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.

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.

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.

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. :)

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.