Tag: Hiking

Williams Creek Trail, Colorado, July 2020

During my second day at Teal, after reserving my site for another night, I drove further up the road to Cimarrona Campground.

Just past Teal Campground, I stopped to photograph an old ranch building in a valley below the mountain side to the east.

Scene adjacent to Teal Campground, Colorado. Nikon D850, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 1250, 80-400mm @ 80mm. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Modules.

Continuing to Cimarrona, I found this campground is significantly different than Teal.  Here there were Aspen trees, rather than Ponderosa Pines, the campsites seemed to be closer together and the campground more confined by the Aspens.  There were no good views from this campground, but I expect it would be quite nice in the fall, when the Aspens turn their golden yellow.

I continued on to Palisades (the horse campground) Campground at the end of forest service road 640.  There is a parking area in this campground for Williams Creek Trailhead.  Williams Creek trail goes far up into the mountains, eventually connecting to the Continental Divide Trail.

During my trip planning, I had noted the possibility of finding waterfalls along Williams Creek, which feeds into the Williams Creek Reservoir.  In viewing the trail via Google Earth, I could see that, while I might see falls or cascades from the trail, the view would probably be from so far away, that it would be impossible to get good photos of falls or the creek from the trail.  There appeared to be some possibility of walking along the creek for some distance; but eventually it looked impossible or difficult to follow the creek to the possible falls.

I decided to hike up the trail to check it out.  I could tell from the map that the trail was fairly steep in some places and I did not want to carry a heavy load, so I did not take my DSLR and heavy camera gear.  I did wear my Camelbak with a full water reservoir, a few snacks and items that would be useful in case of inclement weather or an unexpected event.

Gnarly Fallen Tree Trunk. iPhone Photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

This fallen tree trunk was so twisted that I had to take time to photograph it along the way up the trail.

A typical view along Williams Creek Trail. iPhone Photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

This is a typical view of the trail.  It was much steeper in some places and flatter or downhill in others; but the trail was mostly uphill.  I could hear the creek flowing in the distance much of the time, but not see it very often.

A view from Williams Creek Trail, Palisades Campground, Colorado. iPhone Photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

I finally got to a place where I could see one of the features that I had spotted via Google Earth.  I was correct in surmising that the trail was so far above the creek that it would be impossible to get a good photo of the falls or cascades from the trail.  In the photo above the little white areas in the lower left are cascades or small falls in the creek.

While at this point another hiker came down the trail and said this was the best view point for this feature.  He said there was another view a short distance up the trail, but it was not as good.  I hiked up to check out that view and found that he was correct.  So I came back here and zoomed in on the creek with my iPhone.

Williams Creek as seen from far above on Williams Creek Trail. iPhone Photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

This is the result and not very satisfying.  I cannot even judge the scale of these water features from this distance or this photo.  This feature on the creek is not the best one that I spotted on Google Earth, but it was evident that it would not be possible to get to the better possible falls or even get a good view from this trail.

It had been cloudy all the time I was hiking and I could hear thunder far in the distance.  The thunder finally got loud enough that I knew it was time to head back down the trail.  Since it was mostly downhill on the way back, it took much less time to hike back to the parking lot in Palisades Campground than it did to hike up.

Approaching Storm. iPhone Photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

One can see the heavy clouds of the coming storm in the photo above.  I made it back down to my vehicle and back to my campsite just before it began to rain lightly.  I’m sure it was raining heavier in the higher elevations.

I’m still hoping to get good sunset light this evening at Teal Campground.

Stay tuned to see how that worked out,

Ken

 

Travel to Teal Campground, Colorado, July 2020

Back on Colorado 149, after departing Thirty Mile Campground, I stopped for a snack and to stretch my legs at a pull out along the Rio Grande.  I remember this spot from other visits.  I think I probably stopped here many years ago on my first drive along this route.

Rio Grand River, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/250s, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

There is a good view of a bend in the river and the cliffs along the river banks at this large pull out.

CO 149 intersects US 160 at South Fork.  I headed west on US 160 towards Pagosa Springs.  Along the way, I noted a viewpoint sign for Treasure Falls.  There is a large parking lot for this attraction and there were many vehicles in the parking lot.  It was a weekend day and maybe the crowd would be much smaller on a weekday.  I actually drove a little past the official parking lot, pulling out at a wide pull out a little further down the highway.  I walked back to the parking area to check out the area, taking a mask and just my camera with the 24-70mm lens.

