting in my camp chair, in the shade, enjoying the breeze and dreaming about ... I don't know ... something pleasant I'm sure. In my dream I felt touching on my leg and, being a normal human, jolted awake to find ... a small squirrel , in pursuit of a few stray crumbs from my energy bar, had crawled on my lap to partake of the mini-feast . He looked at me ... I looked at him ... I mentally screamed WTF ... he mentally screamed WTF  ... and, like a rocket, he was gone. Closest I've ever been to a squirrel and, despite the startling way it ended, an interesting and enjoyable experience for both of us (I hope).

What's All The Fuss About?

So, after my rest, I took the Zion shuttle back to the Canyon Junction bridge for another attempt at getting it right. Last night's effort had been, on the whole, a bust because nary a single cloud graced the entire hour long attempt at getting an iconic shot of the most photographed point in the park. The images were interesting but really lacking something. Today offered the opportunity of something more as a small storm had blown through earlier and many nice clouds lingered. Around 6:30, about an hour before sunset, I found my way to the bridge and set up my gear. Soon a small crowd of people had gathered to witness the setting sun's last rays on the Watchman, the iconic tower that graces the southern entrance to the park. It promised to be an interesting evening.

Suddenly, from both ends of the highway, we heard sirens. Almost simultaneously, park ranger's cars appeared and approached the bridge. One ranger screeches to a halt on the bridge and vaults from the car. I'm wondering ... has my past finally caught up with me (just kidding ... I think)? She starts yelling ... 'Clear the bridge, we have an emergency, you must vacate the bridge immediately'. So we grab our gear and run to the nearby parking area. I'm thinking ... medical emergency ... end of the world ... WTF? Then we here more sirens ... and see a helicopter in the upper canyon ... and more sirens ... and pretty soon a black Hyundai comes screaming down the road and make the turn toward the south entrance followed shortly by, basically, every cop from Kane County, each in their huge 4x4 truck, sirens blaring. It's a hot pursuit, a mini parade of noise and dust. Then, it's all over. We all look at each other but no one moves. Finally, I decided I wasn't going to miss this sunset because of a car chase and walked back to the bridge while everyone else hesitated. Eventually the diehards came back and we finished the evening while excitedly discussing what had just happened. As I write this the next morning, I still have no idea what happened. When I find out I'll let you know.

The Watchman

It's iconic to Zion. A huge tower of rock, beautifully colored, standing at the southern entrance to to the canyon. It's one of the few towers that get's evening sun as the canyon runs north to south and is narrow enough that the walls are in shade long before the sun actually sets. Every night people congregate on the Canyon Junction bridge to photograph the tower and the Virgin River that meanders at it's base. I spent over 2 hours there, taking a lot of bracketed photos. The photo below is my last sequence, taken around 8:30. I had to catch the last shuttle south as I wanted no part of the 3 mile walk back to my campsite. Not sure if it's the best of the sequences but it's definitely the last for today. As I only have 2 hours to use my generator, I have to make choices. When I have more time I'll process all the brackets and see if there are any better images. So, for now, this is the Watchman...

The Watchman - 24mm (1.6 crop), f/18, various exposures, ISO 100, license CC BY-NC 4.0

I ran the 3 images through Photomatix to get the HDR but did very little adjustment. Move the black and white sliders just a bit and pushed the strength up to about 85%. That's it. Then back into Lightroom for some minor tweaking, mostly the clarity and vibrance sliders. In this case, I think the image speaks for itself. It may need some minor cropping but that comes later as it's almost time to shut down the generator. Enjoy and let me know what you think.  Personally I think it's a bit too blue and needs to warm up a bit but that's just me. I'm anxious to hear your comments.

The Misty Pool

The Big Guy Made A Mistake...

Zion is a marvelous place. The colors overwhelm and there is just so much to see and photograph. But there is a problem. We are told to seek the light during the 'golden hour' around sunrise and sunset. That's when the light is best ... at it's warmest. Shooting at midday creates harsh images that impress no one. So, I go out to shoot in the evening and what do I get? Shadows everywhere and nothing approaching what the masters tell us is the holly grail of light. Why, you ask? Because Zion Canyon runs North to South, with towering cliffs and majestic peaks on both sides. So, for example, if you're shooting around the Temple of Sinawava in the canyon's far north, the bottom of the canyon goes into shadow around 4 in the afternoon. Now, shadow is OK but it's not the glowing warmth we all seek. Shadow obscure detail and give the image a cool, blue cast. If that's what you want then that's great but not when you're trying to capture the amazing earth tones of the massive cliffs that grace both sides of the canyon. So, I've a small request for the great creator ... could you shift the canyon toward the east-west axis? Just a bit ... maybe 20-30 degrees so the sun washes those majestic walls with some of that 'golden hour' blow? That's not too much to ask ... is it?

The Cool Pool

If you take the Zion park shuttle to the last stop ... the Temple of Sinawava ... and follow the river trail to it's end (where groups enter the river to see the Narrows), there's a place where two massive boulders have joined to create a neat little waterfall. What's really cool about this place is how the water, filled with air bubbles, actually pushes under the surface and then surges upward, creating this iridescent pool filled with bubbling water. When light hits the pool, the bubbles reflect it upward and you get this really interesting glow. The effect is enchanting.

One of the areas I'm really interested in is taking pictures through very dark ND filters ... at least 10 stops. I've got a Lee Big Stopper which is rated at 10 stops and I've been itching to try it out. When I saw this pool, I just knew it was perfect for some experimentation. So, I set the camera as close to the pool as I could and set up the exposure. I wanted a really long shot, at least a minute, to get that etherial 'mist' appearance, where all the structure of the water disappears and all that's left is a 'fog' hovering over the surface. I set the camera at f/8 and that gave me 100 seconds. Perfect!

