Red Rock Country

Arches National Park.  Blue sky.  Some feathery clouds.  Bright red sandstone.

Let's go black and white.  Yes, black and white.  In the mid day light I was not sure how the colors would work out on Velvia, but thought the black and white could work and work well.

I had my trusty Efke 25loaded and ready to go.  I saw this scene and thought it had potential.

I framed up the red cliffs with the Fujinon 125mm so I could fill most of the frame with the rocks.  Used rise to keep the perspective right.

It looked good on the ground glass and I used one sheet.  This was it.  I got the exposure pretty good and it looked great on the light table.  I did not know it when I took it but it was a good shot.

Forge Rock

Arches has a great many famous locations that people visit.  I visit those same locations too as views like Delicate Arch are truly awesome.


I also like to get off the beaten path and try to find images others have not.   I posted some views of the red rock country a couple of weeks ago that showed some of the Park Avenue area in hopefully a different way.


This post is hopefully something different too.


I found this rock several years ago on a visit to Arches and kept thinking there was an image here.  I made several attempts at it but never could get the right light.


This last trip I decided to give it another go.  I had somewhat struck out with trying to get magic light here,so I decided to try seeing what I could get in monochrome during the day.


I set up the camera and made a couple of exposures on Efke 25.  I also set about trying to get a color image and did one on Velvia.

I figured the Efke would handle the scene better but I think I liked what the Velvia did that day.


I have to say I really like this location but this was still not the potential for what the area has.  I have worked on getting a night image here on a couple of occasions but even that has been more miss than hit.  I have never been able to get a film image here.  I did however make a night image with my digital camera that I like.

I would love to be able to do an image like this with the large format camera but just do not think it will be possible.  I have no lens that goes close enough to this wide and the exposure would run into the hours.  So for now I think this is about the best I can get it.

I call it The Forge of Odin.

West Side of Canyonlands

I spent a day driving along the western side of the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park.  There are several neat views that are not the famous ones that most people go to.  I took the Arca-Swiss and set about making a few images of the various views.  


This one canyon jumped out at me as it was rather narrow with some fairly close buttes and edges to give the canyon some depth.  I found many of the other views to be so vast that without something in the sky it becomes hard to get a great image.

There was a few clouds in the sky but not enough to make it worthy of being a big sky image.  I decided that this would work without it.  I set it up to be a black and white and went with the Efke 25 knowing I would get DR-5 processing.


Black and White works well in the daytime and I thought there might be some nice textures through the canyon depths.


After making that one I decided that there was even some potential for color too, so I took a shot with Velvia 100F.  I was not sure if the shadows would go solid black but I wanted to get that great red of the sandstone.

Walking Along Park Avenue

Walking along Park Avenue.  After spending almost a week up in Canyonlands, I moved over to Arches National Park to work on some of the areas there.  A nice walk with some great rock formations is Park Avenue.  It is about a mile and the road passes by either end.  So if you are not wanting to walk two miles (one of which would be up hill), you can get someone to drop you off at the top , walk down to the bottom and get picked up.

I parked at the bottom and started walking up hill.  I was scouting for potential sunrise locations and also using the opportunity to make some black and white images.

I had not gone far when I saw this scene. 

I liked the sandstone monuments.  I also liked the rocky stretch this trail was on.  I thought they both might make good images.

First I set up with the longer view and the sandstone bluffs.  Went with the 210mm to make the image more the rock formation.

Once I had that one, I went wider for the sweep of the rock leading up Park Avenue.

The film of choice was Efke 25 that I would get processed at DR-5 into a B+W chrome.  Most folks who do black and white use film and make negatives.  I use a standard B+W film but through the DR-5 process you get a black and white positive.  I find them outstanding.  I can "read" a positive much easier than a negative and there is always the wow factor from any chrome on a light table.

This is one of those locations where there are image possibilities everywhere and even when looking at both of these shots, I still cannot decide which one I like more.  The only "more" I really know is I want more time out in locations like this.

