Dragon Bones

In my travels, I have found Utah to possess some of the most captivating landscapes anywhere in the United States. The color variation found in the strata combined with the abundance of photogenic rock formations provides unique opportunities not found elsewhere. Most of this, of course, is observed easily from the ground. However, there are times when an aerial view gives the best (and perhaps only) perspective of the beauty that lies underneath.

I captured this with an aerial drone over some desert badlands. Standing on the surface, the intricacies of the wind & water erosion patterns are barely visible. From above, the scene is complex and filled with textures and interesting shapes. Upon seeing this through my drone's camera, I had a notion I was gazing over the bones of mythical beasts...a graveyard of dragons. Nature can provide some amazing abstracts. 

In all seriousness, there are likely ancient bones under these dunes! We just refer to them as dinosaurs, not dragons. :-)

For those interested in the geeky, technical side of things, this is a panorama made from multiple images stitched together in Photoshop. The ground formations are so large that I could only capture a small portion with each image. I had to position my drone, and then reposition it using a grid-like pattern while taking images in each part of the grid. It was tedious (and challenging due to the strong winds that day), but eventually, I managed to photograph 34 overlapping images covering the region of you see here.

Creating the panorama was easy, as Photoshop worked its magic and automatically combined the multiple images using overlapping features. While it may appear so, I did not color grade the image into 3 different areas. The subtle blue, red & black colors are earth tones that naturally appear here with the yellow being the highest elevation of soil. Simply adjusting the haze and clarity exposed the texture and colors in each layer.

Monumental Sunrise

Visiting Monument Valley was one of many highlights from my trip to the Southwest U.S. It straddles the border of Arizona and Utah but is officially in the territory of the Navajo Nation. It has been featured in numerous films dating back to the earliest Westerns and is, perhaps, what most people think of when they imagine the American West.

There is a scenic 16-mile dirt road that loops around and in-between the numerous sandstone buttes. One stop along this road is named Artist's Point, and it was my favorite place to watch the sunrise. The overlook faces northwest and is shadowed by a large mesa. While you cannot see the sun, it provides a perfect vantage point to watch the 1,000-foot tall rock formations light up.

I went there expecting the red rocks to become saturated in the soft morning light. I did not anticipate having wispy clouds in the dry climate, but they were a welcome addition. As I stood there watching the light make its way to the valley floor, another surprise developed. Slowly, interesting patterns of light and shadow emerged as the sun touched the top of the small dunes in the foreground. This combination of elements provided a unique moment to capture.

Lastly, an unforeseen benefit of this overlook is that it draws a relatively low number of visitors. I spent the entire morning here completely alone, allowing for an incredibly peaceful, monumental sunrise.

Tidal Wave

This is a wall of blue shale rock that rises nearly 900 feet from the desert floor in central Utah. During the day it is far less vibrant as the sunlight mutes the colors. At dawn and dusk though, the cool tones shine through and create a striking scene next to the surrounding wastelands.

The color near the top of the formation changes from blue to brown, with the very top section being orange sandstone. I mostly cropped these colors out of the image to focus on the blue ripples. However, I love the sparse orange boulders that have fallen from the top creating interesting subjects and color contrast.

This is a panorama made from 5 images stitched together. I stood about 1 kilometer away from the wall and used a 150mm telephoto lens to zoom in and capture as much detail as possible. It is hard to describe the scale of this formation, but if you look closely, you can see me standing in the bottom center of the image.

You may have to click on the image and view the larger version to see me more clearly. But trust me, I am there with arms outstretched…soon to be enveloped by the blue wave.

Eye of the Strom

No, Strom is not a typo… :-) This was taken on a recent 14 hour layover in San Francisco. About 9 hours were spent sleeping, but I did manage to wander around the city center for a couple of hours and take a few photos. This was captured in the Nordstrom atrium in the Westfield San Francisco Centre. I didn’t actually do any shopping, but I did spend several minutes here gazing up at the beautiful design. It wasn’t very crowded, so I was able to take my time and try several compositions. This was my favorite position, standing in the center, looking up at the swirling Eye of the Strom.

