Slickrock and Shadow

Eye:  Hobgoblin Playground (Little Finland) landscape photography This is a timely post because this location was recently designated Gold Butte National Monument.  It is also known as Hobgoblin Playground.  The name that most people recognize is Little Finland.  That name is the most mysterious and curious.  I assume it is referring to the sandstone "fins" which are present on many of these delicate creatures.  The name hobgoblin seems to make more sense because it is similar to Goblin Valley in Utah.  Nevertheless by any name it is an interesting place to visit and I must say it is a long road to visit.  The scenery is pretty, lonely.  I have no idea if President Obama has ever visited this area before turning it into a national monument.  This designation will surely bring more visitors to the area.  The beauty is undisputed. Pincer:  the lobster or crab reaches out in this bizarre sandstone shape. As far as photog...

A new lens can inspire any photographer to get out and try his or her hand.  After much internal debate, I recently purchased the Canon 17mm tilt-shift lens.  Tilt shifts are special lenses with special powers and certain limitations.  Having shot with the 24mm and 90mm tilt shift lenses for several years, I knew what it could add to my photographic abilities:  wide, sharp landscapes without the distortion normally introduced with wide-angle lenses. With excitement, I took off over the desert into Nevada in search of the Hobgoblin Playground, also known as "Little Finland."  Not sure how Finland comes into this, but Hobgoblins certainly live here and stick their faces out of rock in weird and wonderful ways.  I explored and enjoyed for 2 hours before the sunset with my two daughters in tow.  They loved the weird wonderland.  Another photographer from Germany also was there. Hobgoblin faces the setting sun. As the sun was about to go dow...