See more images from Utah on my website galleries:

Utah Gallery

Mesa Arch Sunburst

My favorite park in Utah is Canyonlands National Park.  It has incredible scenery and low visitation.  Those two combine to make it my must visit place when I am around Moab.  On my last trip there I stayed up there for six straight days.  It was finally needed both fuel and water that made me drive to town.  The rest of the time I had Island in the Sky to myself.


One of the areas I made a couple of visits to was Mesa Arch.  This is the classic Canyonlands image and one I got a really nice one of on my visit in 2008.  I wanted to see if I could do a little better this trip.  

The most important factor for a good Mesa Arch image is clear sky.  It goes against what I normally want as a photographer but clear sky gets you that wonderful glow just after sunrise.  The other big factor is crowds.  In 2008 there were easily 45 photographers there one morning all jockeying for tripod positions.  This trip it was much nicer.  One day had 20 or so, which is still very crowded but my second day it was myself and two others.


By camping in Canyonlands I have a huge advantage over the folks who drive up from Moab.  They have a 45+ minute drive.  I have about a 90 second drive from the campground to the trailhead.  So while most people are trying to convince themselves to get up and go, I am already on location.


Being the first one there also means I get my pick of spots and when you have a large format camera to fiddle with you need time.  I had already planned out my image and set up my tripod and camera in the dark long before daylight.  I do not have to focus yet, I just got the spot.  The glow happens after sunrise so I have plenty of time to compose and focus.


Luckily when only two other photographers showed up it was easy to get all the images you wanted. 


For me the ideal image of Mesa Arch is one that captures the glow, that you can see the Washer Woman Arch in the distance, has a sunburst, and excludes most if not all sky.  Remember that you are usually here on a clear sky day and what you will see is many people compose very wide and get a great deal of sky in the image.


I was using my widest lens too, a 75mm (about a 24mm for those who shoot full frame digital), but by getting there early and knowing where the sun would rise I was able to leave only a small gap of sky there and have the rest be rock and canyon.


Compose right.  Focus.  Set to f/45 and wait for the sun.  When it made it's appearance I fired off about 10 sheets.  This was one of the best.


You can see the set up and location.  Then you can see my final result.  This was a 4x5 chrome on Velvia 100F.  For comparisons I have my 2008 attempt at this as the banner on my WildernessPhotographer Blog.


WildernessPhotographer Blog


The 2008 version was on Velvia 50.


I like them both, but is either one better?

Overlooking the Colorado River at Dead Horse Point

One of the ways I have been wanting to make some changes in this blog was to show not only my camera on location but also what was the shot I got when I was there.  This being the first such example and is from a trip out to Canyonlands and Arches National Parks near Moab, Utah.


 One clear morning I left Canyonlands NP early and made my way over to the nearby Dead Horse Point State Park for the classic view it offered of the Colorado River.  I got there early, as always, and set up in the dark.  That helps get you a good spot and it gives me time to set up the 4x5.


Since it was my first time there, I stayed in the area most other photographers stayed.  Yes, it is a popular overlook, but it is popular for a reason-the view is awesome.


Since it was clear I set up to have little to no sky in my images.


Once there was light but long before sunrise I was able to confirm composition and focus.  A couple of test shots with the digital confirmed that the predawn light was already picking up nice color on the rocks and so I started making images.


Stayed at that spot until sunrise and continued making images.  By sunrise many other photographers had arrived and they all went crazy after the sun hit the rocks.  However, I think they missed the best light as the predawn glow on the rocks was much nicer.  The sunrise brought harsh light and deep shadows.  Certainly tough conditions and lack of clouds made it tougher.  I actually only took a few images after sunup.


Here you can see a couple of views of the Arca-Swiss set up on location.  One taken in predawn light and another towards the end of my shooting after the sun was in the canyon.  While the sun might have made a great B+W if there were clouds, I just was not sure anybody was getting anything great by then.


