Sedona, Arizona – Part 2

I had a limited time in Sedona and I had never been here previously, so I figured it best to visit the “easy” photographic targets, which were also popular ones.

I had visited the Bell Rock area on my first outing.  Today, I planned an early morning shoot at Cathedral Rock.  “Planned” is used very loosely.  I had not scouted here, other than to drive through the parking lot one day.  So I knew how to find the parking lot, but I had no idea about what was involved in hiking the trail nor did I have a scouted location from which to shoot.

There was only one other vehicle in the Cathedral Rock Trail parking lot, when I arrived in early morning dark.  I could see lights on the slope at the base of the rock feature, so I figured there were early morning hikers out or maybe even one or more early morning photographers.

I had a quick snack, finished the cup of coffee I had brought from the motel, gathered my camera, tripod, headlamp and began walking through the parking lot, looking for the trailhead.  In the dark, I walked past the trailhead, went into an adjacent parking area, where I encountered a small group of young people getting out of their vehicles.  They greeted me in a friendly manner and I asked about the trailhead.  They told me that I had just walked past it and where to find it.  They also said I could follow them as they were headed that way.  But I went ahead, just getting on the trail, when they quickly came in behind me.  Seeing that they were experienced on this trail, had bright headlamps and were likely to be much faster hikers than me, I let them pass and fell in behind.

The trail was well defined, but rugged and a little steep as it headed uphill. After getting out of the forest on the lower slope of the trail,  it became light enough that I did not need the headlamp and the young, energetic hikers rapidly gained ground ahead of me.

It was a warm, humid morning and I worked up a sweat before arriving at an open area beneath the Cathedral Rock feature.  It was well before sunrise and I had a wide open view across the landscape to the east.

Pre-Sunrise Arizona Sky

There were plentiful clouds in the sky and daylight was beginning to show in the distance.  I made a few images of the pre-sunrise sky, then scouted around for a good place from which to shoot Cathedral Rock.  I was disappointed at the views I had, looking up at that feature.  The young hikers were nowhere to be seen and I assumed they had continued along the trail.

Cathedral Rock – My Initial View

I began to work my way up a dry drainage, trying to get to a better vantage point, taking time to check out various locations off to the side of the drainage, up the steep slope, where ever I could safely do so.

Cathedral Rock, Sedona, AZ
Cathedral Rock, Sedona, Arizona

I never succeeded in getting a really good, open view of the most attractive portions of the unique rock features, but being well off of the beaten path, maybe I got views that other have not.  Setting up for these shots was not easy either, at times I had to abandon my tripod and shoot handheld.

Cathedral Rock at Sunrise 1

Golden hour came suddenly and I was not where I wanted to be, but shot anyway and I like this image:

Cathedral Rock at Sunrise 2

As I was shooting from well below these rock features, I kept hearing voices, which I hoped were not just in my head.  Eventually, I realized the voices were coming from those young people I had followed part of the way up the trail and they were rock climbers, not just hikers.  I could occasionally just barely make out one or two up on the rocks.  That is when I realized that in the dim light, I had missed a junction in the trail that would have taken me to the base of these rocks.  This is why knowledge of the area is important, when planning an effective photo shoot.  So, someday maybe I will get back here and I will know where to go.  But I can’t deny that I enjoyed the experience and challenge of exploring in the off trail area below the main feature.

Cathedral Rock – A wider view

If memory serves me correctly, I think I shot this image sitting on a narrow, slope ledge that I was able to pick my way onto above the dry drainage.  The early morning clouds abbreviated the golden hour, which lasted for only a few minutes this morning.

To be continued,

Ken

Alabama Hills, March 21, 2024 – Early Morning Photography

Early this morning we were at a location that we had previously scouted near some interesting pointy rocks for sunrise photography.

March 21, 2024
A Boulder Mountain Morning
March 21, 2024
Boulder Morning 2

The first images here are pre-sunrise and a few minutes later the light is totally different.

