“Canyon Trees, Layered Rocks, Autumn” — Layered rocks and small trees with the last leaves of autumn, Utah.
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.
Speaking as a complete non-expert, I think that what we’re looking at here is a boundary between the low point of a small playa-like section of dried earth and a slightly higher area with black pebbles. The pebbles appear to be volcanic material from a nearby eruption that took place hundreds or thousands of years ago. (The particular feature may have erupted as recently as 800 years, though it has also possibly been longer.)
“Shoreline and Reflected Ridge” — A Sierra Nevada ridge reflected in a subalpine wilderness lake.
If you are a Sierra Nevada backcountry traveler, you recognize this a a classic Range of Light scene. It was early morning, and I had been photographing since before sunrise. I walked the shoreline of this subalpine lake, following terrain like that in this photograph. The sun’s light angled across the high peaks and talus slopes as it rose above ridges to the east.
When I first backpacked many years ago, I was astonished by the mere existence of such places and the idea that I could wander through them. Eventually I slowed down and no longer thought of scenes like this as just staging for the higher peaks, but as important places on their own. These days I’m happy to linger with my camera gear, often pausing just to look.
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“The Old Oak Tree” — An old oak tree with autumn foliage, Yosemite Valley.
While this big oak tree grows in a meadow filled with scores of other beautiful oaks, it presents a different appearance than its neighbors. The other trees, perhaps because many of them grow close together, tend to be somewhat tall and slender. But this tree is massive, with thick trunk and main branches, and it spreads widely — enough so that it is as wide as it is tall.
One of Yosemite Valley’s monumental granite faces rises nearby behind this tree and its neighbors. Because that face is tall and to the south, its shadow falls across the trees for hours every day. I photographing it after the late-day shadow had arrived, which gives a softness to the image that would not be there in full sunlight.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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