Irish Canyon, as with many canyons, is difficult to photography at sunset since the canyon goes into shadow well before the best sunset light.
Irish Canyon Sunset Light. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
The image above illustrates this problem. There is good sunset light on the top of the east canyon wall, but the rest of the canyon is already in shadow. If not for editing software, it would be very difficult to get much detail in the shadow, even with a graduated neutral density filter. Of course, one could make a composite of multiple exposures either by stacking the images or creating an HDR. Stacking can be tedious and HDR methods have another set of problems, so I prefer to avoid both of these methods, whenever possible.
Irish Canyon. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/6s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Near sunset the canyon features went completely into shadows very quickly, not allowing much time to get the golden sunset light on much of the canyon.
Irish Canyon Sunset Rays. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/13s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
One can see in the above image that the sun is still well above the horizon, but the canyon is already in deep shadow.
Irish Canyon. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/13s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I worked my way along the roadway through the canyon, using the road as a leading line and capturing whatever features I could in the sky and the canyon walls.
Irish Canyon. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, 1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Irish Canyon. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Eventually, I got back to the old dead tree that I had found earlier in the afternoon, hoping that I could get a good, late day composition.
Irish Canyon Sunset Light. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 22mm, f/11, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
The clouds were moving overhead fairly quickly, changing as the sun went lower into the sky behind the west canyon wall.
Irish Canyon Sunset Light. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 22mm, f/11, 1/3s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I moved around a little, slightly changing my composition of the tree, canyon walls and clouds, making a number of images to capture the changing clouds and light.
Irish Canyon Sunset Light. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 22mm, f/11, 1/3s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Eventually, the interesting light was essentially gone and I stopped shooting for the day.
Irish Canyon Sunset Light. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 22mm, f/11, 0.4s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I believe I was right about this dead tree making a good foreground for sunset images.
My son set his camera up to shoot throughout the night at a big boulder to capture the moon’s transit and the varying light as the moon moved across the night sky. I elected not to try shooting night shots. I’m still reluctant to leave my camera unattended at night (although, I do sometimes), even in the wilds, and here we were not far from a road that was good enough that semi-truck rigs came through. There can also be animals, like deer, roaming around at night that could stumble over the camera.
Reminder: Click on the photos to view them on Flickr, where they will look much better.
My mid-day scouting activity proved really useful for learning my way around in the northern part of the Bisti Wilderness as well as for determining good places for either sunrise and/or sunset landscape photography. I also began to make written notes, rather than relying upon my memory, since I’m seeing so much variation here that my brain cannot reliably recall some details, especially a few days after the fact.
Today my primary destination was the plateau area with a couple of significantly large hoodoos that I had first seen during my March 2019 visit with my oldest son. I wanted to get a better fix on the best route to these features and a better idea of how much time to allow for hiking there from the north parking area.
I would then explore more in that area.
I followed a general route that I had already found, but explored a slight deviation as I was climbing up out of a valley/wash near a previously found exit point.
Instead of going straight up a somewhat steep, red rock strewn exit, I turned to the right, up another short incline to see where that took me. I entered into a smallish, enclosed area, which I initially thought might be a dead end route.
Looking around the little nook, I spotted this small hoodoo on the wall near where I had entered:
Small Sentinel. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
It looked like a hoodoo sentinel standing guard over the little nook.
On the opposite side from where I came in, I could see that it would be possible to climb out there, so I went up the hill and entered into a large, flat area, which I recognized as being just east of an area my son and I had exited into from another direction during our March visit. We had come into that area via a much more difficult route.
Now I was actually on the plateau of my destination, so I began to walk to the south, which I recalled was where the large hoodoos and other features were located.
Hoodoo Plateau. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
In a blog post from the March visit, I included scouting photographs of the large pedestal like hoodoos in the above image. We did not get back here on that visit. Looking around, I realized that this area would be good for either sunrise or sunset shoots.
