Tag: Hiking

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

 

 

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 5 Sunset

I am feeling the effects of insufficient sleep, after yesterday’s early and late day shoots with an extended hike sandwiched into the mid day hours, followed by today’s early morning sunrise shoot.  I try to nap for awhile, after Daniel’s departure, but a strong wind discourages sleep.  Looking out the Penthouse window, I see dark clouds to the west.  Fearing a rain will turn the clay surface parking lot into a muddy mess, I put the Sportsmobile top down and drive to a less clayey area near the parking area entrance, from which I can quickly exit the parking area in case of a downpour.  I see rain falling in the distance in several directions.  Walking up a hill to get a cell signal, I check the weather report, which does not mention rain at the two closest weather stations available.  I then check the weather forecast for my specific location via my GPS unit, which shows only 10% probability of rain in the area.

After lunch, the weather and clouds approaching from the west do not look as threatening, so I drive back to my favored parking spot, adjacent to the barbed wire fence at the boundary of the Bisti Wilderness area.

I am hesitant go out at sunset, seeing heavy clouds covering the western horizon and a half dozen distant rain showers in various directions.  I decide to go anyway, hoping to get some good sunset light and not get rained on.

I target the plateau area again, thinking that sunset light will be good there.  Arriving early enough prior to sunset to wander around looking for interesting subjects, I make a few images in the late day light before choosing sunset compositions.

Small Bisti Arch and Shadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 50mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I find this interestingly shaped, small, natural bridge, casting a long shadow, among the many rock features in the wash area adjacent to the plateau.

North Bisti Rocks and Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 35mm, f/16, 1/5-1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 5 images.
Hoodoo Wash_Shark Tank. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 35mm, f/16, 1/6-1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 10 images.
North Bisti Golden Hour Sunset Scene. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 10 images.

A number of these images are created via a technique called focus stacking, in which a number of images, focused at different distances from the camera, are combined into one image, creating better sharpness throughout the image.    I tend to acquire more images than necessary for this method, but better too many than not enough.  I’ve given up on using Photoshop for focus stacking, since the Photoshop processing is slow and not accurate.  I’m testing Helicon software for this and I’m impressed with its speed, accuracy and editing feature.

The late day light is good, but I am concerned about the clouds low on the western horizon.  I get lucky as the sun drops below the cloud cover just before setting, briefly providing warm light.

North Bisti Plateau Sunset Golden Hour. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 65mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.

I make a number of images of this composition as the sunset light, limited by cloud cover and shadows, moves down the rock features.

North Bisti Plateau Sunset Golden Hour. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 64mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 7 images.

And finally, I take a few shots of the sunset with rock features in the foreground.

Sunset scene on a North Bisti plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 44mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64. HDR image created in DxO Nik HDR Pro.
North Bisti Plateau Sunset Scene. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 46mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64. HDR image created in DxO Nik HDR Pro.

These last two are HDR images, created from multiple exposures, using DxO Nik HDR Pro.  Such processing is required, when shooting a scene with strong light contrast, since camera sensors do not have a sufficiently wide dynamic range to capture the entire light range in one exposure.

I hope you enjoy this post.  Click on the photographs to view higher resolution images on my Flickr page.

Until next time,

Ken

 

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 5, Sunrise

I am not satisfied with the results of yesterday’s morning shoot, in the cloud muted, dispersed sunrise light.  So this morning, Daniel and I return to the plateau area, where Daniel found me yesterday.

Sunrise light is much better this morning.

Golden Hour Sunrise on a north Bisti Plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 0.4s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Golden Hour on a North Bisti Plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 50mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 4 images.
Golden Hour Light on a North Bisti Plateau. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.

After the initial sunrise shots, we wander around the local area shooting a few other features.

Hoodoo Wash. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 35mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
A double layer Hoodoo. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Bisti Wash. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm (before crop), f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

During post processing, I’m experimenting with selective colorization of a monochrome image.  The original image after cropping is above.  The final product is below.