Mesa Arch Sunrise

Over the past several years, Mesa Arch has become well known to photographers and tourists. Its reputation of being one of the best places in the area to catch the sunrise has spread and (on most mornings) dozens of people gather here with their cameras ready.

If you get the proper conditions, the sun will light up the stone underneath the arch as it rises over the distant mountains, saturating the red rock and creating a glow beneath the arch. My first attempt, the day before, was a dud…the rising sun was blocked by clouds so there was no light or color. The second day was much better.

I knew the area would get crowded close to sunrise, so I arrived early and set up in the dark before anyone else arrived. I had researched where the sun would rise, which made it easier to compose the scene and allowed me to set up off to the side, low to the ground, where I would have a good view underneath the arch. It is not the standard composition most people capture, but I liked the angles and the idea of getting something a little different.

You cannot tell from this image, but there were probably 20-30 people to my left, all clicking away, doing there best to capture a good photo. It was a beautiful sunrise, but was fairly short-lived. Soon after I took this, the sun went behind the clouds and the light & color faded, but I was happy to have captured the moment.

Ripcurl

Even if you are not familiar with the name Antelope Canyon, I suspect most of you have seen photographs taken here. Over the past several years, it has been one of the most popular photo destinations in the Southwest U.S.A.

Antelope Canyon is made up of two separate slot canyons, the “Upper” & the “Lower. Both are located on Navajo land and are accessible only by guided tours. This image was taken in the narrow & twisting Lower Antelope Canyon. Over the years, the soft sandstone has been eroded by flash floods, sculpting unique rock formations that flow and curve in various shapes and forms.

The colors you see in the sandstone change dramatically as light enters the canyon and bounces off of the various surfaces. Mostly it is orange, but yellows, reds and purples are commonly seen, many times in the same area.

It is definitely worth a visit if you are near Page, Arizona. Pick a sunny day (most are here), get your ticket in advance, and of course, bring your camera.

Delicate

During my visit to Arches National Park, the park was temporarily closed from before sunset to after sunrise. I had hoped to spend a couple of mornings and evenings photographing the unique rock formations found here, but this was not possible due to a construction project on the main road.

I rarely shoot landscape images in the middle of the day. Usually at this time, the light is too harsh. Often colors also get washed out and/or dark shadows distract from the scene. As a result, I was not expecting to get any compelling photographs during my time inside the park. I was a little disappointed, but I knew the hiking and scenery would still be fantastic, so I spent a couple of days exploring the park.

For the most part, I was correct. The hiking and scenery were great, but the light was harsh and photos just would not capture the beauty of the place. However, the day I hiked up to Delicate Arch (perhaps the most famous natural arch in the park) I found the scene to be very photogenic. A thin cloud to the left softened the sun just enough and I found the color contrast of the blue sky and red rocks to be beautiful. Of course it also helps to have the impressive Delicate Arch in the scene…seeing it in person is well worth the hike. Fortunately the shadow of the arch also cooperated, as from this angle you hardly notice it stretching away into the natural amphitheater below.

It is not the peaceful golden hour image most photographers strive for…but I do think it captures the beauty of a very unique place. I hope you agree. :)

Iron Sights

If you have watched episodes of the television series Mr. Robot, there is a good chance you have seen this building. In the series, it is the corporate headquarters of E Corp (mostly referred to as Evil Corp by the characters).

In reality, it is a Post-Modern building in New York City on East 57th street. I took this image a few years ago before seeing it on TV. What I particularly liked about it was the tall, open ring supported by columns in front of the building. The ring ties in with the curved arc of the tower's facade and if you stand underneath, it allows dramatic, framed views through the opening.

The challenge is positioning yourself (and the camera) to capture the symmetry of the two structures. The combination of lines and curves will easily reveal imperfections in the composition, and I knew that just the slightest error in camera angle would be noticeable.