I continued exploring this area to the west and south. Finding areas that were familiar from the March 2019 and March 2011 visits:
Many Hoodoos in a Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Many Hoodoos in a Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
There are a number of deep canyons or washes crisscrossing this badlands area with many hoodoos lining the walls of the washes.
Hoodoos and Wide Vista. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.A deep wash lined with hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I explored along the top edge of the deep washes finding many interesting features.
Resting Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Can you see the leading lines in these photos:?
Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I recall photographing in this area in 2011 during my first visit to Bisti and I still have a few photos of the features in this image:
Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I also found features that make good abstract photographs, like this one:
Abstract. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Wandering through a hodgepodge of rocks along the edge of a deep wash I found the fish like hoodoo at the right end of the line of hoodoos:
Fish Tank. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.The Fish. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
And this scary looking rock:
Demon Head. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Just behind the fish hoodoo:
The Pterodactyl. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
On the way out of this area:
Piling on. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I could see these large wing like hoodoos on the far side of a deep wash:
Across the Deep Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I did not know how to access those far away wing hoodoos at this time; but later I found a way down into the wash and a way to hike up near those wings.
Petrified log and north Bisti vista. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 34mm, f/16, 1/13s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 13 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The last shots that I acquired on the hillside, where I spent most of the early morning on day 3 in the northern portion of the Bisti Wilderness, were of the long slender petrified log that I had discovered in scouting this area a couple of days prior.
I had found a way to safely get down a hillside and shoot near the log. The first image above is taken from a place on the hillside above the log.
Petrified log sections in North Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/16, 1/20s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 4 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I shot four images from the perspective above, focusing at different points in the scene, then stacked those images using Helicon software. Focusing stacking results in a sharp image from front to back in the image.
The image below is created in the same manner, using 6 images, each with a different focus point.
Petrified log in north Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/10s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 6 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Satisfied that I had done as much as reasonable shooting on the hillside, I hiked back down into the canyon and made a few images of interesting features in the canyon.
The Clam Hoodoo in North Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/20s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 6 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I acquired a number of images with various focus points to create these final two images of the “Clam” hoodoo.
The Clam Hoodoo in North Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 7 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I used the Helicon retouching tool for the last image to fix some artifacts that were a result of the clouds moving as the multiple images were acquired. The Helicon retouching tool allows one to choose one of the multiple images and paint in portions of that image to replace the unnatural artifacts.
If the cloud motion just results in an appearance of a long shutter speed image, showing motion in the clouds, I think that is fine and does not require retouching. Obviously, this is a matter of personal preference.
The hike back to the parking area was pleasant, with moderate temperature. I had seen rain in the distance while shooting and while returning to the parking lot. The sky appeared to be clearing in the west, but the wind speed was increasing. It can get very windy here, but I am hoping it will not be so bad as to prevent a sunset shoot today.
I was up at 4AM and noted that it was very cloudy, overcast and a little breezy. I thought about not going out due to the heavily overcast sky, thinking there may not be good sunrise light, but I went, anyway.
My destination was the hilltop at the end of a canyon that I had scouted on the first day of my arrival. There was good color in the eastern sky before sunrise, but I was a little too late in getting to my destination in time to get shots of the best color. As I was hiking to my destination, I missed a turn into the side canyon that I had to take to get there. Fortunately, I realized my mistake quickly and only lost a few minutes as I backtracked. Still, those few minutes cost me a few possibly good shots, as the color was mostly gone by the time I got set up to shoot.
North Bisti Toadstool Hoodoo and overcast sky just after sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/16, 2.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The heavy cloud cover eliminated the sunrise golden hour, too. I had to make do with the light that I had to work with and the clouds did add some interest to the sky, at least; but the photos are a little dull without that golden hour light and the dispersed, uniform light with no shadows made the images a bit flat.
Overcast sky over north Bisti features. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 42mm, f/16, 0.6s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
At least, I got just a little color in the overcast sky in a few of my shots.
North Bisti toadstools in monochrome. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I considered converting most of my images to monochrome, but without the shadows, these lack the depth that help make such images more appealing.
