Slickrock and Shadow

Full Moon Setting as seen from Phantom Ranch Beautiful moment of the full moon setting between peaks and reflecting off the surface of the Colorado River.  This moment happened half-way through the trip.  I'd photographed continually but I was not expecting to do any night photography.  But when something this beautiful happens, the photographer deep within jumps within me and I must answer.  Picture this:  early morning, quiet, slightly cool with the river sounds bouncing off the canyon walls.  I wake up to this but it's still dark, except it's not that dark because we have a full moon.  I see it.  I put on my glasses and I see it  better.  The moon is setting, it's beautiful and it'll be over in a flash.  I spring to action:  open pelican box, grab camera, grab remote cable release, grab tripod and begin running to the edge of the river to capture the reflected water.  The moon moves quickly and I got this one...

 Gondolas and Venice Lagoon  A great way to have a wonderful photographic city all to yourself is to wander around at night.  The crowds vanished for me as I went from the Accademia bridge to La Salute church and then ended up back at St. Mark's Square.  There are lots of things to keep your camera snapping.   One essential tool is a tripod.  Although it is challenging to carry a tripod while traveling light, I managed to bring my Gitzo Traveler tripod (GT1542) with Markins Q10 ballhead.  This was large enough to support my camera with some medium-weight lenses and yet small enough to fit into my backpack which I carried on to the plane along with all my other photographic equipment.  This allowed me the freedom to take very long exposures and get creative. Italian Couple  Night Water Taxi 

Lamp Posts at the Louvre Paris is at night is a fantastic experience.  The monuments all take on more splendor and you feel like your are in a magical place.  A photographer could spend many nights visiting great locations.  I couldn't see them all during my stay but did manage some visits.  My favorite are posted here:  Place de la Concorde, Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre were all wonderful.  A tripod is required for these long-exposure shots.  I brought my carry-along-size Gitzo traveler tripod.  This is a marvelous tool. Some individual comments for specific locations: Arc de Triomphe:  those photos of blurred car circling the arc are not typical.  You need LOTS of traffic for that, much more than on a typical Paris evening.  I liked getting under the arc and shooting up. Place de la Concorde:  the fountain waters turn on and off every few minutes.  If they are not on, wait a few minutes and they will light u...

Pyramid and Louvre Abstract The Louvre's fame reaches into every possible category:  ancient art, modern art, classic architecture and modern marvel.  There are many grand castles across Europe but only one has a giant glass pyramid.  This juxtaposition of modern and ancient in the middle of the world's art capital just works.  It's bold to take a classic and alter it dramatically.  The French lead the way for all of art. Triangular Architecture Approaching this architectural icon as a photographer was delightful.  During my Paris stay, I was near the Louvre.  I visited it several times:  around sunset, around midnight, around sunrise.  I also went inside the Louvre during the day for the art that is kept there . . . but that's another story.  So, enjoy my take on the pyramid:  that's what makes the Louvre so unique. Paris Light Shoot Through Glass Louvre Wakes Up Reflections off the Glass Pyramid...

Seven Sisters of Valley of Fire State Park On a recent trip to Valley of Fire State Park, I arrived early.  I was hoping to be present for the sunrise and even consider doing some night photography. Night photography requires a few elements in the subject for it to be successful.  Typically there needs to be something that extends vertically into the sky, there needs to be some movement either in the clouds or the stars.  If the stars are the subject, everything else can be dark.  If the stars are not the subject, there needs to be enough light to show some of the land. On this particular evening, I had a full moon.  There were some clouds that were moving by relatively quickly.  I decided to stop next to the road at the rock formations known as the "Seven Sisters."  In what is the controversial subject, the state park has put a lot picnic tables between these beautiful rock formations.  That's very nice for picnics but it kind of spoils ...

Storm Arrives over Coral Pink Sand Dunes Coral Pink Sand Dunes:  a jewel that should not be missed at sunset, according to Laurent Martres.  He describes the sand turning an exquisite shake of pink just as the sun disappears.  On my way back from a weekend phototrip to White Pocket, I decided to see if this would happen for me. Summer monsoon season is in full swing this year and I'd had intermittent rainstorms during the prior 48 hours.  Between storms, gorgeous sunlight lit up the world for stunning photographs.  I figured the sun would come out at the end of the day and reward me.  I was wrong. After wandering across the dunes to set up for sunset, clouds went from thick to thicker.  The sun never peeked through but I found the evening light turned the clouds a deep blue color.  Blue and pink are wonderful complimentary colors and I took this shot just as the night was coming on at f/11, 3/10 of a second and ISO 200 to prevent ...