Cathedral Valley in Color
p.1 #1Cathedral Valley in Color
I recently posted some B&W images from Cathedral Valley in Capital Reef NP, here are some in color.
Temple of the Moon Moonrise
Like I said in the B&W post we parked our truck-camper (my most important piece of landscape photography gear!) just outside the park boundary fence for the night. At first I was a bit disappointed not to camp next to The Temple of The Moon for sunrise shots without waking my wife, but then I realized I could launch my drone from our camp site! I froze my fingers at dawn, but it was worth it.
Temple Of The Sun with MP4 tele
Wide lens manual pano
Like I said in the B&W post we parked our truck-camper (my most important piece of landscape photography gear!) just outside the park boundary fence for the night. At first I was a bit disappointed not to camp next to The Temple of The Moon for sunrise shots without waking my wife, but then I realized I could launch my drone from our camp site! I froze my fingers at dawn, but it was worth it.
Apr 22, 2026 at 10:41 AM
p.1 #2Cathedral Valley in Color
Love the pano. Especially that kiss of clouds.
russell
russell
Apr 22, 2026 at 11:18 AM
p.1 #3Cathedral Valley in Color
excellent position for well balanced composition, especially 4th one is impressive
Apr 22, 2026 at 04:15 PM
p.1 #4Cathedral Valley in Color
Yes, you can launch from outside. But you can camp in the park, too. Nice imaging!
Apr 22, 2026 at 04:37 PM
p.1 #5Cathedral Valley in Color
The pano for me, too. Isn't yuour wife used to being awakend when you leave for early morning shots?
Apr 22, 2026 at 06:55 PM
p.1 #6Cathedral Valley in Color
Love #1 and #3, Jim! Does NPS now allow drones to be flown inside park boundaries? I haven’t kept up on the rules since i don’t have a drone.
Apr 23, 2026 at 09:41 AM
p.1 #7Cathedral Valley in Color
Thanks for all the comments guys.
Monica, yes, Debbie is used to waking up while I make my coffee, but I try not to get her all the way out of bed and dressed for rough driving. I live by the adage that "A happy wife = a happy life," - I don't want her to quit coming on my desert adventures
Jeffery, there are lots of signs now past the fence in this area that say no camping, and the rangers at the visitor center confirmed that the only camping out there now is on BLM land. It is so close that it doesn't make much difference. I'm sure you could get away with it in the park, no rangers there on our visit, but following the rules was what allowed me to fly the drone.
Ross, it is legal in all parks to fly over them as long as you launch and land outside the boundary. In this case I didn't keep exact track of it, but mostly flew straight up to get the view, then used the different lenses to get these shots. I didn't want to fly in and disturb the people walking around the formations.
Monica, yes, Debbie is used to waking up while I make my coffee, but I try not to get her all the way out of bed and dressed for rough driving. I live by the adage that "A happy wife = a happy life," - I don't want her to quit coming on my desert adventures
Jeffery, there are lots of signs now past the fence in this area that say no camping, and the rangers at the visitor center confirmed that the only camping out there now is on BLM land. It is so close that it doesn't make much difference. I'm sure you could get away with it in the park, no rangers there on our visit, but following the rules was what allowed me to fly the drone.
Ross, it is legal in all parks to fly over them as long as you launch and land outside the boundary. In this case I didn't keep exact track of it, but mostly flew straight up to get the view, then used the different lenses to get these shots. I didn't want to fly in and disturb the people walking around the formations.
Apr 23, 2026 at 02:42 PM
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p.1 #9Cathedral Valley in Color
I love no. 3 and the pano depth is amazing.
Apr 23, 2026 at 05:54 PM
p.1 #10Cathedral Valley in Color
Jim Dockery wrote:
Ross, it is legal in all parks to fly over them as long as you launch and land outside the boundary. In this case I didn't keep exact track of it, but mostly flew straight up to get the view, then used the different lenses to get these shots. I didn't want to fly in and disturb the people walking around the formations.
Jim, thanks for that info.
Ross, it is legal in all parks to fly over them as long as you launch and land outside the boundary. In this case I didn't keep exact track of it, but mostly flew straight up to get the view, then used the different lenses to get these shots. I didn't want to fly in and disturb the people walking around the formations.
Jim, thanks for that info.
Apr 23, 2026 at 06:08 PM
p.1 #11Cathedral Valley in Color
Very nice Jim, all of them, pano's my favorite though!
Apr 23, 2026 at 06:24 PM
p.1 #12Cathedral Valley in Color
Jim, I really dig number three. Very soft lighting mixed with the full on texture. Great scene!
Apr 23, 2026 at 07:34 PM
p.1 #13Cathedral Valley in Color
Great shots Jim! What a place! LOVE #1 with the sun in the cradle there!
Joel
Joel
Apr 27, 2026 at 06:41 AM
p.1 #14Cathedral Valley in Color
Those are beautiful shots, and I'm particularly taken by the last drone shot. Having just bought a decent drone (though still sub-250g), I'm always on the lookout for interesting angles so I can learn and experiment.
Apr 27, 2026 at 02:38 PM
p.1 #15Cathedral Valley in Color
Nice shots Jim. I was out there last year and really love the area where the temples are. I was also blown away by the badlands (Bentonite Hills especially) on the way out there. I do need to camp out there someday so I can catch sunrise.
Apr 27, 2026 at 09:39 PM