Various north Bisti hillside toadstools. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 50mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
There were many interesting toadstool type hoodoos scattered all around the hillsides and wide vista.
Overcast sky over north Bisti features. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The features in the foreground of the shot above are actually fairly large, but they are on a hillside across a ravine so I could not safely get closer.
I spotted this large petrified log in a ravine downhill to the west. The slope was quite steep here and I would not risk trying to get closer to this one. I have a number of shots of it, trying to show how impressively large it appears and the environment around it; but I think none of the shots do it justice.
Large petrified log sections and north Bisti vista. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 44mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I continued to work the area, shooting anything that I though might be interesting.
Large and small north Bisti toadstools. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 44mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Looking back up the hill from above the large petrified log is this large hillside with many toadstool hoodoos on the top and a few scattered below:
North Bisti toadstools and hillside. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 42mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 3 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
These are the features that are most prominent, when first climbing up the hillside from the canyon access:
A large north Bisti toadstool and hillside. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 4 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
A close up of that rather large toadstool feature:
A large north Bisti Toadstool. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 4 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
And another view of the large toadstool with the vista stretching out behind it:
A large north Bisti Toadstool. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 5 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Down the hillside behind the large toadstool, I got down low behind one emerging toadstool to get this view of the sky and the vast desert vista:
A north Bisti Hoodoo’s view. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/10s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 8 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I was not satisfied with the sharpness in the first image in this post, so I made a series of images to focus stack:
North Bisti Toadstool Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/16, 1/13s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 7 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
{Note that a number of the previous images are created by focus stacking a number of images. I finally have had enough of the problems with Photoshop focus stacking, so after some research, I’m trying Helicon software, which is designed specifically for this task. So far, I’m really impressed with it. Helicon produces more accurate results, much faster than Photoshop and has an easy to use retouching tool, that can fix things like artifacts produced by moving subjects (for example, the clouds in these images)}.
I do not recall seeing Bisti photographs such as those in this post. I know others have hiked around this area, since I could see evidence of footprints which had been essentially removed by recent rains; but such areas of Bisti are less popular with the typical visitors and do not have the striking rock shapes as the more popular areas. Yet these photographs, when compared to those from the more popular areas, illustrate the geological variety and vastness of this striking desert wilderness.
This post is getting too long, so I will continue it in a follow up.
Thanks for following, remember that your critiques and comments are always welcome and that clicking on most of the photos will take you to the photograph on Flickr,
I did not have to get up very early for a sunrise shoot at Vaughan Lake, since I only had to walk a short distance downhill towards the reservoir from our campsite.
Vaughan Lake Campground Area, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 14mm, f/11, 0.4s, ISO 64.
As the early morning light turned the trees a glowing red color, I used this narrow channel as a leading line through the marsh grass towards the hillside.
Vaughan Lake Campground Area, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 14mm, f/11, 1/3s, ISO 64.
I continued to work around the channel in the marsh grass, shooting as the light advanced down the hillside.
Vaughan Lake Campground Area, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 14mm, f/11, 1/3s, ISO 64.
The early morning sunlight really made the tops of the marsh grass stand out in these last two shots at the reservoir.
Vaughan Lake Campground Area, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 14mm, f/8, 1/160s, ISO 1000.
As the sun went higher, I moved back towards the camping area to try a few shots across the wide swaths of grass and wildflowers between a roadway and the reservoir.
Vaughan Lake Campground Area, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 500.Vaughan Lake Campground Area, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/250s, ISO 500.Vaughan Lake Campground Area, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 14mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 500.
My plan for scouting was to go to the plateau where the Pedestal and Tongue Hoodoos (see posts from my March visit for preliminary information) are located, evaluate shooting options there and in the general area.
However, even though I went to the plateau, I deviated from the plan. Instead, I found a route down into the deep wash just south of the plateau and explored the wash area. From the plateau on another visit, I had seen large wing like hoodoos in the distance, but I only knew how to get near those from another longer route. This is one of the things that I enjoy most about scouting an area, results are often more interesting, when one deviates from a plan.
