Slickrock and Shadow

East Temple as seen from the West Rim Trail Background: The West Rim Trail is one of the top backpacking trips in all of Utah.  It is the best and most renown backpacking trail in Zion National Park.  For over a decade I've had it on my wish list and never seemed to get things started.  Finally I made a short bucket list of things to do, short enough that I could accomplish some of these things each year.  I have less than 10 things on this list.  West Rim Trail made the list and I finally stopped making excuses and instead took those days off work.  Time to stop planning and start doing. The Permit: I went as a walk-in to the ranger station at 6 AM, waited in line and got my lucky top-choice campsite:  # 5.  Why #5?  Campsite 5 is right in the middle of the hike, it's right on the edge of Phantom Valley, it's right where I wanted to be for sunset and sunrise.  And I got it.  Yes!  Campsites 4 and 6 are also on the pla...

Road through Winnats Pass I saw some spectacular photos of Winnats pass when researching the Peaks District.  They impressed me so much I decided to go here for my sunrise.  I started off hiking along the southern edge which became higher and higher.  Deep grass was easily negotiated because there are some footpaths running here and there.  I hiked out to those prominent rocks in the upper picture and shot a mostly-cloudy sunrise.  My result is the photo below. Winnats Pass at Sunrise The small town in the distant haze is Castleton, UK.  I went there for sunrise and found some clouds, a little bit of light peeking through and some colors in the sky.  Looking down, I found much more to be excited about: green like I never see covering all the hills, crags and slopes.  From high up on the canyon precipice I watched the light slowly come into the world.  The vibrant green color and steep canyons here reminded me of Hawaii. After hiki...

Walking to Duddo Stone circle through a vast wind-swept field! Imagine a stone circle in England that stands on a mound with fields in every direction:  nothing to block the view from this ancient stone circle.  The Duddo Stones form a 5-stone circle that can be walked to over a flat farmer's field.  Near Duddo, UK, this circle is a bit off the beaten path in Northumberland.  A few small signs will point you in the right direction.  A right-of-way path goes through some fields.  After about 1/2 a mile of walking, you'll see this view of the stones with a direct path to them. The stones are rough with deep creases and irregular shapes.  Some distant fields are yellow with rapeseed. All 5 Duddo stones Duddo Stones with deep gouges and lines. Duddo Stones in a big universe And to get the spooky and eerie feeling, I processed this shot in black and white. Black and White:  Duddo Stone Circle

Skyfall, the place Skyfall is a catchy name for a James Bond movie.  The actual location Skyfall is near Glencoe, Scotland.  When exploring around I couldn't resist the urge to see this place, to say I'd been to Skyfall myself. What's there?  Air, mountains, valleys, green growth, big skies. What's not there?  People, James Bond's home, civilization. This panorama is at the end of the road (it's a dead end) looking back over the terrain from Kings House to Skyfall.  Deer jump across the roads, clouds pass surprisingly quickly across the sky and times doesn't seem to matter.  I'd recommend a visit.

Kanab Point at the exact moment of Sunrise Kanab point has everything I'd want in a Grand Canyon viewpoint.  It's remote.  My family had it all to ourselves.  It's got great views at sunrise and sunset.  It's got towering rock pillars and distant twisted dark canyons.  It overlooks the confluence of two huge canyons:  the Grand Canyon and Kanab Canyon.  You can see all the way down to the water far below.  It's pretty undiscovered as far as photography goes. After camping there overnight, I got up before sunrise and went to the point looking east.  The sun will rise over Kanab Creek to the east and the main Grand Canyon with the Colorado is slightly to the southeast.  You can include views in any direction except northwest.  It drops off in sheer cliffs in all those directions. I shot with a variety of lenses to bring some specific things into focus, such as the Golden Rocky Towers with a 70-200 mm lens.  I used the 17...

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...

Bridal Shoot in southern Utah Here's is Part Two of my fun and fast photo-fest with Mark and Missy.  We shot their bridal portraits the afternoon after their engagement shots.  We chose an empty world outside of the city for these shots.  The true nothing-ness surrounding them gives an exotic feel.