Delicate Arch in Arches National Park
February 2, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment
Delicate Arch is one of the most photographed locations in all of Utah, which typically means I avoid photographing it. I usually shy away from a location if it has hordes of photographers or has been photographed every which way possible but, for some spots, I have to make an exception due to their iconic status. When I visit those locations, though, I typically try to shoot them in some unique way in order to differentiate my shot from the mountains of others. Delicate Arch is one of those iconic locations in the western United States and is in my backyard, so to speak. On a family trip to Arches National Park I took a hike up to the arch to try my hand at getting a unique shot of this amazing location.
First off, Delicate Arch is huge. It is much larger than I thought it would be, towering over tourists as they stand underneath its “legs”. As I got to the spot, I was frustrated by the hordes of people swarming the place. I knew I wasn’t going to get much opportunity for good light due to the clouds in the west so I had to quickly decide on a location. I didn’t want to take the typical Delicate-Arch-with-La-Sal-Mountains-in-the-distance shot so I worked my way to the left side of the arch. It was spring time so there was some green down in the valley below and I liked how the blue sky, red rock, and green vegetation complimented one another so I decided to setup on the left, higher up the bowl surrounding the arch in order to get more of the valley in the frame.
Probably the most difficult aspect of this shot was getting some good light to correspond to when a tourist wasn’t at the base of the arch taking a frustratingly long time to take their corny holding-up-the-arch shot. After having several spoiled shots due to inconsiderate tourists (standing around for 15 minutes at a time, causing a backlog of other tourists waiting for their turn to hold everyone else up), I finally was able to get this shot.
24mm, 1/13 second, f/13, ISO 100, polarizing filter
Christmas Meadows at Night
February 1, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment
This was an experimental shot that I ended up liking. While at Christmas Meadows in the Uinta Mountains of Utah, I decided that the moonlit night was looking pretty good for an attempt at some night photography. I haven’t done much night photography (I keep telling myself that I should make it more of a focus but I’ve yet to actually do so) and figured the shot would be fun to attempt, despite my reluctance to leave the comfort of my chair by the campfire.
The shot was about a seven minute exposure utilizing my wired remote to keep the shutter open. You’d be surprised how long seven minutes can seem while standing in the cold and periodically checking one’s watch. Anyway, I had taken several previous shots in order to get the exposure right, eventually winding up with the seven minute exposure you see here. One of the challenges associated with long exposures like this is hot pixels as the digital sensor gets warm. Balancing the need for a long exposure with the potential of hot pixels is, I found, an important consideration for night photography and I have a new found respect for photographers taking excellent night shots. It’s tough to take mediocre shots like mine, let alone take excellent shots like I see elsewhere.
Lastly, the other difficulty with night photography that I hadn’t considered is how to properly focus the shot. It’s tougher than one would expect when you can’t make out details more than a few feet away. I ended up having to depend upon the lens markings to determine proper focus so, if you are considering purchasing a lens without focus markings – especially infinity – I’d highly recommend you get a lens with focus markings if you think you may ever do night photography.
20mm; 415 seconds, f/11, ISO 100
Wasatch Mountain Winter
January 19, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment
I had been dying to get out and take some photographs but the weather lately has been awful. There’s been little new snowfall, smog in the lower valleys, and the skies have alternated between gray or cloudless blue. Today, however, that all changed with a bunch of new snow overnight and throughout the morning. As the storm front moved through the sun popped out, causing all that new snow to sparkle, and, luck of all luck, there were still quite a few clouds out.
As I was clearing the driveway for the second time I noticed there were bunches of clouds billowing around the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains so I threw the camera gear into the Land Cruiser and headed up into the mountains. None of the nearby locations were terribly inspiring but I figured I’d give them a shot anyway. It’s been too long since I’ve gotten a decent landscape shot.
I had to drive a bit on an unpaved and unplowed road (the snow was up to the bottom of the door on the Land Cruiser), and then hike a bit in the deep snow, but I found a pretty decent spot with some decent foreground. I took several shots at different angles but settled on the one below. The photo doesn’t wow me but it’s decent enough to put on the site. Maybe it’ll grow on me.
One of the most difficult things about this shot was focusing on something at the hyperfocal distance. I had to focus on something about seven feet out in order to get 3.5 feet to infinity in focus. That turned out to be difficult to do with blinding snow destroying my eyes (snow is hard to focus on) but I was able to get the focus correct for the shot. You can’t check the LCD screen for sharpness in such bright light, making hyperfocal distance cards a must-have.
18mm, 1/200 second, f/11, ISO 100, polarizing filter
Salt Lake Temple at Dusk
January 8, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment
This photo was taken on a trip to the Salt Lake Temple to shoot the autumn leaves with the temple in the background. Like usual, the original purpose for my visit was a complete waste of time as the leaves weren’t peaking at all, but the skies were looking pretty good. After looking for several different angles of the temple with the pool in the foreground, I ended up walking to this spot while on my way to a different location. I liked the angle of the temple with the clouds as they seemingly swirled around the spires of the temple, so I threw my wide angle lens on the camera and got close to the reflecting pool (I was practically up against it when taking the shot). I really liked the color of the dusk sky against the lit spires on the temple, though the barrel distortion of the wide angle lens is evident in the spires. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to capture the excellent clouds around the temple without that wide angle lens.