Bisti monochrome with Selective Colorization. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm (before crop), f/16, 1/5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

This is not a great image for such experimentation, but the original image was dull, so I think a little creative editing may yield something of interest.  In my opinion, the monochrome version with the selective colorization is more interesting than the original, but still not a great photo.  I am open to other opportunities to explore this editing technique.

Daniel wants to revisit a few of the large wing like hoodoos that I had taken him to yesterday, so we continue across a deep wash to the opposite side, stopping by The Seal and other large neighboring hoodoos.

By now the warm morning light is gone.  I shoot a number of images of The Seal and its neighbors from various view points.  These images are good references for another visit, during a golden hour.

The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/50s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Alligator or Lizard Hoodoo (my names). Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 58mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 3 images.
The Seal and Neighbors. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 30mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 9 images.

The slope to climb up to get near these features is steep and composed of dry, crumbly clay soil, which is difficult to walk on without slipping and sliding.  At least it is dry and not muddy.

Hoodoo near The Seal. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/16, 1/30s-1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 3 images.
The Seal and Others. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/30s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.

It is evident that these rock features look entirely different from various view points.

The Seal and Others. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 50mm (before crop), f/16, 1/25-1/30s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.

We hike on through the wash below The Seal, going past the Conversing Hoodoos and the area around those very distinctive features.

Stair Step Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 42mm, f/16, 1/30s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
North Bisti Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 42mm, f/16, 1/60s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 6 images.
North Bisti Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 7 images.
Conversing Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/60s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules. Helicon focus stack of 7 images.

By the time we get to this area, the sun is fairly high and the colors in the rock layers are mostly washed out.  Having seen these features in golden hour light, I can at least claim to be trying to emulate that light, in this heavily processed image.

We return to the north parking area for coffee and breakfast.  Afterwards, Daniel drives away to continue his tour of the US southwest, heading for The Grand Canyon’s north rim.  I hope Daniel enjoys the rest of his visit to the US, makes many photographs and acquires good memories of his visit.

Stay tuned for more,

Ken

 

 

 

Echo Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado 2019, Scouting Photography

This post is a continuation of experiences and photography during a July 2019 road trip in Colorado.

From the Gates of Lodore in Dinosaur National Monument my oldest son and I continued on to Echo Park, also in Dinosaur National Monument.  To get to Echo Park one must travel 13 miles down a narrow, steep, rocky, high clearance vehicle road.  The road is not an extreme 4 wheel drive, at least not when dry and going into the area is mostly downhill; but 4 wheel drive vehicles are recommended for this road.   There are some narrow intervals, where it is not possible for two vehicles to pass each other.

There is a sizable campground in Echo Park, but sites are on a first come basis, so there is no guarantee that one will find a campsite after the drive down.  We were fortunate that a number of campsites were available, when we arrived, and two of those sites had good shade, which we really needed, since the daytime temperatures were in the mid 90s (F).  The shade only protected us during the morning and part of mid-day.  In the afternoons there was no avoiding the sun.  Since we were out in the early morning and late day for photography, we were mostly resting around the campsite during the day.  The summer heat can make it difficult to be entirely comfortable in the vehicle during the day and the insects with mosquitos made it undesirable to be outdoors.  This is one of those times, when an outdoor, screen shelter would be useful.  However, a nearby couple with such a shelter said the insects and mosquitos got into the shelter, anyway.  The mosquitos also got into our vehicle each time we opened a door, so we spent some time trying to eliminate them.  I have since acquired a couple of battery powered bug zappers to test during a future trip.

The Sportsmobile in Echo Park Camp Site. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Steamboat Rock in my window. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Echo Park Campground view from my window. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

The setting for the campground is very nice with views of Steamboat Rock on one side and views of high cliffs all around.  From our campsite we only had to walk a very short distance through woods to the river and good views of Steamboat Rock and the Yampa River.