There was no view of the falls from the parking area.  There were information signs for the falls and two trails to the falls, the typical tourist type trail, which most of the folks were taking, and a primitive trail.  Wanting to maintain a social distance from all those here, and because I wanted something more natural, I chose to take the primitive trail.  I do not suggest this trail for anyone not in fairly good physical shape.  It was, indeed primitive, steep with slippery muddy slopes, logs and rocks to scramble over; but there was not a crowd of people on it.  However, I was behind a family that had to stop frequently to catch their breath (giving me a good excuse to stop for the same), so I waited at a distance for them to proceed.  The primitive trail took longer than I had anticipated to get to the falls.

An information sign at the Treasure Falls parking lot.

Arriving at the falls, it took more effort to keep a distance from others and I made sure to wear my mask all the time in that area.  There was a small viewing platform at the falls, which I avoided, electing to keep to the downstream area away from as many people as possible.

Since I did not bring a tripod on this hike, I hand held my camera, so I could not get a long exposure shot of the falls.  I also did not have filters and the sky was bright and over exposed.

Treasure Falls, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm (before crop), f/8, 1/25s, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

It was possible to hike to the base of the falls, but I decided not to try that on this visit.

Treasure Falls, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm (before crop), f/8, 1/60s, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

I took the easy trail back to the parking lot.  That trail was quite busy with folks coming up the trail, so I wore my mask and stepped away from those approaching.  The trip on this trail back to the parking area only took a few minutes.

Next stop:  Teal Campground.

Until then, be safe and stay well,

Ken

Mid-Day Exploration, Colorado, July 2020, Part 2

During one of our drives on US 550 between Ouray and Silverton, we noted an unmarked gravel road heading towards a mountainside, but it appeared to end after a short distance, so we initially ignored it.   On a subsequent trip past it, we decided to check it out.

After driving a short distance, not being able to see the road ahead and concerned there might not be a place to turn around on the narrow road, we decide it might be best to park at a wider spot in the road and walk ahead.  We did not have to walk far to the end of this road, but it was mostly uphill.  Fortunately, it was not very steep.

We passed a small, cascading mountain stream, which crossed the roadway.

A small waterfall just off of US 550 in Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

Even though this was not a big stream, it was attractive and captivating as most such streams tend to be.

The road ended at what appeared to be a minor mine exploratory site.  A mountain stream with a long section of it visible going up the mountain side ran past the site.  I made a number of images shooting down onto the stream nearest the roadway, but I could not get any attractive compositions that way.

Scrambling down rocky ledges away from the roadway and up the stream, gave better views of the stream and the wildflowers along the stream edge.

Mountain stream cascades and wildflowers. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, f/11, 1/60s, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

The photo above is an example of including too much in an image.  The stream acts as a leading line, but there is no center of interest in this photo.  My eye goes to the most prominent part of the cascade in the lower left; but when my eye follows the stream towards the upper right, I do not see anything of great impact.  I was zoomed in as much as possible with the 24-70mm lens, so I could not isolate anything any better from my view point.  I could try cropping this image on portions of the image and maybe make a more interesting one; but the composition cannot be changed via cropping.  Getting closer to a portion of the stream might have been the only way to get an impactful image here.

In the distance I could see a waterfall.  I think the image below is better, but the waterfall in the upper right is maybe too distant to have real weight.  Still I think this image has some intrigue, making one want to know more about what is in the distance down the stream.

A mountain stream with cascades and waterfalls. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/25s, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

It was beginning to rain lightly and we were not wearing rain gear, so we decided to head back to the vehicle and save exploring along this stream up to the waterfall for another time.  It began raining harder as we walked along.  I put my hat over my camera to protect it, which resulted in my getting more wet.  Fortunately, it was not a Texas type rainstorm.

Thanks for following,

Ken

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 7 Sunset

The destination for a final sunset shoot on the last day of my May 2019 visit to the Bisti Wilderness was the same as yesterday’s, since yesterday’s sunset light was obscured by heavy clouds on the western horizon.  I really liked my chosen location and this was my last chance to shoot here on this visit.  There were some clouds today, but not so heavy as yesterday.

The light turned out to be good at sunset, but not great.  The clouds on the western horizon blocked the light until just a few minutes before sunset.  Even after the sun dropped below the denser clouds, there were still wispy clouds defusing the light.  However, I think I got a few good images.

