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
I photographed this great egret back in late February during one of my last seasonal visits to a place where I photograph migratory birds every winter. This bird, like so many egrets I see out there, was hunting on its own, moving methodically and slowly toward its prey. If you did not realize what the bird was doing you might not understand its behavior, but once you do the purpose of its focused attention becomes clear.
Continue reading Egret On The Hunt