Steamboat Rock in Echo Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
A panoramic view of the Yampa River going around Steamboat Rock. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

During the mid-day hours, we made a couple of exploratory hikes looking for good places for sunrise and sunset photography.

An old dead tree along a trail in Echo Park. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

Even though the NPS website says there are no trails in Echo Park, there is at least one created by frequent visitors and it appears to go on along the river for quite a way.

A trail through Echo Park. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

Hiking along this trail, we found a large, open grassy park with scattered rocks that would be useful as foreground, with the canyon walls in the background.

Echo Park with rock foreground and starburst. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

The bank of the river near this area is steep, but we found a way down into the channel.  If hiking here, be aware that the river bank is undercut in numerous places, where it could give way without warning, so be very careful walking near the river bank.

Yampa River Channel. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.

We think we can get good photos in the river channel at both sunrise and sunset.

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

The confluence of the Yampa and Green Rivers cannot be seen in these photographs, as it is hidden behind the vegetation and rocks near the center of the the image above and that below.

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

Several of these iPhone images were actually made during sunrise or sunset shoots.

DSLR sunset and sunrise photography here will be the subject of subsequent posts.

Until then,

Ken

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 4 Sunset

I wanted to reshoot at the Conversing Hoodoos at sunset, since I was not satisfied with the wide angle images made upon my first shoot here.  Today I would use the 24-70mm lens, hoping the zoom range would let me be more discriminating with my compositions.

Daniel accompanied me for this shoot.  We arrive early as I prefer to do, giving me time to shoot around the area at anything I see of interest, before moving to the primary subject.

There were many clouds in the sky, definitely adding interest to the sky, but maybe not good for sunset light.

The Clam Hoodoo under cloudy sky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 31mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64.

The overcast sky with muted light made for good monochrome images.  The Clam Hoodoo was just down a canyon/wash from the Conversing Hoodoos, so it was easy to shoot there prior to the sunset light.

Bisti Wilderness and cloudy sky in monochrome. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 31mm, f/16, 1/10s, ISO 64.

In fact I think this turned out to be a really good late afternoon to find monochrome compositions with the many rock shapes and cloudy sky.

A Bisti bird like hoodoo in monochrome. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/10s, ISO 64.

This particular hoodoo with the broad flat area and a pointy beak like part reminded me of a bird in flight.  Looking closely one can even see an “eye” and a crease for a mouth.  The embedded link is to the color version on Flickr.

Bisti Wilderness and Cloudy Sky in Monochrome. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/13s, ISO 64.

This is my favorite monochrome image made this afternoon.  I like the leading line of the sunlit rocks running diagonally, pointing to the highlighted rocks on the hillside, then the wash leading back to the upper center and the cloudy sky.  I think this might even be the best image that I got in this shoot; although, I have not gotten any comments or faves on the posting to Flickr.  So maybe readers will tell me if they see faults with this image.  I think this image looks really good on my large iMac monitor.  Maybe it does not look good viewed on smaller screens?

A rusting bicycle frame in the Bisti Wilderness Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64.

One never knows what kind of surprise one may find in this wilderness.  Why and how is there a bicycle frame here?  A totally surprising find.

Bisti Rock Sculpture in Monochrome Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Focus stack of multiple images.

I had previously taken a few iPhone shots of the “modern art like sculpture” in this image, while scouting here.  Today I made a number of images of the two foreground rocks with the background hillside then focus stacked them using Helicon software before converting to monochrome.

Conversing Hoodoos and cloudy sunset Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64.

As I had feared, the clouds on the western horizon prohibited any golden hour light this evening, so I had to make do with mostly silhouette type images of the Conversing Hoodoos with some sunset color on the horizon.

Conversing hoodoos and a cloudy sunset Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 58mm, f/16, 1/20s, ISO 64.
An HDR image of the Conversing Hoodoos and a cloudy sunset Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/16, multiple exposures, ISO 64.

I made one HDR image from a few of the images to at least get detail in the foreground rocks.

The results of this attempt at sunset shooting here dictates another effort on another day.  Such is the life of a landscape photographer.

