p.1 #1 · Autumn Road Trip: Eastern California and Utah
It has been too long since I've been able to do a long photographic trip, for the reasons that we all are aware of. During the past year-and-a-half or so, my opportunities to travel have been limited and until recently the only successful longer trip was a winter visit to relatively remote and (mostly) isolated areas of Death Valley. A few other trips were interrupted by California wildfires, including a couple of attempts at backpacking. Finally this autumn I was able to get away, and we spent a few days in the Eastern Sierra before heading out to Southwest Utah. Some photographs...
p.1 #8 · Autumn Road Trip: Eastern California and Utah
Thanks, folks. I continue to work my way through even more of the new images... and I'm reminded that there are few places anywhere that are as colorful and varied as Southwest Utah in autumn.
p.1 #9 · Autumn Road Trip: Eastern California and Utah
great set of images, I always tend to read your posts on Utah as I often travel there and like to learn as much as I can about it.. thank you for posting.
p.1 #10 · Autumn Road Trip: Eastern California and Utah
Creative Edge wrote:
great set of images, I always tend to read your posts on Utah as I often travel there and like to learn as much as I can about it.. thank you for posting.
Thanks!
I'll share a few photography tips for the place.
1. I am used to photographing in places where the very early and very late hours bring the best light, but in red rock country — especially canyon country — those rules don't apply the same way. There is certainly good golden hour light, but sometimes the intensity of the color can be overwhelming. (See my shot of sunrise light on a face in Zion for an example. I actually had to tone down the saturation!)
2. In canyons the better times are often closer to the middle of the day, when the direct sunlight strikes the upper cliff faces and reflects warm, soft light down into the canyons. It is almost as if this is a different sort of golden hour. (When I'm in a canyon I'm often scoping out what I think the light will look like much later in the day so that I can return when the reflected light appears.)
3. The big vistas can be a challenge.The distance diminishes the color intensity and contrast and using long lenses can lead to some sharpness issues with atmospheric interference. Clouds are good if you can arrange for them!
4. Wind, even a bit of it, is your enemy in the deeper and narrower canyons. Do not mention it or the wind gods may take vengeance on you.
5. Getting out on foot often can give you a bit of distance on crowds. On the day we were in Zion Canyon there were tons of people at the shuttle stop where we got off. But when we walked down canyon, photographing as we went, there was hardly anyone around!
6. There are tons of backroads in Utah that are accessible with 4WD or even, in the hands of a skillful driver, a less rugged vehicle. Many of them are worth exploring. There's lots to be discovered.
I cannot get enough of the place. A few years ago I spent the better part of October around the southern part of the state, and I've been there a bunch of other times... and I feel like I've still just scratched the surface.
p.1 #11 · Autumn Road Trip: Eastern California and Utah
gdanmitchell wrote:
Thanks!
I'll share a few photography tips for the place.
1. I am used to photographing in places where the very early and very late hours bring the best light, but in red rock country — especially canyon country — those rules don't apply the same way. There is certainly good golden hour light, but sometimes the intensity of the color can be overwhelming. (See my shot of sunrise light on a face in Zion for an example. I actually had to tone down the saturation!)
2. In canyons the better times are often closer to the middle of the day, when the direct sunlight strikes the upper cliff faces and reflects warm, soft light down into the canyons. It is almost as if this is a different sort of golden hour. (When I'm in a canyon I'm often scoping out what I think the light will look like much later in the day so that I can return when the reflected light appears.)
3. The big vistas can be a challenge.The distance diminishes the color intensity and contrast and using long lenses can lead to some sharpness issues with atmospheric interference. Clouds are good if you can arrange for them!
4. Wind, even a bit of it, is your enemy in the deeper and narrower canyons. Do not mention it or the wind gods may take vengeance on you.
5. Getting out on foot often can give you a bit of distance on crowds. On the day we were in Zion Canyon there were tons of people at the shuttle stop where we got off. But when we walked down canyon, photographing as we went, there was hardly anyone around!
6. There are tons of backroads in Utah that are accessible with 4WD or even, in the hands of a skillful driver, a less rugged vehicle. Many of them are worth exploring. There's lots to be discovered.
I cannot get enough of the place. A few years ago I spent the better part of October around the southern part of the state, and I've been there a bunch of other times... and I feel like I've still just scratched the surface.
Dan,
thank you and I completely agree with all of the above. My wife and I have been going to Utah for the past 25 years and it is never enough. It is also our kid's favorite place to visit. This year while in Moab we are going to rent a 4x4 side by side so that we can explore trails only accessible with 4x4's. It seems like each trip we find something new to do.. thanks again and keep posting.
Michael
p.1 #12 · Autumn Road Trip: Eastern California and Utah
The picture “Last Leafs” is very nice!
Great control over the depth, if the rocks where as sharp as the leafs the picture would have looked way to flat. I like it 👍
p.1 #13 · Autumn Road Trip: Eastern California and Utah
Sason wrote:
The picture “Last Leafs” is very nice!
Great control over the depth, if the rocks where as sharp as the leafs the picture would have looked way to flat. I like it 👍
Thanks!
Nice catch regarding the subtle difference between main subject sharpness and that of the background. Part of that is a result of my fondness for using long lenses for landscape photography — they let me "edit" out various things other than the main subject, and they let me narrow DOF a bit.
Other things contribute to drawing attention to a primary subject in a photograph like that one. The difference in lighting between the tree (brighter, with a ton of backlight) and the rocks (in shadow) makes a big difference. In this case the color contrast (green versus the reddish/bluish tones in the rocks) increases separation, and I think that the difference in saturation helps, too.
p.1 #16 · Autumn Road Trip: Eastern California and Utah
Very nice set Dan. I learn something every time you post. I especially like the lighting on the tree in the first image and the contrast with the soft colors of the background.
p.1 #17 · Autumn Road Trip: Eastern California and Utah
Jeffrey, SeattleDucks, and fotofoow... thanks for your comments. (And, fotofoow, as a lifelong teacher by profession, I'm gratified that you are learning something from my posts.)
Since I posted this set I have continued to work on the rest of the raw files from this trip, and it looks like I may have another set to post before long.
