Capitol Reef National Park in Utah is a narrow, but long park. During our first visit here years ago, we saw a limited portion of the park centered near the most visited area around the park headquarters. We were determined to see more during this visit and consequently had to spend much more time driving many miles to and from others areas of the park. So much of our time here was spent in a scouting mode, rather than being in a particular place at the best time for landscape photography.
Strike Valley, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
This view of Strike Valley is in the southern portion of Capitol Reef National Park, accessible via a 3 mile, rocky, 4 wheel drive road, followed by a 0.3 mile hike through forest and over slick rock. The photos taken here were during a scouting visit, when it was mostly overcast with rain threatening, so the light was uniform with interesting clouds.
Strike Valley, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
I paused along the quick hike back to the trailhead to snap photos of the clouds overhead with occasional drops of rain coming down.
This is a continuation of the previous post of my fall 2021 photography along Indiana backroads.
Early Fall Forest, Hoosier National Forest, Indiana, October 2021Hoosier National Forest, Indiana, October 2021Bent Tree Fall, Hoosier National Forest, Indiana, October 2021
After shooting along one section of a gravel forest roadway, I continued driving looking for other prospective places at which to shoot. I stopped at a trailhead and considered a short hike along that trail, but rain was threatening, so I decided it was best to leave this hike for another day, thinking I had time to return again, but I never got back to this location. I will try to keep this possibility in mind for future visits to this area.
The gravel road ended at a paved roadway, which led to a more major backroad. Shortly after getting onto that route, I saw the walker that I had seen earlier on the forest road. We waved to each other as I passed his home. That was miles from where I had seem him hiking, so I’m assuming he drove into the forest for his exercise routine.
Clouds and Beans
Along the paved roadway, I could see the dense clouds sweeping in from the west. I knew I had to stop to shoot the clouds over the farmland and forest, but the roadway was narrow with few places to pull over. Finally, I found just enough space to safely get off of the roadway. I walked across the road and a very short distance along a farmer’s field road to shoot across a bean field.
Rain’s a Coming
Back in my vehicle, I continued to wander around the country side looking for places to photograph the farmland scenes. I passed a farm with red barns near the top of a hill. There was no place to pull over nearby, so I drove past, turned around at a crossroads and went back up the hill, finding a place below the hilltop to pull over. As I walked towards the top of the hill with my camera and 80-400mm lens, I spotted a bare tree and a flock of blackbirds soaring nearby with a few birds settling in the tree.
Blackbird Tree
After shooting the bare tree with the blackbirds in it and clouds for a background, I continued to the top of the hill to pick a place along a fence line from which to shoot the farm buildings.
The light in the canyon was dim, but the clouds kept changing and I continued to snap photos, capturing the changing clouds and light.
Sunset Clouds and Canyon 2Sunset Clouds and Canyon 3Near Sunset
As it got nearer sunset time, reflected light from the clouds, brightened the canyon and gave it a warm glow. The photo above has the best of the sunset light during this shoot.
Clouds and Moon over Grand Canyon
The moon rose, while we were here, but it was completely obscured by the clouds, until it was high in the sky. It is barely visible in this image near the upper right of center. Click on the image to get a better view on Flickr (best viewed on a large screen).
Cloudy Sunset, iPhone Photo
While waiting and watching the sky, I walked around, capturing a few images with my iPhone.
iPhone Panorama, GC NR Overlook
This wraps up my July, 2021 visit to the Grand Canyon North Rim.
[I accidentally published this prematurely about a month ago before the draft was fully complete, so I’m republishing this with the final updates]
We shot at this location one morning and decided to try here at sunset on our final day in the park. It was heavily overcast, but we could see some breaks in the clouds, so we hoped to get some good light as the sun set behind us.
Clouds and Canyon 1Clouds and Canyon 2
As we waited for sunset, I captured numerous photos of the clouds over the canyon as the light varied from dim to less dim.
Cloudy Canyon 1Clouds and Canyon 2Clouds over Grand CanyonSunset Clouds 1
The clouds above the distant horizon finally began to glow dimly in the late day light.
Sunset Clouds 2Sunset Clouds and Canyon
In the final image for this post, the clouds were brighter and reflecting light into the canyon, bringing out more detail in the canyon.
Prior to going to our selected view point for sunset photos, we stopped by Roosevelt Point again. We had scouted this area on a previous day. Today we hiked the trail as far as it was safe to go, this time with our DSLR and gear.
Roosevelt Point
Those with acrophobia or anyone not sure footed should not go here.
As is apparent in these photos, it was mostly cloudy with some breaks in the clouds in the distance.
Roosevelt Point and Photographer
When I was shooting here, I was thinking the first image, with its wider view across the canyon, was going to be my best shot, but now I think the second one is the better of these two.
We arrived at a national forest primitive camping area in the mid-day to early afternoon, where there were views across the canyon to Marble Canyon in the distance.
Marble Canyon ViewCloud Shadows
There is a trailhead here and we hike a short distance along the trail, down a steep slope then up a steep slope, to check out other views across the canyon.
Clouds and CanyonCloudy AfternoonGet the ShotMarble Canyon Distant View
After our morning shoot, we drove around to explore the local area, getting to a couple of places with overviews of Marble Canyon in the distance. At one of these areas I photographed a couple of interesting trees with the cloudy sky and/or the canyon in the background.
Tree and Clouds, Original Color Version
This lopsided tree was easily isolated against the cloudy sky.
Tree and Clouds, Black and White Version
I think the black and white version of this image is more dramatic.
Enduring
I captured several compositions of this deformed or broken tree with the clouds and canyon in the background.
Deformed Tree, Canyon and Clouds 1Deformed Tree, Canyon and Clouds 2, Vertical Shot.
I like the third image (vertical) of the deformed tree best, with the first (horizontal) a close second.
At the outward end of our hike, we scrambled onto boulders for good views of the canyon and the distant storm.
Boulders, Canyon and Storm Clouds
The best view into the canyon was in one direction, so I shot in that direction, towards the distant storm, varying the foreground and the horizontal and vertical angles, experimenting with compositional variations with the same general view of the canyon.
Canyon and Storm
I used the portion of the canyon immediately below the view point as a leading line towards the main canyon and the storm in the distance.
Canyon, Canyon Rim and StormCanyon and StormApproaching StormBoulders, Canyon and StormStormy OutlookDark CanyonDistant StormStorm’s A Coming
Unlike those that are naturally artistic, I often do not immediately see “the composition” that I want. I enjoy trying different compositions and I’m often surprised at how I perceive the results, after having time to review and edit the photos. Often, the images I like the best are not the ones that others favor, which may be an indication of my natural bent towards seeing things in a more scientifically curious way, rather than in an artistic manner.
As always, readers comments and opinions are welcome,
The longest hike we did while at the Grand Canyon North Rim was one that generally followed along the canyon rim, but was mostly in forest with occasional good views of the canyon.
View from a trailClouds over the Canyon
The first three images contain the same canyon features with varying compositions and view points.
Intimate Moment
The tree leaning into another reminded me of a couple sharing this grand view.
Clouds and Canyon
The sky was mostly cloudy, as was typical during our visit, and the canyon was hazy.
Along the TrailNear a TrailStorm over the Canyon
Again today, there was a storm in the distance and rain threatened to catch us on the trail.
Storm CoudsTrees, Canyon and Storm Clouds
I will continue with more photos from this hike in a subsequent post.