The Route. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
The photo above looks down the valley/wash back towards the north parking area along which I hiked to get up onto a plateau where many interesting features are found.
Along the wash route to the plateau, I spotted this saddle like feature on a hilltop:
Saddle Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Walking directly south after climbing onto the plateau, one comes to a very deep ravine/wash. I found an easy route down into the ravine.
Temporary Arch or Bridge. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Near the base of the hill just around the corner from the junction with the deep ravine, I spotted this fragile arch or bridge that had been formed by water washing down the hillside. I’m sure this little bridge will be short lived.
North Bisti Wings – The Seal. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Turning to the left in the deep ravine, one very shortly comes to the base of the hill upon which are the large wing like hoodoos in the above photo. The middle feature is the one referred to as “The Seal”. I had seen these from the plateau on the opposite of the wash and prior to this exploration, I did not know how to get to these other than walking up the wash from the east. The route I discovered today is a much shorter and faster route from the north parking area.
To get up near these features requires climbing a steep slope of loose, clay soil.
North Bisti Wings and Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
There are a few short branches off of the main wash at the base of the Seal hoodoo and I explored along these finding a few other interesting hoodoos that are easily accessible.
North Bisti Wings and Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
A view across a deep ravine, with many hoodoo features on the opposite side:
Deep Wash and Many North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
There are many flat top wing like hoodoos and others along the ravine walls:
North Bisti Hoodoos and Rocks. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Emerging Wing Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Another view overlooking a deep ravine:
Deep Wash Canyon in North Bisti. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
A hoodoo lined North Bisti Wash:
Hoodoo Lined Bisti Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.Hoodoo Lined Bisti Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Back below the big wing hoodoo and others near The Seal, there were interesting clouds passing over:
North Bisti Wing Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Wing Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Wing Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Hoodoo Wings. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Silver Efex Pro 2.
Continuing to the east along the ravine more large wing like hoodoos are high up on hillsides along the wash:
North Bisti Wing Like Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Wing like hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
The narrow ravine eventually merges with a wide wash in the vicinity of the Conversing Hoodoos.
A view down a North Bisti wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Just around the corner, so to speak, from the Conversing Hoodoos is a large batch of large wing like hoodoo features with one triangle shaped one:
North Bisti Triangular Hoodoo against background hillside. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.A North Bisti Triangular Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
One can imagine the triangular hoodoo as an alien space ship.
North Bisti Large Hoodoos and Wings. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Many large wing like hoodoos with some forming windows between the hard rock tops and the softer sediment beneath are in this large group.
North Bisti Large Wing Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Later in this trip I found a way to get up above or near the same level as these features, where I shot at sunset the last day of this visit. I have not yet evaluated or edited the photos from that shoot, so it remains to be seen how those turned out.
As I hiked back to the north Bisti parking area, it became very windy with rain visible in the distance. The wind whipped up dust and blasted me with sand on occasion, making the hike back a bit less pleasant.
Saturday night, I was completely alone in the parking area and I did not encounter anyone else during my Sunday morning sunrise shoot. I had expected more visitors, since it was a weekend. I’m guessing there were visitors and campers in the official south parking area.
I went to the area east of the big, prominent hoodoo that is immediately visible in the distance as one begins the hike into the northern portion of Bisti from the north parking area for sunrise photography the second morning of my May visit to Bisti. This large hoodoo on a hilltop is visible from a long distance and is useful as a navigation aid.
Pre-sunrise at one of the north Bisti predominate hoodoo landmarks. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/16, 6.0s, ISO 64.
There was good light this morning, as I shot with my 24-70mm lens.
North Bisti Wilderness Sunrise Silhouette. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64.One of the predominate north Bisti landmarks at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 30mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64.
A shot a sequence of these features as the sun rose, progressively illuminating the hillside.
One of the predominate north Bisti Hoodoos and hillside at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 28mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64.A predominate north Bisti Hoodoo and hillside at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 28mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64.