Finally there is the image I made on film at the top of the post.  Used my longer lens-the 210mm so I could exclude the sky and just pick up the canyon and river.  Film was Velvia 100.


If you make it out to Moab, do yourself a favor and do the drive up to Dead Horse Point for sunrise, but get there early if you do.

In Arches

One from Arches National Park from atop the forge rock.

Well this rock does not really have a name, but I call it that. Every since I first looked at it in 2002 I knew it could be a place for a neat image. I have tried a few different times and even though I have yet to get the image I think I can get I have had fun trying.

Here is from my last visit on an afternoon with just enough clouds to give B+W a try. I have framed up the crack and rocks with my 75mm wide angle. It is locations like this I sure wish I had a 47XL.

See my night attempt on my Wilderness Photographer blog.

Rock at Night

At Mesa Arch

Going for the glow at the incredible Mesa Arch.

The sunrise glow on a clear day at Mesa arch is fantastic. It is one of those things a photographer needs to experience.

Sure it gets crowded but the glow and the view are awesome.

Here I am set up with my shot trying to capture that glow. The shot I am going for is another attempt to make a better version of the title page image of my WildernessPhotographer blog. See link to the left.

Park Avenue

Looking up Park Avenue toward the fins and rocks of Wall Street in Arches National Park.

The classic view is from the other end but I always liked hiking in from the bottom and seeing it in a way most people do not.

It is a classic short hike and easy on top of that.

In Arches

During a mid morning in Arches National Park, I went out in search of black and white images. I spent some time chasing big rocks but then found Courthouse Wash with it's cottonwood trees and decided to give it a try.

I liked the rocks and the branches with the clouds in the sky. Walked around the creek bed rocks until I found the right angle and went to work.

On the Edge of a Canyon

Taking in the view on the east rim of Island in the Sky in Canyonlands National Park.

On an afternoon with decent clouds I decided to do some black and white, here is one of the locations, right on the edge.

Before you ask, it was a still day.........In a wind, I would not be that close but on a still day. It really goes back to being at the Grand Canyon once, having my tripod back 2 feet from the edge of the abyss, and having someone stand in front of me.

So getting to the edge solves that problem.

In Canyonlands

I returned to Canyonlands National Park this last February to take in the red rock country in winter. Last year I saw quite a bit of snow at Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. I was hoping for a repeat, however this is more of what I saw.

Thats ok, because I got some great light and sky making it an even better trip than my last visit here in 2008.

Here I am set up in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands.

Little Buddy

As if carrying a backpack full of large format was not enough, I finally got going into the digital world.

I had started photographing with a 35mm system, then went into medium format. That jump was amazing as the larger increase in film size gave my images a much better quality and detail than 35mm could deliver. But after a few years I came to realize that bigger is better yes, but also to make the kind of images I wanted I needed the abilities in a camera that only a view camera could offer. That led to several months of reading, studying, and practice until I finally got the Arca.

At first I would bring all three on a trip. Using the 4x5 and the 645 at dawn and dusk for the best light. Then I would use the 35mm and occasionally the 645 during the day when hiking. What I found was that I no longer liked the images from the 35mm. The sheer size of the 4x5 film and the technical capabilities of the camera overwhelmed what I could get out of 35mm. Even the 645 images paled in comparison to what I could get with the 4x5.

So I sold most of my 35mm gear keeping only one body and two lenses. But after another year I had only only run three rolls through it and kept none of the images. So I sold out of the 35mm game. I still kept the 645 but even it's use had become less.

In summer 07 I decided to dip my toe into digital and got a DSLR. I was back to taking three formats again. This time the 645 became the odd man out. At dawn and dusk I was still using the 4x5 but my backup quickly became the DSLR. I sat down a few weeks ago and looked over what I used the 645 for in the past year and realized I had only run 5 rolls through it. The 4x5 was where I was doing film and everything else was now digital.

