Several things about the scene caught my attention as we passed through this area in of Capitol Reef National Park. The background is one of the thickest and most monumental strata in this area of the park. The surface of this solid rock is, however, marked in all sorts of ways. Notably there are stains from flowing water, and in a couple of vertical bands the flow has been regard enough to encourage the growth of lichens.
Continue reading Juniper Tree, Water-Stained Cliff
Remembering the October day when I made this photograph, I recall that there were some thunderstorms around the area and that we had mixed light. These were those wonderful conditions where it might rain one moment and the next there might be brilliant sunshine, always with the possibility of a dramatic sky. It appears that I made this exposure during one of those sunny breaks. (Looking at other original exposures in the sequence, not all of them had this light.)
Continue reading Sandstone Towers
This was a magical spot at a deeply-shadowed bend in the canyon of an Utah River. A small group of us had spent the morning working our way slowly through a section of red rock canyon, alternating between sun in the straight sections and shade where the river inevitably made the next bend. At every bend we would peek around the corner, see something interesting, and say, “Just to the next bend.” Finally, we ran out of time at this point, photographed here, then turned around and started back.
Continue reading Canyon Trees, Layered Rocks, Autumn
A few years a small group of us were headed into a beautiful Utah canyon on a late-October morning. We were looking forward to photographing the colorful canyon walls, the river flowing along its path, and autumn cottonwood tree colors. But as we approached the canyon entrance, before the walls began to rise above us, we were distracted by an area filled with this brush with its own version of fall color.
Continue reading Autumn Brush