Note that the bottom photo is from a slightly different angle, as I had moved around shooting other features as the sun rose higher in the sky, and I did not get back to exactly the same composition.
A view towards the west between two tall features. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64.A north Bisti bluff at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64.North Bisti rock features and sky at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64.
The laminar clouds added considerable interest to the sky as the sun rose.
North Bisti features and sunrise sky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/16, 1/15s, ISO 64.A north Bisti bluff with pedestal and sky at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 60mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64.A north Bisti Pedestal and Bluff at Sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 60mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64.
After the best early morning light, I explored around this area looking for interesting features to shoot in the early morning light before it got too harsh. A few photos from that time will be included in a subsequent post.
There were scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon and more storm clouds were approaching well prior to the normal time we would go out for sunset shots, so we decided to go out early and try to get some shots before the storm arrived.
I went down the road to the small field of Columbines we had seen earlier in the day, arriving there shortly before the storm blew in. There had been sunlight, but by the time I arrive at my destination, clouds obscured the sun. I only had time to get a couple of shots before the wind and thunder convinced me that I should hasten back to the campground for cover from the storm.
Storm Clouds over Routt NF, CO Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 15mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 640.
Not long after getting back into the vehicle and zipping up the penthouse window covers, it began to rain, followed quickly by pebble size hail. As the rain and hail stopped, a double rainbow appeared to the east of the campground and there was light on the mountainsides to the east and south. It was still far from certain that the storm was completely past, so we hung around the vehicle until we were fairly sure the storm was over before going out again.
My son shot via his drone, launching it from the campground, while I went back to the field of Columbines. There were clouds and good sunset light with a beautiful sky, as there often is just after a storm.
After the Storm, Flattop Mountain, Routt National Forest, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/8, 1/125s, ISO 2500.
It was still windy and I was trying to get the Columbines in the foreground, so I went to high ISO in the dimming light to get a high enough shutter speed to freeze the motion of the flowers. The high ISO shots in the dim light were noisy and I was not able to filter out the noise enough to make most of them presentable.
Flattop Mountains, Columbine Meadow, Routt National Forest, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/10, 1/125s, ISO 320.
I was disappointed with many of my shots, which I think were good compositions, but those with Columbines in the near foreground were mostly too fuzzy due to wind induced motion of the wildflowers or noisy due to high ISO and/or failure to chose a better focus point. On the other hand, focusing on the close up wildflowers would have resulted in fuzzy distant objects. I only have three shots from this shoot that I thought presentable.
A previous post referred to the areas that we scouted during our second day at Cold Springs Campground, looking for potential places for more sunset and sunrise photo shoots. This post will present a few of the iPhone shots taken during that scouting with some comments.
A dead tree near Smith Lake Trail, Routt National Forest, Colorado. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
This striking looking dead tree trunk, spotted along the Smith Lake Trail, looks like a good photographic subject, but it was so tall one would have to have a really wide field of view of shoot upwards from near its base to fully capture it. We never got around to trying to shoot this properly.
A wilderness boundary marker along Smith Lake Trail. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Efex Pro 4.
This boundary marker has nothing to do with photography, I just thought it interesting to see this marker. Someone, wondering around in the forest, not hiking along a trail, would never know when entering or leaving a designated wilderness area.
Smith Lake in the Flat Tops Wilderness, Colorado. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
This view of a mountainside with Smith Lake in the foreground, suggested that early morning light would make this a good place for a sunrise shoot.
Smith Lake Panorama. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A panoramic view of Smith Lake and the mountain in the background, suggests possible multiple compositional possibilities.
Columbines and fallen tree. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I found this batch of Columbines down the slope from the roadway south of the campground. (Click on the photo to view on Flickr).
Approaching storm. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Looking up the hillside south of the campground, it was apparent that it was time to return to the camp before getting caught in a storm. However, after getting to the Sportsmobile, I did take a chance and try to shoot at a field of Columbines, but I had to beat a hasty retreat again as the storm came in.
