This month’s photo comes from Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, in southwestern Utah.  We visited the dunes in January; unlike other dunes I’ve visited, the sand here is full of iron oxides, giving it a brilliant red-pink color.  At sunset, the color gets even more brilliant.  The state park is an excellent place for camping and recreation, but the beauty of visiting in January is that you have the place to yourself.  Despite the brilliance of the entire dunes, I created this intimate landscape as the sun was going down, and its been one of my favorite photos of 2010 so far.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes, January 2010

Hope you enjoy the photo!  To see all my shots from Coral Pink Sand Dunes, click here.

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In my last two blog posts (here and here), I described adventures down two technical slot canyons located in Zion National park in southwestern Utah.  Having been through these canyons before, without a camera, I knew it would be a crime to go through them again without a camera.  Because these canyons take 6-11 hours each without time for photography, I didn’t have a lot of time to stop for photos, but I’m glad I was able to bring some images home with me.

The final canyon I visited on my recent trip is located on BLM land outside of Zion National Park.  With the proper vehicle, this canyon could be driven to easily, but we had a very easy 1/2 mile walk to the mouth of the canyon.  Although the surrounding ecosystem is pinon-juniper woodland, this little gem is very reminiscent of Lower Antelope Canyon without the crowds (with the exception of one local family hoping to escape the heat, my dad and I had this canyon completely to ourselves).

Red Cave I, June 2010

Red Cave II, June 2010

After two days of rushing to find time for photography, it was very pleasant to be able to relax, slow down, and compose shots without worrying about holding my companions up.  All in all, though, it was a fine trip.  Indeed, if you let them, the chaos and beauty of the canyons will make you calmer, gentler, sweeter.  Here’s hoping you can find what relaxes you this summer.

To see all of my Red Cave shots, click here.

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In my last post, I described Mystery Canyon, a slot canyon located in the backcountry of Zion National Park.  The day after visiting Mystery, we visited Behunin Canyon, another technical slots, and one of my favorite canyons in Zion.  You enter Behunin (named after Isaac Behunin, who had a homestead in Zion Canyon) from the West Rim Trail above Angel’s Landing, and the final rappel drops you into the Grotto, where you find the Emerald Pools.

To me, the word “big” really describes Behunin.  All of the rappels are large–almost all are 100′ or longer–and you really feel like a small person in a large, amazing, beautiful place when you descend into this canyon.  This was my second time through this canyon, and I was able to enjoy the day much more with the added experience under my belt.

Rappelling in Behunin Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

Deep inside Behunin Canyon, June 2010

One thing that canyons teach you about life is that change is a constant.  Last year when we descended into Behunin, it was almost completely dry.  This year, although we didn’t have any swims, we were definitely wading in water up to our knees most of the afternoon.  I suppose that adds a sense of adventure to the day when you don’t completely know what to expect.

On rappel in Behunin Canyon, June 2010

I was happy to have my Dad join us for the Mystery Canyon descent, but back troubles prevented him from joining us in Behunin.  Maybe next year.  The day after Behunin, he and I visited one more slot canyon that I’ll talk about in my next post…

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Let the canyons seep into your soul. Allow the quiet, the mystery, the chaos to work its way deep into your being, making you calmer, gentler, sweeter.

–Tom Jones, Imlay Canyon Gear

I’ve just returned from a week-long trip to the greater Zion area in southwestern Utah, exploring a number of canyons.  Two of the canyons within the park itself involved some technical expertise, some large rappels, and for my part, a few butterflies in my stomach.  I was, however, able to carry my SLR body and a lens in a Pelican case and take some photos of this area of Zion National Park that few visitors get to see.

The first canyon we descended was Mystery Canyon, which feeds into Zion’s main canyon.  The beginning of the hike is the descent into the canyon itself.  I use the term ‘hike’ loosely–this is basically a controlled fall, with the hiker braking himself on tree branches, roots, etc, while trying to not kill himself.  This descent has affectionately been named the “Death Gully.”