North Bisti hoodoos and vista at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 48mm, f/16, 1.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
North Bisti hoodoos and vista at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, f/16, 1.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

As yesterday, I had to navigate carefully getting into position for various compositions, being careful about where and how I walked, where I stood near steep drop offs and using care in setting the tripod.  This was not a place in which to get careless or make sudden, unplanned moves.

North Bisti hoodoos and vista at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 52mm, f/16, 1.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
North Bisti hoodoos and vista at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 55mm, f/16, 0.6s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
North Bisti hoodoos and vista at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 42mm, f/16, 0.6s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
North Bisti hoodoos and vista at sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 42mm, f/16, 0.6s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

This post wraps up my May 2019 visit to the Bisti Wilderness.  There is still much that I have not seen or photographed here, so I expect that I will return sometime in the future.

I hope that my readers have enjoyed following along with my experiences and photography here.

Ken

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 7, Sunrise

I am reluctant to get out of my sleeping bag this morning.  I linger there for 10 more minutes after the alarm, considering whether to sleep in or go out for a morning shoot.  Eventually, I convince myself to face the morning.  After all, this is my last morning to shoot here.

This morning I will make up for yesterday’s mistake.  In route to my planned destination, I stop to shoot a blue hour silhouette.  One that caught my eye yesterday morning;  but I hastened by then, mistakenly thinking I did not have time to linger.  I am a little later at this location today.  The scene does not look as good as it did yesterday.  Mistake made and likely to be repeated, even though I am reminding myself to take the shot, whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Guardian of the Pass.  Large Bisti Hoodoo at blue hour. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 60mm, f/16, 30s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

After shooting the silhouette, I proceed towards my intended destination, the place high up on a hill at the end of a canyon, where I shot under a heavily overcast, morning sky early in the week.  I am anticipating excellent sunrise light at that location this morning.  As I hike, I become concerned about getting there sufficiently early and I am not enthusiastic about my choice of location today, either.  The Conversing Hoodoos are along my route, so I decide to check those for possible morning shots, since I am not satisfied with the results of my sunset shoots of those features.

Arriving at the Conversing Hoodoos and looking around, I conclude that there is a high probability of excellent golden hour morning light on the most interesting features, so I abandon my original plan in favor of shooting here.

I plan several compositions, shooting test shots in the pre-sunrise light as I await the sunrise.  The sky is clear with no obstructions.  There are hills to the east, which may limit some light on the lower portions of my compositions and maybe block the very first sunrise rays from my subjects.  As the sunrise light strikes the hoodoos, I am elated  that my change of plan is working out well.

Conversing Hoodoos at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 32mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Conversing Hoodoos at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 34mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

After the golden sunrise light passes, I continue shooting with fully lit subjects for a few minutes.  I am not excited by any of the pre-sunrise nor post sunrise shots, so I am not sharing those.

Finishing my early morning shoot, I walk at a leisurely pace back towards the parking lot, looking for other places to shoot along the way.  Maybe I chose an uninteresting route to the parking lot.  I’m not finding interesting compositions in the later morning light; but I take time to make a few images anyway, hoping something jumps out at me.   I decide that none of these attempts produce any interesting results.  My lack of energy this morning might be relevant to my failure to get interesting shots in the post sunrise hour.  Frame of mind matters in artistic pursuits.

This is my last day here.  I have one more sunset shoot, weather permitting.    Until then,

Ken

Echo Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado, July 2019, Day 3 Sunrise

On the morning of our third day in Echo Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado, my oldest son and I returned to the Yampa River and the nearby grassy meadow for our final photography shoot before packing up and heading back to Denver.

Yampa River Morning, Echo Park, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 19mm, f/11, 0.8s, ISO 1600, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

We again went onto the bar in the river channel just east of the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers to shoot in the pre-sunrise and sunrise light.

Yampa River Morning, Echo Park, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 16mm, f/11, 0.5s, ISO 1600, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

I made compositions similar to those of the previous day’s sunset shoot, capturing the morning sky, the canyon walls and reflections of those in the river.

Yampa River Morning, Echo Park, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 16mm, f/11, 1/8s, ISO 1600, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

Clouds moved across the sky as the light changed.  I shot towards the east and the rising sun, then made a few images toward the west.

Yampa River Morning, Echo Park, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 16mm, f/11, 1/6s, ISO 1600, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Yampa River Morning, Echo Park, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 16mm, f/11, 8s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

I turned again to the east and north as the sky and clouds became brighter, which created more contrast in the images and brighter reflections in the river.