I did not have a tripod, so I shuffled back and forth while looking through the viewfinder trying to find the correct spot to stand and the proper angle for the camera. I have to admit, this was rather difficult and I made several failed attempts at capturing the symmetry I wanted. It felt a little bit like lining up the crosshairs of a large scope. Through trial and error, I was able to hone in on a position/angle combination that I was happy with and pulled the trigger.

Alstrom Point

Alstrom Point has, perhaps, the most beautiful view over Glen Canyon. It was one of my first stops when I visited the Southwest US in the spring of 2017. As it is difficult to travel to this spot, I joined up with 3 other photographers to hire a local guide to drive us out the rough trail (it is not a road). The trail requires a high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle and takes about 75 minutes to travel the 24 miles to the end. The ride out was exciting, involving several difficult passages best left to an experienced local driver. It also included numerous stops to take in the incredible panoramas. 

When the terrain became so difficult that the 4x4 could travel no farther, we hiked a short way to the Alstrom point overlook. Before us was Glen Canyon and one of the most amazing views any of us had ever seen. The contrast of the deep blues against the yellows, oranges & reds was striking. Combine that with the majestic Gunsight Butte that seems to rise right out of the fingers of Lake Powell and you have a landscape photographer’s dream.

We arrived about an hour before sunset. The sky was mostly clear and remained blue as the sun descended behind us. Fortunately, the golden light did create a boost of color as it reflected off of the rock formations. I snapped this just moments before the direct light disappeared casting Gunsight Butte and the entire valley into shadow.

When I returned home, I found that the timing was fortunate in one other way I had not seen in the moment. As it turns out, there was a cloud that cast a shadow on the formations behind Gunsight Butte. The dark shadow provides additional depth and separation from Navajo mountain (some 35 miles in the distance).  Not necessary, but convenient nonetheless. 

I always love a colorful sunset…but I think I prefer blue skies at Alstrom Point…as it provides balance to a scene already filled with warm tones.

The Hub

I spent a few days in New York City last week and was able to visit the new World Trade Center for the first time. Seeing the tallest building in the Western hemisphere was obviously very striking, but I found the grounds, the 911 memorial and this, the Transportation Hub, to be equally impressive. 

This is the Oculus in the Hub…the main arched, elliptical opening approximately 350 feet long. It is a beautiful design with the numerous steel ribs extending upward almost 100 feet to the skylight above.

The main purpose of the structure is to serve 250,000 daily commuters on train and subway lines. As a result, it is usually filled with people coming and going. Actually, it was filled with people when I captured this image. However, by using a little photography magic, I was able to make the people disappear.

Okay, so it is not really magic…it is actually a fairly simple technique used by a lot of photographers. Since I had brought a mini-tripod with me, I was able to take multiple exposures over 10 minutes using the same composition. There were people in each exposure, but as they were moving, they were in different positions in each frame. Once I uploaded the images into Photoshop, I was able to blend the various exposures together and, essentially, make the people disappear. The result is an empty hub allowing the viewer to appreciate the lines and shapes of a beautiful piece of architecture.

Of course I would prefer not to have to use this technique and have the place all to myself. However, unless you somehow find yourself completely alone in NYC, it can prove useful. :)
 

Holy Water

This is Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona…one of of the many photogenic rock formations that populate the desert landscape here. Due to the numerous trails that go up and around Cathedral Rock, you can appreciate it from almost every angle. The most popular trail is on the East side of the formation, as it allows you to hike up and look through the middle gap. 

I found this spot while exploring less frequented trails on the Western side, looking for a place to photograph sunset. If you are not familiar with Sedona, you may be surprised to learn that the best sunset views are actually facing East, not West! The rocks have a tendency to glow red and orange from the soft light just before the sun disappears.

I was surprised to find this pool of water on an area of exposed rock. It hadn’t rained in over a week, but somehow, perhaps from a natural spring, a shallow pool existed in this arid climate. It provided a great reflection of the peaks as the sun went down behind me.