Mystery Canyon, Zion National Park, June 2010

Once in the canyon, the walls closed down around us, leading us through several rappels, ranging from 30-120 feet in length.

Inside Mystery Canyon, June 2010

A canyoneer inside Mystery Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

Mystery Canyon culminates with two large rappels; the first of which sends you into the icy waters of Mystery Springs, and the second one delivers you straight into the Narrows of the Virgin River, approximately 3/4 mile from the Temple of Sinawava.  Because of its close proximity to the trailhead, you usually have an audience for the final rappel–make sure you don’t do a face plant on the rock!

Because of the high flow through the Virgin River this year, the day we descended Mystery was also the first day the Narrows were open, meaning we were the first group through that canyon this year.  Because of that, we had a significant amount of deadfall to clear, making the going slow.  We left the canyon scratched, battered, and bleeding a little bit, but honestly, it is so exciting to see a beautiful canyon that fewer than 1% of the park’s visitors will ever see.

The next day, we descended Behunin Canyon, which can only be described as BIG.  I’ll share photos from that trip in the next blog post…

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Yesterday, I arrived in one of my favorite national parks: Zion.  Nothing screams summer to me quite like splashing through the pools and climbing on the sandstone in this wonderful national park.  I’m meeting some friends in hopes of descending a couple of technical slot canyons, and despite the ropes, harnesses and dry bags, I’m going to try to throw my SLR in as well.  I’m also hoping to take a day to hike up the Narrows of the Virgin River in hopes of getting some shots of the river, red rock walls, and green spring foliage.  However, that part of the plan may be cancelled…

Due to heavy snowfall in the high country all around the west this winter, all of our rivers and streams are flowing higher than normal; the Virgin River is no exception.  As of 6/9, the Virgin River in Zion is flowing at 190 cubic feet per second (cfs); the park service won’t even let people into the Narrows unless the flow is below 120 cfs.  However, the stream flow rate has been dropping steadily, and I’m confident I’ll be able to get into the Narrows.  Also, please don’t get me wrong; I’d much rather have to scrap a photo trip than have no water in the park.  The drought is far from over in the western US, but every little bit does help.

So, here’s to the Virgin River.  Have a fantastic weekend!

Virgin River, Zion National Park, January 2010

To see all of my images from Zion National Park, click here.

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Having been pursuing the “photography business” for less than a year, I would consider myself a newbie.  I make no apologies for that, because I feel like I’ve always been able to follow the lead of my mentors well, and I am quick to learn from my mistakes.  However, its because I’m learning from my mentors that I’m having an issue.

One of the biggest complaints that I hear from people in the business is that with the availability of Photoshop and other image-editing software (both in-camera and in post-processing), “anyone can produce great photos.”  They note that creative vision is becoming less and less common, and its being replaced with the “I’ll fix it later” mentality.  I definitely see this (look around Flickr and you will too), and to some extent I’m guilty of snapping a photo, knowing that I’ll be cloning something out in post.  You probably do too.

My issue, then, isn’t with my mentors, but with myself.  How much can I justify altering a mediocre photo to make a good photo and still be okay with it?

Take for example this image I’ve recently reprocessed from the Fisher Towers:

The Fisher Towers, in color

My problem with this shot isn’t the harsh light, or the fact that its not at all representative of how pretty the Fisher Towers can be.  Its that I really want to like it.  But, its just mediocre.  Others on a Naturescapes.net forum recently agreed that its definitely not a wall-hanger.  But, when I convert the image to black and white, that harsh light is suddenly working its magic.

Fisher Towers in black and white

The image still won’t win any contests, but its drastically improved.  So, by digital manipulation, I converted a mediocre image into a better one.  The problem I have with this is that I didn’t set out to make black and white images that day.  Maybe I’ve just over-analyzed this.

I ask you, though: where does the creative process stop?  I have a feeling most will answer indicating that for them its a continuum, but where is the line drawn?  Knowing that I didn’t set out to make black and white images that day, are you okay with my displaying this as art?

I’d love to know your thoughts!