Yampa River Morning, Echo Park, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 15mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Yampa River Morning, Echo Park, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 18mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

As the sun rose behind the canyon walls, the clouds became brighter and more colorful.

Yampa River Morning, Echo Park, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 18mm, f/16, 1/4s, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

After shooting in the river channel, we climbed back onto the meadow and made more images as the morning light advanced across the sky.  The moon transited across the sky to the south as we shot.

Echo Park Morning, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

Today, rather than using rocks in the meadow as foreground objects, I put tall clumps of grass in the foreground.

Echo Park Morning, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

Shooting with the wide angle lens results in distortion, some of which can be taken out, but not all of it.  Note how the rock outcrop on the right side of this image appears to be tilted in towards the middle of the image.  Trying to take out this tilt with the tools in Adobe Lightroom will affect the rest of the image in an undesirable manner.

Echo Park Morning, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

There were a few scattered thistles in this meadow and I used one as a foreground object.

Echo Park Morning, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

The first of the sunrise rays began to show up on the top of the large rock outcrop on the east side of the meadow

Echo Park Morning, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/125s, ISO 1250, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

and a little later on the rock outcrop on the west side.

Echo Park Morning, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16 1/125s, ISO 1250, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

We were fortunate to have scattered clouds this morning to add interest to the sky.

Echo Park Morning, DNM. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/125s, ISO 1250, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.

This wraps up the highlights of my July 2019 Colorado road trip,

Ken

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 6 Sunset

As usual, I was all alone in the north Bisti parking area overnight.  After returning from my early morning shoot, a few people came and went during the mid-day hours.

A young German couple, Tobias and Daniela, parked next to me and we chatted for a few minutes before they headed out into the wilderness area.  They were in the US for 4 weeks, traveling via automobile from Phoenix to Pittsburg, seeing sites along the way.  The couple returned before 6PM, stopping by to show me a few photos of various places that they had visited so far on their current trip to the US, giving me ideas of other places to visit.  Daniela’s blog site is Daniela’s Urlaubs Blog.

I am always amazed at how much international travel the Europeans do.  I know traveling between countries in Europe is easy,  but many travel outside Europe on a regular basis.  I have met numerous Europeans who are on extended vacations, spanning weeks.  I know that their labor laws assure their citizens of liberal holiday time, but they must budget a lot for their travels, even if they take advantage of cheap airfare, motels, car rentals, etc.  Still, it makes sense to me that if one is traveling so far, taking a long vacation is justified.

During the afternoon, there were dark, heavy clouds all around the area and I could see distant rainfall in numerous directions.  Some  of those rainfall events seemed to be heading directly towards my location, but it did not rain on me.

Bisti Panorama with storm clouds. iPhone photograph with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I made the panoramic shot above with my iPhone from atop a hill just inside the Bisti Wilderness and just north of the parking area.  This hilltop is the nearest place, where I could get a weak cell signal for making calls, getting e-mails and checking the weather, if the weak, intermittent signal lasted long enough to do so.  This shot is to the south, showing the massive cloud cover, which might not bode well for a sunset shoot.  The Sportsmobile is just a little rectangular blob near the center left edge of this image.

I made preparations to go out for sunset photography, although it was very cloudy in the west and the wind was increasing in intensity.  I stuffed my rain shell into my backpack before heading out, just in case of rain.

I hiked to a place, which I had previously scouted for sunset photography, high up on a hard rock platform, overlooking a large array of hoodoos with a wide vista over the desert area.

North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I made a number of test shots with my iPhone and DSLR of several compositions about an hour before sunset, as I waited and prepared for the warm sunset light.  These shots and my observations of the light indicated that the golden sunset light would be very limited today.  With this in mind, I carefully walked around on top of my perch area to determine how and where to quickly set up the tripod and camera, during the brief time that I would have to shoot at sunset.  Some of my chosen setup locations required carefully planned steps to safely get into position and care in setting the tripod, so I wanted to practice my moves.

North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I was excited about the possibilities for shooting here.  Unfortunately, a large mass of clouds on the western horizon obscured the sun at sunset time.  This is such a great place to shoot sunset that I will have to try again tomorrow evening, which will be my final chance to shoot here on this trip.  At least I have a few iPhone and DSLR images, just in case tomorrow’s sunset light is no better.

North Bisti Scene near sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 52mm, f/16, 8.0s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
North Bisti Hoodoos and Valley near sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 48mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 9 images.
North Bisti scene near sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

At the time I made these shots, there would have been golden hour light on the two large features on the left of the above image and on the mass of hoodoos in the image below, if the clouds on the western horizon had not blocked the direct rays of sunlight.

