Slickrock and Shadow

Half and Half Rock:  Yellow and Purple Strips run through everything here! Half and Half Rock is an extension of the surrounding stripes running throughout Coyote Buttes South.  Not only is it amazing that the stripe runs exactly though the middle of the rock but it's mind-blowing that the same stripe continues across the ground and up onto the northern wall of sandstone.  It's like someone with purple chalk drew a wandering line through the whole landscape without regard to obstacles.  This small wonder is one of the first places the casual visitor to Coyote Buttes South discovers.  He sits right on the eastern border and the sandy trail leads to this general area from the parking lot.  If you seek, you will find.  If GPS coordinates help, then here it is:  N 36°57'39.3"  W 111°59'16.9". A literal rock star, this little guy has been photographed by some of the most famous landscape photographers.  Fatali flipped his photograph ...

Yant Flat fins leading to the Turtle Shell After taking 600 pictures in one location on one day, I am often faced with the challenge of choosing the best picture.  I have a soft heart when he comes to the pictures that I have taken and 10 to lungs them just like a lovely children.  Each one is different but it is hard to choose one over the other.  Nevertheless I know that is part of the photography process that must done and I try to force myself to practice this by choosing a photograph each month that is my best effort.  I have a gallery called the "photo of the month"filled with these that goes back to my early photography days. I choose this particular photograph overall of my others because I like the composition.  As I was wandering around Yant Flat I saw this particular group of fins and try to align them headed towards the yellow hill in the background.  I like this composition.  As the sun would come out, I walked over to this area on ...

The Nautilus, a wonderful sandstone formation Up a short wash from the Paria River is an interesting white sandstone formation known as the Nautilus.  It is so named because of the curve it has back on itself.  It is very much like a seashell in shape and color, simply expanded in size.  Having never been here before, I arrived late in the day.  Light was disappearing quickly.  I took several compositions using my tripod for long exposures.  What really amazes me is the white sandstone.  This is very unique and stands apart from the orange/red tones of nearly everything else.  Sweeping lines drawing you in.  You can actually walk into this structure, go around the corner and up to the top.  Another wonderful discovery inside the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument!

The Curve at White Pocket, Arizona Having spent a good amount of time and White Pocket, I still have a few interesting things to share and post.  This photo is from the Gateway section of White Pocket.  I call it "the curve".  The white-topped tower is approximately 70 feet tall.  Because of surrounding structures, this does not give direct light at sunrise or sunset.  However the midmorning is an excellent time to photograph this location.  The sunlight illuminates the red, orange, tan colors beautifully. I also discovered that laying on the sand dune behind the white-topped tower is an excellent place for shelter during a storm.