Thanks for following,

Ken

Bisti May 2019, Day 4 Scouting, Part 3

This is the third and final post of iPhone scouting photographs on the south side of the Bisti Wilderness in New Mexico during my May 2019 visit.  Daniel and I continued our exploration of portions of south Bisti in an area with many large hoodoos and interesting rock formations.

Large Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Isolating these features against the blue sky with the clouds makes for good compositions.

Large Wing Hoodoo, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Daniel in a Valley of Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The photo above gives some indication of the massive quantity of hoodoos in this area with Daniel as a scale.  The following photos indicate the large variety of rock forms and hoodoos seen in this area.

Many Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Hoodoo Wall, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Eventually erosion will turn this wall of hoodoos into a line of separate hoodoos, but probably not in my lifetime.

Large Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Some of these features look like something one might see in a science fiction movie set on another planet.  Maybe it is places like this that stimulate the imagination for such movies.

Many Hoodoo Styles, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
So Many Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Hoodoo Vista, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Hoodoos and Sky, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I like these images looking up at the hoodoos set against the blue sky and clouds.  I think these would work well for star trail or Milky Way foreground images and many are in positions to look great in the golden hours of either sunrise or sunset.

Large Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Delicate Balance, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Comparing the image above to that below, one can see how getting low below the hoodoo on the left will yield a nice image of it against the sky.  Although, in the image below, I wanted to give an indication of the setting of these features.

Delicate Balance, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Hoodoo Vista, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Wavy Rock, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Even though this is only an iPhone photo at mid-day,  I really like the composition of the image above.  It would probably look awesome in golden hour light.

Hoodoo Window, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I wanted to get a lower angle shot of the feature above, but I could not get a perspective that showed off the window in the rock very well.  I like the shape of this hoodoo and it would be great to isolate it a bit better.

Bisti Arch, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Eventually, Daniel and I began to work our way towards the south parking area, where Daniel had parked his rental vehicle.  We passed by the arch seen in these last few images.  I had seen this arch on previous visits, but these are difficult to shoot at the best time of the day and there is not much else in the immediate vicinity to make it worth while to be here for golden hour photography, so I really do not have any better photos here other than these iPhone shots.

Bisti Arch, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

However, I think these simple mid-day images are not bad.

Bisti Arch, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

On our way to the parking area, we passed a number of novice visitors on their way into the area.  We gave general directions to them to areas we though they might like.  It is not uncommon to be asked for directions to “the wings”.   I suspect those visitors have seen images of some of the larger wing like features and it is difficult to give directions based upon such generalizations.  An older couple (older?, probable younger than me!) were one such ones to ask for directions.  Daniel and I noted that they did not even appear to have any water with them.  That is really not good, even though it was relatively cool today.  Please, if you are going to hike anywhere, be prepared with water and snacks.

Daniel gave me a ride from the south parking area back to my vehicle on the north side.  We had lunch and made plans for a sunset shoot.  So stay tuned to see how that worked out.

Ken

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 4, Scouting Part 2

This is a continuation of the mid-day scouting on day 4 of my May 2019 visit to the Bisti Wilderness.  Accompanied by Daniel, the Frenchman, whom I had met while shooting sunrise photographs on the north side of Bisti, I made many iPhone photographs for future reference, hoping to return to some locations on some future visit at a better time for photography.

Hoodoo Nook, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

One of the first places we stopped by on the south side was the nook, as I called it, where there is a long petrified log (see the previous post, if you missed this) and other interesting features.

Hoodoo Nook, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Hoodoo Hillside, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

We continued hiking to the east, heading towards other features that Daniel wanted to show me, stopping to shoot reference photos along the way.

Bisti Panorama, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

One of the places, that I had seen referenced in other posts, is a Ferruginous Hawk’s nest.  That nest is on the ledge below the topmost portion of the tall rock formation in the photo above.  The nest is best seen in this photograph by viewing this image on Flickr and clicking on the Flickr image to see it enlarged.  It is also apparent in the zoomed in image below:

Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Judging by the size of the twigs that make up the nest, those hawks must be fairly large.  According to a local Navaho that I spoke with earlier during my visit here, the hawks that built this nest no longer frequent this area.