18mm, 4 seconds, f/11, ISO 100, polarizing filter
Christmas Meadows Sunrise
January 3, 2010 by Cody · Leave a Comment
Prior to this shot I had been looking for a spot in Utah where I could capture a meandering, still river with snow capped mountains in the distance. I finally came across Christmas Meadows in the Uinta Mountains of Utah and spent a few days camping up there.
When I took this shot I was battling against a cloudy eastern sky that was often obstructing the sun and fish jumping in the river. I finally was able to time it right when the sun was peaking through the clouds and the fish weren’t biting, allowing for nice, calm water.
You may notice the red flowers on the opposite bank of the river and to the right of the frame. I searched all over the place for a spot where those flowers would be on my side of the river, just before a bend, so I could place them in the frame’s foreground, but I was unable to find anything and had to settle on placing them where they are in this photograph.
28mm, 0.4 seconds, f/16, ISO 100, polarizing filter
Bountiful Temple at Sunset
December 27, 2009 by Cody · Leave a Comment
I was on my way to the Utah State Fair to take some pictures when, due to a large storm, I decided to head to the Bountiful Temple in Bountiful, Utah. I had been waiting for dramatic skies in order to photograph it and it appeared that I would be blessed with great skies due to the storm. There had also been high winds associated with the storm and the winds had blown a tremendous amount of dust into the air toward the west, so I figured I might also get some nice colors as the sun went down.
The photograph below was taken just to the west of the temple and managed to capture the dark storm clouds and the red highlights as the sun set. If you look at the trees in the foreground you can see how strong the wind was blowing. They are slightly blurry due to movement.
22mm, 1/4 second, f/11, ISO 100
The following photo was taken as I left the temple. I had packed everything up and was heading home. The road I was on climbs along the south end of the temple and intersects with another street. I stopped at the intersection and turned around to see the scene below. I couldn’t believe the colors and the dramatic sky against the lit temple. I quickly parked the truck and took several photos.
Many people ask if the orange along the horizon is a result of image editing in Photoshop or if that is how it really looked. That is how it really appeared due to the dust from the storm. The main editing I did was to straighten out the steeple due to barrel distortion (I used a very wide angle lens), which meant I had to do some cropping, too.
18mm, 2 seconds, f/11, ISO 100
Utah State Capitol
December 22, 2009 by Cody · Leave a Comment
This shot was taken in the neighborhood at the foot of Ensign Peak. My initial framing was a wide angle shot that included the Salt Lake Temple on the right and the Wasatch Mountain Range on the left, but I was really unhappy with how they were turning out. They just weren’t compelling enough, didn’t have good lines, and were too busy. I switched to my telephoto lens and began to take shots that really focused on the capitol building and State Street (the long street leading away from the capitol building). I continued shooting as the sun went down and ended up with this shot. I really like how State Street leads away from the capitol building, leading the viewer’s eye into the frame.
159mm, 2.5 seconds, f/11, ISO 100
Main Street Sidewalk in Salt Lake City
December 22, 2009 by Cody · Leave a Comment
This is the only photo from my slide film days that I actually like. I took a mountain of awful photos during that time and somehow ended up with this one, but even a stopped clock is right twice per day, right? This shot was on Main Street in Salt Lake City, Utah along Temple Square, just east of the Salt Lake Temple. The sidewalk is no longer there, having been replaced when the parkway along Main Street was constructed. I was at the location to shoot the temple and was unhappy with what I’d done to this point. I looked down and noticed the rough texture of the sidewalk so I got on my belly (yes, right in the middle of the sidewalk, with people walking around me) to frame the shot. I liked how the red of the fire hydrant contrasted with the grays of the sidewalk and took the shot. This was one of the transparencies that I really enjoyed when I viewed it on the light box.
Shot on slide film - unsure of technical details
Antelope Island Storm
December 22, 2009 by Cody · 2 Comments
Most people do not believe me when I tell them this shot was taken at Antelope Island, Utah. You see, Antelope Island is rarely this yellow or “lush” due to a lack of rainfall, but if you go out there in the spring and get the right light, it’s amazingly yellow.
This shot was taken on a trip where I intended to hike to the top of Frary Peak, the tallest point on Antelope Island. As I hiked along the western side trail, about 100 head of buffalo climbed the ridge where I was walking, placing me smack in the middle of them. I was more scared for my life than I have ever been, dropped my camera pack and prepared to run (though there isn’t anywhere to run). I was very lucky as the buffalo passed by me (some within 30 or so feet) and continued on their merry way. Since my progress was slowed down there was no way I was going to make it to Frary Peak, especially with the oncoming storm, so I began the hike back to my truck. While along the route I looked back and saw this scene. The wind had really picked up and the clouds had darkened but it was fabulous to see. Once I had finished taking my shots, and while I was putting my camera back into my pack, my tripod actually blew over from the force of the wind. Luckily my camera wasn’t on the thing. The storm did catch up to me on my way back and pelted me with rain and hail, but it was one of my most memorable photo outings.
22mm, 1/320 second, f/11, ISO 100, polarizing filter
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