March 21, 2024
Sentinels

These are the pointy rocks that look like guardians over the valley, standing at attention for the coming sunrise.

March 21, 2024
Sentinels 2
March 21, 2024
Sentinels 3

After shooting from behind these rock features, I began to wander around the area, looking for other photo possibilities, but you will have to come back again to see how that search turned out.

Until then,

Ken

Hot Creek Geothermal Area, California

At an earlier sunset shoot in Alabama Hills, we encountered another photographer who told us about Hot Creek Geothermal Area, showing us an alluring photo.  Hot Creek Geothermal area was about an hour and a half drive north of our location.  We decided to make the drive to scout the area.  We were impressed with the scene, but thought it was maybe too much of a time consuming drive for the limited photographic possibilities.  Yet, we did return early one morning to shoot at sunrise.

It was a cold morning with temperature at 23 DF, when we arrived at our destination.  As is the usual case, the scene was magnificent, but compositions were still a challenge.  How much to include, how much to exclude for the most impactful image?

March 20, 2024
Hot Creek Geothermal Area

Being the big picture person that I am, I nearly always begin with including as much as possible in an image.  We were shooting from an overlook above the creek with lots of busy foreground and, if zoomed wide enough, one could include parking lots, restrooms and other structures in the area above the creek.  Some of my initial images included too much of these distractions and I realized that I needed to simplify the images.

The mountain range extended to the south and to the north and it was temping to include much of that range, especially as the light changed along the range as the morning progressed.

March 20, 2024
Pre-Sunrise, Hot Creek Geothermal Area

I began to exclude some of the immediate foreground of the elevated location and the buildings to the south (left of the images), then I had to decide how much to include to the north (right side of images).

As the sun rose and the mountain peaks began to be illuminated, I adjusted my compositions to include more of the sunlit peaks.

March 20, 2024
Hot Creek Geothermal Area 2

I still tended to get too much of the immediate foreground in some shots and cropped the images in post processing.

March 20, 2024
Hot Creek Geothermal Area 4

I have numerous images from this location, some with more of the mountains to the south and/or north, some with more foreground, some with the creek positioned at various points in the foreground, but I think this last one might be the most impactful and most simplified capture, with the creek snaking through from the bottom towards the most prominent peak, sunlight reflected in the creek and mist rising from the hot water into the cold air.  By the time this image was made, the sun was well up and the entire mountain in the background was illuminated by the early morning light.

More from this area next,

Ken

 

 

 

 

Alabama Hills, California – Part 7 – Sunrise Shoot

Prior to sunrise, my son and I hiked back up the steep hillside to the location where we had shot at sunset the prior evening.

March 19, 2024
Pre-Sunrise, Alabama Hills and Sierra Nevada, March 19, 2024

I think this pre-sunrise shot is the best that I got this morning.  It is very similar to a composition I made the previous evening, except the evening sky was heavy with clouds, while it was almost totally clear this morning.

March 19, 2024
Pre-Sunrise, Looking South, Alabama Hills, California, March 19, 2024.

A sliver of Owens Lake is visible on the horizon.  Owens Lake is listed as a “dry” lake, but recent heavy rains over the past two years have resulted in shallow water in the lake.

March 19, 2024
Morning Window

Sunrise light on the Sierra Nevada Mountains as seen through a gap in rocks in Alabama Hills, California.  I had to resort to an HDR for this image, as a the exposure was difficult.

 

March 19, 2024
Alabama Hills and Sierra Nevada, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024
Alabama Hills and Sierra Nevada, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024
Early Morning Light and Shadows, Alabama Hills, California, March 19, 2024

Other than the first image in this post, I was not happy with other images from this morning’s shoot.  As I was giving up and retreating  down this area, I suddenly noted that the rocks around me were glowing as the early morning sunlight finally began to impinge upon some of the rocks around me.  I made this last image to capture a little of that golden hour light.

Until next time,

Ken