So then I sold the medium format.

Now I am back down to two formats. The 4x5 and a DSLR. A morning in the field means a backpack for of large format, a small bag over my shoulder with the DSLR and a tripod in each hand (carbon fiber helps here).

I am quite pleased with the two as I think they compliment each other very well. The 4x5 allows me to work slow, think about an image and use it's capabilities (like tilt) to make special images. The DSLR lets me work fast, in the wind, handheld, and has "free film". I got the best of both worlds going.

Here is an example of both at work in Canyonlands NP. I am working the wider view of the canyon with the 4x5 and can work the distant landscape with the zoom on the DSLR.

Bliss.

When the Sun Rises

The rising sun changes everything.

The warm, soft glow of predawn gives way to to bright light and dark shadows of the new day. The directional light casts long shadows and the deep canyons of the Colorado become black holes in the earth.

Here is sunrise at Dead Horse Point. The location that was the same morning as two posts ago-but this is after the sun rose.

The canyon is very different after sunrise and the harsh light is tough on the color photographer. This is the moment to try what black and white might do, but I had no B+W with me that day. I may have to see what I can do with a conversion.

Dead Horse Point

Waiting for the sunrise at Dead Horse Point.

I was here on a clear morning in October. The photographers were taking up spots along the rim waiting for that first glow of sunrise. Early on there was nice glow but there is a lull from early twilight and sunrise. This was that middling part after the twilight glow and before the actual sunrise.

One can see the Colorado in the depths of the canyon.

Note-the astute may also spot a Soligor light meter in the image. A $5 garage sale find!

One Year and Counting!

The Traveling Camera Blog is one year old!

From the wilds of west Texas, to my own backyard on the Trinity River, to Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wisconsin. I have hauled the 4x5 and made images with it and of it.

If you have been reading, thanks.

For that one year moment-here is a view from the red rock country of Arches National Park. I am set up overlooking the Garden of Eden. The sky might be clear but with a view like this-who cares.

Mesa Arch -Same Cloudy Day

After working the image from the previous post I made my way down to the more traditional view of Mesa Arch. Here is looking through the arch with my 4x5 still set up in the previous location.

The sharp eye will also notice another large format camera, its a Linhof Technica III. The other photog was working some b+w film. We talked shop for a few minutes as the light was not changing anytime fast.

We were both back there the next morning for clear sky but had to contend with about 40 other people. So it was nice to have it just be a few folks with time to talk and move around.

Mesa Arch but No Glow

Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park is famous for it's glow on a clear day. When the sun first rises it lights up the underside of the arch with an orange glow that is spectacular.

On a cloudy day there is no glow.

My first morning in Canyonlands was completely overcast. There was zero chance for glow. So I set up looking down through the arch and across the Colorado River canyons.

No it was not the classic image but I still wanted to see what I could get. Hard to take a bad picture in a place like this.

The Garden of Eden

Late one afternoon in Arches National Park I found myself in an area called the Garden of Eden. It was an area of rocky red spires.

I took the camera and wandered into the spires looking for an image. On a steep slope I found a view that took in the spires and the distant La Sal Mountains.

As the last light of day stretched across the valley, I made a couple of images. Then I waited for the glow that happens after the sunset. The sky was clear and sure enough about 20 minutes after sunset the pink glow spilling across the landscape bathed the area in light. Another couple of images.

See the camera set up on the steep slope with the dunes beyond. It was a bit of a balancing act, but that is what a good tripod is for.

Rock Dunes

Arches National Park is obviously home to a few arches. It is also home to some great slick rock, red rock, and rock dunes. Rock dunes? Shouldn't dunes be made of sand? Yes, but sometimes they get buried and compressed into rock. Normally they are compressed into sandstone, but in Arches there are some petrified dunes. So they look a lot like dunes even though they are rock.

Here are the petrified dunes with the La Sal Mountains rising beyond at sunset.