Now, I had a slightly different image in mind when I took this shot. I love the mist but thought it would be really interesting if I brought back some of the swirling, bubbly exuberance that was the real image. To accomplish that, I took several normal exposures of the pool and then use Photoshop to combine them into a final composition. The result is shown below.

The Misty Pool - 35mm (1.6 crop), f/18, various times, ISO 100
license CC BY-NC 4.0

I had several shots through the ND filter and wanted to combine them in Photomatix so I could get a bit of the HDR look. In particular, I wanted to pull out more intensity from the surrounding rocks and to emphasize the 'glow' in the pool. Then, I took the HDR result into Photoshop and used the brush tool to selectively bring out the bubbles and swirls. I thing the effect look interesting, don't you?

Bryce Canyon - day 4

Sigh ... Colder than ... Oh Hell ... Damn Cold

My last evening in Bryce (finally) it got even worse. The wind wasn't quite as bad but it was impossibly cold and then, to add insult, it started to snow quite heavily. As is my habit, I went to the hoodoos and show another pano (not showing this one as I don't want to overwhelm you with Bryce hoodoo pictures). By the time I got back to my campsite, the road was icy and, for my little pickup, impassable. I tried but the little truck just jumped up and down on the slippery slope but made no progress toward my tent. I was forced to park at the hill's bottom and walk in. Normally this wouldn't be a big issue but I have asthma and the exertion drained me. I found my tent covered in wet snow but still standing (what a great tent ... Marmot I genuflect in your honor). I was too cold and too exhausted to do more than take off my outer coat and put on a warm pair of sweatpants before crawling into my sleeping bag. Unfortunately, it would appear the bag was damp inside meaning I didn't get warm all night and barely slept.

Morning was, superficially, glorious as the ground was covered in snow. I crawled (literally) from my tent and slowly started the uncomfortable process of moving my tent and belongings down the hill. It took 4 trips, each one taking just a little more of my diminished reserve of energy, to get everything into the truck and, call me crazy, one more trip to the hoodoos. I couldn't pass up this opportunity ... the amphitheater covered in snow and the sky ... it was grand. I met a pro photographer, Kevin Burk from LA, on the rim and we had a wonderful conversation about the art of taking landscape pictures. It was a great morning ...

Bryce Canyon Snowfall

This is probably the best of the panos I made in Bryce. It was damn cold and my fingers were frozen but how could I refuse. As Kevin and I talked I set up the camera and waited for the perfect light. It didn't take long and the image below is the result. I can't get enough of this photo. The dynamics just blow my sox off. I may be hard pressed to take any picture better than this during the rest of my cycle. WOW.

Bryce Canyon Snowfall - 16mm (1.6 crop), f/18, varying exposure, ISO 100, license CC BY-NC 4.0

You're familiar with the process by now but there was one rub. For some weird reason, Photoshop refused to crop the panorama. I'll place the crop box where I wanted it and hit return and the picture disappeared ... into the ether I guess. Nothing there. If I used undo there was just a black screen where my beautiful image had been. What do do? Imported the Photoshop file into Lightroom and cropped it there then took it back to Photoshop to finish off. Weird but you got to do what you got to do. Then back into Lightroom for some finishing touches and the result ... takes my breath away. Click on the photo for a larger version ... it's worth the effort I assure you.

Bryce Canyon - day 2

Colder than a Witch's ... redux

Did I say it was cold in Bryce? Oh man, it's been a while since I've suffered so much cold. I live in Crimea and it can be brutal but this was much worse. Awoke to some snow on my truck and a wind that just wouldn't quit. Spent the day trying to stay warm and dreading the trip to the hoodoos again. But, being a crazy photographer, I knew I had to make the trip so around 5 pm took the drive. I wanted a unique perspective so I went to Bryce Point which lies further to the south in the park. You get a completely different view of the valley from there. Along the west wall you see these interesting caverns carved from the vertical face. And then there are the hoodoos... gorgeous as always and a sweeping panorama for sure. But there was a problem ... the wind. I'd have to guess it was blowing close to 75 mph and gusting higher. And cold ... you've no idea. My first inclination was to come back another day and I headed up the path to my car. But the sky way unbelievable and I knew, just knew, that it would never be like this again. So I warmed myself in the truck for a while and headed back ... but first grabbed a piece of rope because I knew I'd need it. The wind hadn't abated at all when I arrived at the very open observation point so I set about tying the tripod to the handrail. It was almost impossible as my fingers froze the instance I took off my gloves. Finally, after far longer than it normally should have taken, the tripod was stable and I was able to quickly snapped off the HDR sequences. I couldn't feel my hands and my face was frozen by the time I finally got the rope free and ran to my truck. What we do for the image ...

Bryce Canyon from Bryce Point

I'm not going to reiterate how this image evolved (check yesterday's post for the gruesome details). HDR pano and the same tools as before. Each image is unique, of course, but I wanted some consistency across all of them so I used the same Photomatix settings as yesterday's the image. There was less tweaking this time but the result is, if possible, even more striking. The colors are spectacular and, unfortunately, probably would not have emerged had it not been for that damned wind and cold. So, I hope you enjoy this image because if you don't ...

Bryce Canyon from Bryce Point - 16mm (1.6 crop), f/18, varying exposure, ISO 100, license CC BY-NC 4.0

Click on the image to get a bigger view.