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In my last post, I discussed a few techniques that can be used to effectively shoot panoramas.  All of my examples were of grand landscapes, and they were all landscape-oriented panoramas.  I want to use this post to point out another time you can shoot panos to yield great results.

Last November, we visited the Cedar Mesa area near Blanding, Utah.  Since we were limited on time, we chose to visit a familiar and often photographed Ancestral Puebloan ruin that’s been nicknamed the “House on Fire” (also called the Flaming Roof ruin).  I blogged about that visit here, in November.  While at the ruin, I envisioned someday wanting to print it very large, and wished I had a medium format camera with me.  Additionally, I really wanted to emphasize the “flames” exiting the roof of the ruin.

So, I took 3 landscape-oriented images, but rather than putting them next to each other, I stacked them on top of one another,  thus producing a larger image.  If you click on the image, you’ll see a larger version–the detail is amazing!  That said, it would look even better printed on canvas over your couch

"House on Fire" vertical panorama, Utah, November 2009

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As a photographer, or even a nature lover, you’ve probably stood staring at a wide vista wondering how you can possibly do that view justice in your photographs.  Maybe you’ve even wanted to be able to print that picture large to give a room in your home the same feel as actually standing there.  Have you ever thought about taking multiple images of a scene and stitching them together into a panorama?

Shooting “panos” has become more popular in the last few years with the advent of point-and-shoot digital cameras that stitch the image in-camera for you, but if you want to shoot a panorama with your SLR, there are some things to consider.  First, and this should be a no-brainer, pick something interesting to shoot.  It may look impressive as is, but if you pick out something with substance, it will look even better!

So you’ve got your vista picked out.  Now what?  In my experience, the key to producing quality panoramas is making sure your tripod is level.  If this is the case, you will have much better luck at the stitching process.  I have used two different methods to level my gear; the first is via a 2-stop process that’s super cheap.

My tripod does not have a built-in bubble level, so I start by removing the head, and placing a bubble level (~$3 at Ace Hardware) on the tripod.  Tinker with the lengths of your tripod legs until you level the tripod.  Now, put your head back on, and you’ll see that it can rotate on a level base.

By removing the head and using a spirit bubble level, I can make sure my tripod head is rotating on a level base.

The second, and more recent, method I’ve used is by putting a leveling base on my tripod.  I use the Manfrotto 438 leveling base, but other companies like Acratech also make them.  They’re more expensive than my first method, but they’re way faster and you don’t have to fiddle with your tripod legs.  To level your camera on your tripod use a hot shoe level like the Jobu Designs Dubble Bubble level.

My tripod head can be leveled easily and quickly using the Manfrotto 438 leveling base.

After leveling my tripod head, I level my camera on the tripod using a hotshoe level.

OK, now you’re level.  The rest of the pano practically shoots itself.  I usually work from left to right, making sure to overlap my images by anywhere from ~1/3-1/2.  This makes for a lot of images (many of mine are 12-15 images) but you’re almost sure to get a better stitch at the computer.

A couple of other things to consider before we discuss stitching:

• To shoot vertical or horizontal…that is the question.  In stitching, you’re almost guaranteed to lose a little of the top and bottom of your images because the software will correct for barrel distortion.  Because of this, I almost always shoot my panos in a vertical orientation.  That way I’m left with an image that is a little more proportional, instead of something VERY long and skinny!
• Just like with any shot, sharpness matters.  When I shoot panoramas, I almost always use a cable release and set my camera to shoot in mirror lock-up mode.  This reduces any possible vibration, hopefully ensuring a better stitch.
• Do not change your focus or any camera settings while shooting your panorama.  However, consider bracketing your shots.  That way you have more to work with at the computer, and you can even consider making an HDR panorama (let’s save that for another blog post, please).
• I haven’t addressed the problem of parallax yet.  Unless you are rotating on the nodal point of your lens (or using a pano slider), you will have parallax issues if anything in your pano is closer than ~10-15 feet.  The cheap solution is to make sure trees, rocks, etc are further than ~10-15 feet from my camera, and that seems to work to subdue parallax.  The obvious downside to my method is that you’re constrained as to your compositional choices.