Daniel & Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

First Daniel hiked up the steep hillside at the hawk’s nest, then I followed, after getting a few images from below.

Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Daniel @ Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

After joining Daniel on the hillside here, I got a shot towards the west from that saddle like area between the two large rock formations at the top of the hillside

A view from hillside below the hawk’s nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

and a close up shot of that rock feature on the northerly end of the hillside.

Bisti Rock Formation, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Continuing towards the northeast, we found another hawk’s nest on the top of a nearby rock formation.  That nest is in the top middle of this photo:

Another Hawk’s Nest, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

From far away, Daniel had pointed out the large rock formation that looked like a Wizard’s hat.  I got a number of images of that feature from various view points.

Wizard’s Hat, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Bisti Wizard’s Hat rock formation, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The one above is my favorite.  The clouds that seem to be emanating from the “hat” make this look magical.

Bisti Wizard’s Hat rock formation, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I also got some wide area views with the “hat” and nearby the hat.

Bisti and Sky Vista, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

We walked around the nearby area finding many large and interesting hoodoos.

Long Neck Hoodoo, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The hoodoo above reminds me of a giraffe.

Large Bisti Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

There were so many large, interesting hoodoos in this area that it is difficult to convey how impressive this area is.

Slim One, Thick One, Fallen One, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I think that is enough for this post.  To be continued,

Ken

 

Bisti Wilderness, May 2019, Day 4 Scouting, Part 1

After breakfast, Daniel and I hiked from the north Bisti parking area to the southern portion of Bisti.  Along the way, I made many iPhone scouting photographs for future reference.  In fact, I have so many scouting photos from this mid-day outing, that I will break this subject into several separate posts.

Bisti Wings or Flats, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The sky with many clouds adds to the interest in these iPhone photographs.  While these images are not intended to be great photography, they will serve to show what one may see in Bisti and give an indication of the type photographs that a mid-day visitor might obtain with a simple point and shoot camera.  Please note, though, that these images have been post processed with photo editing software.

Bisti Flat or Wing Hoodoo with hole, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Most, but possibly not all, of these image are posted to Flickr.  Clicking on an image with an embedded link will take one to that image on Flickr, where a higher resolution image can more easily be viewed.

Bisti hoodoos on a hillside, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
A passage through tall Bisti Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The hike from the north side to the south side required navigating through badlands, up and down hills, through washes, etc., passing many interesting rock formations.  There are no trails in this wilderness and many ways to get from one place to another, so each trip can be a new adventure.

Hoodoo with Window, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Unstable, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
One Remaining of Three, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Hoodoos on wash wall, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Bisti Flat Hoodoo with Window, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Hoodoo Wash, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Assorted Hoodoo Shapes, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I had shown Daniel around the northern area in the morning and now Daniel wanted to show me places he had visited in the southern area on the previous day.  I have been to the southern area a number of times, but I had never gotten as far out into it as Daniel, so I was eager to see what he had to show me.

South Bisti Petrified Log, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

This long petrified log may be one of the most photographed ones in Bisti.  I had previously obtained GPS coordinates for its location, but until today, I had never gotten to it.  The long petrified log had many other interesting features nearby.

South Bisti Scene, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Duck Hoodoo, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Bisti Hikers, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

We saw only a few people on this portion of our hike, but these two are heading back towards the south parking area.

Daniel in the Hoodoo Den, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Petrified Log, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Two other petrified log sections with orange lichen near the longer log are shown in these two images.

Petrified Log & Tall Hoodoos, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Most of these features and petrified logs are within what I called a nook, a somewhat confined area mostly surrounded by hills.

Petrified Log, iPhone Photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The petrified log in the image above looks so real that it could be mistaken for real wood.

That is enough for this post.  To be continued,

Ken