North Bisti Scene. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 42mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
North Bisti Hoodoos near sunset. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 52mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Helicon focus stack of 9 images.

The DSLR images in this post have embedded links to the photos on Flickr, where these can be viewed in higher resolution.

I like these compositions and views, but the light that I had anticipated was not realized.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

Until then,

Ken

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 6 Sunrise

I hiked to The Seal to shoot pre-sunrise and sunrise shots at this large well known hoodoo in the northern portion of Bisti on the morning of my 6th day here in late May of 2019.  The sunrise light was not great, but it was still good.

The Seal, Bisti Wilderness, Pre-Sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 52mm, f/16, 8.0s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

I made a few exposures from below The Seal in the pre-sunrise light.  Then climbed further up the hillside to shoot from just below the hoodoos and from a location that gave me a view from just above The Seal and other adjacent features.  The pre-sunrise, dim light required long exposures.

A large Bisti Hoodoo adjacent to The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 50mm, f/16, 8.0s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Large Bisti Hoodoo near The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 34mm, f/16, multiple long exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Focus stack of 5 images in Helicon software.

This iPhone shot shows the DSLR shooting location, overlooking The Seal and adjacent rock features and the westerly view with the first sunrise rays highlighting the features on the horizon:

Waiting for the light. iPhone photo edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

One of the long exposure pre-sunrise shots with the DSLR:

Eye Level with The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 45mm, f/16, 6.0s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

I think most photographers shoot The Seal from below, since that is the view that lets one see the seal shape of the hoodoo cap.  I’m sure others have walked around, viewing these in the same manner as shown above, but I do not recall having seen any photos from this viewpoint.  I’m hoping that I captured images here that are less common, if not unique.

When the sun rose over the horizon, I began to see the highlights on my primary subjects.

Eye level at The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 45mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Large Bisti Hoodoo near The Seal. Sunrise light, Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Focus stack of 6 images in Helicon software.

I then moved back down the slope to shoot The Seal from below in the early morning sunlight.

The Seal near sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 38mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

Finishing my shoot at The Seal, I went back down into the wash and proceeded to another nearby location that I had previously scouted.

North Bisti Hoodoos and Wings. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 35mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Focus stack of 6 images in Helicon software.
North Bisti Rocks and Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 40mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Focus stack of 3 images in Helicon software.

As is my normal practice, I continued to wander around after the golden hour, looking for other interesting features to shoot before the sun got too high in the sky.  I climbed up out of the deep wash onto the high plateau in the area where I had shot on other occasions and found these two curious looking rocks and their shadows:

Kissing Bisti Rocks. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 56mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

The low angle sun cast interesting shadows from a number of small hoodoos.

North Bisti Small Hoodoo and Shadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 60mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Focus stack of 3 images.
Long neck (bird like) hoodoo and shadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm (before crop), f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.
Bisti Hoodoo and Shadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 44mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.

The brighter sunlight and long shadows are good for obtaining monochrome images.

Bisti Wash and Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Helicon focus stack of 7 images.

Little hoodoo that appears to be looking up to a bigger one:

Bisti Hoodoos and Shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm (before crop), f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Helicon focus stack of 7 images.

An array of short hoodoos with flat, elongated rock caps in monochrome:

Fading Away. Bisti Short and Flat Top Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 50mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Helicon focus stack of 5 images.

These elongated, flat rocks are remnants of an originally continuous rock layer. Weathering and erosion has created these individual rock sections.  In time these will disappear entirely.

A monochrome with selective colorization (bringing out some of the original color in a monochrome image):

Bisti Short and Flat Top Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 48mm (before crop), f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Helicon focus stack of 7 images.

I think the black and white version, which can be found on my Flickr page,  of the above image is more appealing than the selectively colorized version.

Bisti Flat Rock Hoodoo Tops. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 28mm (before crop), f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules. Helicon focus stack of 8 images.

That’s it for now,

Ken

Echo Park, July 2019, Sunset Shoot in the Yampa River

My son and I return to the area near our sunrise shoot and go down a steep bank into the river channel, crossing a narrow, mucky interval near the bank, balancing on a narrow, short tree branch and rocks, avoiding as much mud and water as possible, trying not to fall, wading through shallow water on the edge of a broad bar, before getting onto the dry portion of the rocky bar in the river channel.  We are just east of the confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers.  The river is broad and maybe not deep, but we do not test the waters; even though, there is a large driftwood tree on the bar on the opposite side that would make a great foreground object.