Near the end of the storm. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
As the storm began to subside, a double rainbow appeared to the east of the campsite. The complete semicircle rainbow was visible at one time, but I could not get a shot of it with my iPhone. One can see sunlight from the west striking the mountainside in the lower left, so as long as the storm clouds, which were moving westward, did not obscure the sunset, we would get good after the storm light.
Possible good indication for sunset light after the storm. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A fuller view of the sun lite mountainside south east of the campsite as the storm passed, gave us some hope of getting sunset light on the mountainside.
A subsequent post will cover the actual sunset shoot after the storm.
In the morning of July 13 we shot sunrise photos just east of the lake at Cold Springs Campground in Routt National Forest. We began shooting from a hillside just east of the lake.
An area adjacent to the Cold Springs Campground in Routt National Forest, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/16, 2s, ISOAn area adjacent to the Cold Springs Campground in Routt National Forest, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/16, 2s, ISO 64.
I thought that the weathered tree stump made an appropriate foreground object here.
The lake made a great mirror, reflecting the clouds in the sky and the trees along the edge of the campground. None of the other campers were up and about yet. We tried to be as quiet as we could so as not to disturb them.
A scene adjacent to the Cold Springs Campground in Routt National Forest, CO. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @24mm, f/16, 1.3s, ISO 64.
I put the weathered stump and a taller stump with slight side lighting at the edge of this photo.
After shooting on the hillside, we moved down into the meadow at the base of the cascade. There were lots of white and blue wildflowers in the meadow, especially around the cascade and stream. The area below the cascade was wet and marshy, which I had not anticipated and I was not wearing my water resistant hiking shoes. My shoes, socks and feet got soaked with cold water.
A mountain stream cascade in the area adjacent to Cold Springs Campground in Routt National Forest, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/16, 1.6s, ISO 64.A mountain stream cascade in the area adjacent to Cold Springs Campground in Routt National Forest, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 0.8s, ISO 64.A mountain stream cascade in the area adjacent to Cold Springs Campground in Routt National Forest, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 0.8s, ISO 64.A mountain stream cascade in the area adjacent to Cold Springs Campground in Routt National Forest, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 0.8s, ISO 64.
As you can see, I got multiple compositions of the cascade with varying amounts of the surroundings. I used slow shutter speeds to get the silky effect of the flowing water. There was not much wind, but there was enough motion in the vegetation to keep from getting really sharp images of the wildflowers. I tried to make the images at times when the wind was most calm in hopes of getting sharper images. This works with only limited success.
After breakfast, I hiked to the marshy area above the cascade, where there were many wildflowers in another meadow around the stream. By the time I got there the clouds were mostly gone, the light harsh, still a little too much wind and many swarming mosquitoes. I tried a few shots anyway, but those were not presentable. Somewhere in there, I apparently lost my Rocket Blower, which I had just put into a pocket for convenience, rather than take it along in my backpack, which I left behind in the vehicle. (For non-photographers, a Rocket Blower is a device for blowing dust off of lenses, filters and camera sensors. This is an essential piece of gear, in my opinion, so I have since acquired another one. For the rest of this trip, I had to borrow my son’s whenever I needed it).
Later in the morning we walked 10 minutes down the road to Smith Lake Trailhead. Smith Lake Trail is only 0.7 miles, steep in a few places, mostly near the start, but mostly an easy trail. We hiked to Smith Lake and decided to return the next morning for sunrise photography.
On the way to Smith Lake Trailhead, we noted a small field of Columbines, which would possibly be good for foreground shots at sunset, assuming the clouds cleared by that time, as it had gotten much cloudier and rained lightly off and on during the day.
We also walked back to the reservoir, hiking a short distance along one of the two trails starting at the reservoir. We turned back as lightning and thunder got closer and more active. It only sprinkled lightly and we took time to explore more in the area south of the roadway, along the stream from the reservoir.
That is it for this post. Stay tuned for the sunset shoot results,