So, now you’ve got your image files, and you’re back at the computer.  Can you simply align them in Photoshop manually, then crop the canvas down to its final size?  I think this works for most people ~1% of the time (I’ve managed to do it once, and I’m 99% sure it was dumb luck).  Every other time, the barrel distortion, as well as other factors, will necessitate the use of software to help you stitch your images together.

Dumb luck. I stitched this 4-image pano together manually--I've never gotten it to work since.

For stitching panoramas, I use the software package Panorama Factory.  I like it because it has a fully automatic mode, which should work really well if you leveled your rig properly and provided enough overlap between images.  Alternatively, Panorama Factory allows for various levels of manual stitching, letting you define stitching points, and for the occasional difficult to stitch image, I like that mode a lot as well.  If you are interested in shooing HDR panoramas, Panorama Factory will stitch different sets of exposure identically so they overlay perfectly.  I have to admit that I’ve tried this once, and it didn’t work quite as smoothly as I’d like.  I’ve found that using the auto-align feature in Photoshop CS4 works well before blending images.

So, that’s basically it.  This tutorial was meant to get you taking beautiful panoramas using a minimal amount of equipment.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Feel free to add to the comment section if there’s anything I missed, or needs corrected.  Hope you can find this useful!

An 11-image panorama of the Ritter Range, Sierra Nevada, California

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As I promised in my last post, here are a couple of sunrise photos from my recent trip to Bryce Canyon National Park.  Although it was my first sunrise in the park, anyone would quickly realize that Bryce is truly a place to see the sun come up!  We elected to go to Sunrise Point, and although it was very pretty, I’m convinced Sunset Point would have been equally as beautiful.  After waddling (I say ‘waddling’ because the trail from the parking area is was steep and icy) carefully to the point, we enjoyed near solitude as the horizon was beginning to light up an intense red color.  I’m pretty sure this red was at least partly due to emissions from the Navajo Power Plant, almost 90 miles away in Page, Arizona, but it was still very pretty.  Within minutes, the snow in the Amphitheater was glowing pink, and the hoodoos were beginning to light up.

Morning Alpenglow, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, January 2010

As soon as the sun came up, the entire Amphitheater enjoyed a brief, glorious, glow that lasted only a few minutes.  Within about 20 minutes of the sun cresting the horizon, the show was over.

Sunrise, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, January 2010

Not only is Bryce perfectly suited for early morning shots, its good proof to the photographer that it really pays to be there early!  To see all of my images from Bryce, click here.

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When I pulled into the visitor center lot at Zion a couple of weeks ago, there were 3–three–cars in the parking lot besides my own.  If you’ve been there during the high season, you know that’s unheard of; unless you’re there at 5am, you are not getting a parking spot at the visitor center!  The solitude that comes during winter in Zion is pretty amazing.  In the canyon, there are birds everywhere–spotted towhees, dippers along the river, etc–and driving into the east side of the park, you stand a good chance of seeing desert bighorn sheep.

Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), Zion National Park, January 2010

We saw several bighorns between the tunnel and the park’s east entrance, and I do not know if I’ve ever seen one there in the summer.  Perhaps they spend the hot summer months at higher elevations, but regardless, it was a real treat to see these sheep.

There’s no question desert bighorns are true rock climbing masters; their hooves stick to the sandstone very well.  Amazingly, there is another group of specially adapted rock climbers that is often seen in Zion.  Driving up the canyon, admiring the Virgin River, we ran across a group of these climbers.

Climber on Moonlight Buttress, Zion National Park, January 2010

Zion is a practically a Mecca for rock climbers.  While I’ve always thought it would be very cool to tackle a rock wall like this, I have never gotten into this kind of climbing.  I’ll leave it to the pros!

To see all of my Zion National Park images click here.  My desert bighorn sheep images (from both Zion and Joshua Tree National Park) can be found here.

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