Yampa River Reflection, Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/13s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The river surface provides good reflections of the canyon walls, as we make numerous photos, while waiting for the sunset light.  The river and a good portion of the canyon walls are already in shadow.  A high wall to the west, will prevent full sunset light illumination of the entire canyon walls; but we expect golden light on the upper portion of these walls.

Yampa River Reflection, Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I experiment with different compositions with the 14-24mm lens at various focal lengths, while waiting for the golden hour.  I use a 3 stop, soft, graduated neutral density filter to balance the exposure of the sky and the river.

Yampa River Reflection, Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 17mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The first of the golden hour rays are apparent in the image below and the light is already far up the canyon walls.

Yampa River Reflection, Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I make a series of images as the light changes in its move up the walls.   Short, fractions of a second, shutter speeds make the river current ripples apparent in the images above.  The images below are made with long shutter speeds, using a 7 stop neutral density filter, smoothing out the ripples.

Yampa River Reflection, Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 30s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The light is going away faster on the north wall than on the south wall, creating an asymmetrically lit image.

Yampa River Reflection, Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 25s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Blurring of the reflections by the river current is more apparent in the longer exposures.

Yampa River Reflection, Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 15mm, f/16, 25s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Finally, as the light disappears on the canyon walls to the east, I turn to check out possible compositions to the west.

Yampa River, Echo Park, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The sun is below the western rock face, the sky is bright and the river is in shadow, making it difficult to get a balanced exposure.  While this is not a great photograph, I still like the leading line of the river with its current ripples, reflected skylight, fuzzy reflections of the bordering walls, the bars on each side of the channel and the soft streaky clouds in the sky.  This view might be good in early morning sunrise light.

While waiting for the golden hour, I made a few iPhone images just to see what I can do with those and to show those who might use such a device to capture photographs, the possibilities for such images.

Yampa River at its confluence with the Green River. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

I can brighten the lower portion of the image above, but I think this looks more natural.

The Yampa River and Canyon in Echo Park. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Yampa River and canyon walls near sunset. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

That is it for this shoot.  We have one more sunrise in Echo Park before ending this trip.  Some of the images in this blog are posted to my Flickr page, where one can view them in higher resolution and viewing on a large screen will be best.

Until next time,

Ken

 

First Sunrise Shoot In Echo Park

My son and I  are in an open grassy area near the confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers in Dinosaur National Monument for our first sunrise shoot in Echo Park.  The grassy area has a number of large rocks scattered around, which we think will be good foreground objects with the canyon walls in the background.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 30s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

As we wait for the sunrise light to illuminate the cliff faces, I am surprised to see how the pre-sunrise, indirect light gives such a warm red glow to the rocks.  In fact, that indirect light might be best for photography here.  I note that the foreground rocks receive reflected light from the high rock walls, taking on a pinkish red color.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 4s, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I make numerous images with various exposures, while waiting for the direct light.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1.6s, ISO 100, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 19mm, f/11, 6s, ISO 100, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

These images do not adequately convey the unspoiled beauty of this location.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, 4s, ISO 100, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 3s, ISO 100, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, 1.6s, ISO 100, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, 1.6s, ISO 100, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, 1s, ISO 100, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Just as the first rays of direct sunrise light touch the top of the canyon wall to the west, the setting moon appears in my compositions.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 19mm, f/11, 1/4s, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Shooting with the wide angle lens, the moon barely shows up in these images, but it is more apparent in the higher resolution images posted to my Flickr page.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 17mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Soon the first rays of direct light begin to light up the canyon wall at the confluence of the rivers.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 17mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Turning around, I see the light on the large cliff face just east of my position.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 17mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Looking back to the west, the sunrise light is advancing quickly down and across the canyon wall and the moon is still in the gap between the two large rock faces.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I continue to capture images from various view points as the sunlight advances on the western rock face.

Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Echo Park, DNM, Colorado. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 16mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Comparing the first image in this post to the last ones, it is my opinion that the pre-direct, diffused light gives a more pleasing color to the rock than the direct sunrise light here.  The sun is already fairly high in the sky before the rock face to the west receives the direct light, so the sunrise golden light is not seen on the west canyon wall.

Be sure to check out the higher resolution images on my Flickr page.

I’m hoping that someday I will visit Echo Park in the early fall to see trees with fall foliage.

Until next time,

Ken