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,
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.
Petrified log and north Bisti vista. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 34mm, f/16, 1/13s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 13 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The last shots that I acquired on the hillside, where I spent most of the early morning on day 3 in the northern portion of the Bisti Wilderness, were of the long slender petrified log that I had discovered in scouting this area a couple of days prior.
I had found a way to safely get down a hillside and shoot near the log. The first image above is taken from a place on the hillside above the log.
Petrified log sections in North Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/16, 1/20s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 4 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I shot four images from the perspective above, focusing at different points in the scene, then stacked those images using Helicon software. Focusing stacking results in a sharp image from front to back in the image.
The image below is created in the same manner, using 6 images, each with a different focus point.
Petrified log in north Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/10s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 6 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Satisfied that I had done as much as reasonable shooting on the hillside, I hiked back down into the canyon and made a few images of interesting features in the canyon.
The Clam Hoodoo in North Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/16, 1/20s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 6 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I acquired a number of images with various focus points to create these final two images of the “Clam” hoodoo.
The Clam Hoodoo in North Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 7 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I used the Helicon retouching tool for the last image to fix some artifacts that were a result of the clouds moving as the multiple images were acquired. The Helicon retouching tool allows one to choose one of the multiple images and paint in portions of that image to replace the unnatural artifacts.
If the cloud motion just results in an appearance of a long shutter speed image, showing motion in the clouds, I think that is fine and does not require retouching. Obviously, this is a matter of personal preference.
The hike back to the parking area was pleasant, with moderate temperature. I had seen rain in the distance while shooting and while returning to the parking lot. The sky appeared to be clearing in the west, but the wind speed was increasing. It can get very windy here, but I am hoping it will not be so bad as to prevent a sunset shoot today.
I was up at 4AM and noted that it was very cloudy, overcast and a little breezy. I thought about not going out due to the heavily overcast sky, thinking there may not be good sunrise light, but I went, anyway.
My destination was the hilltop at the end of a canyon that I had scouted on the first day of my arrival. There was good color in the eastern sky before sunrise, but I was a little too late in getting to my destination in time to get shots of the best color. As I was hiking to my destination, I missed a turn into the side canyon that I had to take to get there. Fortunately, I realized my mistake quickly and only lost a few minutes as I backtracked. Still, those few minutes cost me a few possibly good shots, as the color was mostly gone by the time I got set up to shoot.
North Bisti Toadstool Hoodoo and overcast sky just after sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/16, 2.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The heavy cloud cover eliminated the sunrise golden hour, too. I had to make do with the light that I had to work with and the clouds did add some interest to the sky, at least; but the photos are a little dull without that golden hour light and the dispersed, uniform light with no shadows made the images a bit flat.
Overcast sky over north Bisti features. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 42mm, f/16, 0.6s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
At least, I got just a little color in the overcast sky in a few of my shots.
North Bisti toadstools in monochrome. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I considered converting most of my images to monochrome, but without the shadows, these lack the depth that help make such images more appealing.
Various north Bisti hillside toadstools. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 50mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
There were many interesting toadstool type hoodoos scattered all around the hillsides and wide vista.
Overcast sky over north Bisti features. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
The features in the foreground of the shot above are actually fairly large, but they are on a hillside across a ravine so I could not safely get closer.
I spotted this large petrified log in a ravine downhill to the west. The slope was quite steep here and I would not risk trying to get closer to this one. I have a number of shots of it, trying to show how impressively large it appears and the environment around it; but I think none of the shots do it justice.
Large petrified log sections and north Bisti vista. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 44mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I continued to work the area, shooting anything that I though might be interesting.
Large and small north Bisti toadstools. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 44mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Looking back up the hill from above the large petrified log is this large hillside with many toadstool hoodoos on the top and a few scattered below:
North Bisti toadstools and hillside. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 42mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 3 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
These are the features that are most prominent, when first climbing up the hillside from the canyon access:
A large north Bisti toadstool and hillside. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 4 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
A close up of that rather large toadstool feature:
A large north Bisti Toadstool. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/16, 1/6s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 4 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
And another view of the large toadstool with the vista stretching out behind it:
A large north Bisti Toadstool. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/16, 1/8s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 5 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Down the hillside behind the large toadstool, I got down low behind one emerging toadstool to get this view of the sky and the vast desert vista:
A north Bisti Hoodoo’s view. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/10s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 8 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I was not satisfied with the sharpness in the first image in this post, so I made a series of images to focus stack:
North Bisti Toadstool Hoodoos. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/16, 1/13s, ISO 64. Helicon focus stack of 7 images. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
{Note that a number of the previous images are created by focus stacking a number of images. I finally have had enough of the problems with Photoshop focus stacking, so after some research, I’m trying Helicon software, which is designed specifically for this task. So far, I’m really impressed with it. Helicon produces more accurate results, much faster than Photoshop and has an easy to use retouching tool, that can fix things like artifacts produced by moving subjects (for example, the clouds in these images)}.
I do not recall seeing Bisti photographs such as those in this post. I know others have hiked around this area, since I could see evidence of footprints which had been essentially removed by recent rains; but such areas of Bisti are less popular with the typical visitors and do not have the striking rock shapes as the more popular areas. Yet these photographs, when compared to those from the more popular areas, illustrate the geological variety and vastness of this striking desert wilderness.
This post is getting too long, so I will continue it in a follow up.
Thanks for following, remember that your critiques and comments are always welcome and that clicking on most of the photos will take you to the photograph on Flickr,
My plan for scouting was to go to the plateau where the Pedestal and Tongue Hoodoos (see posts from my March visit for preliminary information) are located, evaluate shooting options there and in the general area.
However, even though I went to the plateau, I deviated from the plan. Instead, I found a route down into the deep wash just south of the plateau and explored the wash area. From the plateau on another visit, I had seen large wing like hoodoos in the distance, but I only knew how to get near those from another longer route. This is one of the things that I enjoy most about scouting an area, results are often more interesting, when one deviates from a plan.
The Route. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
The photo above looks down the valley/wash back towards the north parking area along which I hiked to get up onto a plateau where many interesting features are found.
Along the wash route to the plateau, I spotted this saddle like feature on a hilltop:
Saddle Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Walking directly south after climbing onto the plateau, one comes to a very deep ravine/wash. I found an easy route down into the ravine.
Temporary Arch or Bridge. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Near the base of the hill just around the corner from the junction with the deep ravine, I spotted this fragile arch or bridge that had been formed by water washing down the hillside. I’m sure this little bridge will be short lived.
North Bisti Wings – The Seal. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Turning to the left in the deep ravine, one very shortly comes to the base of the hill upon which are the large wing like hoodoos in the above photo. The middle feature is the one referred to as “The Seal”. I had seen these from the plateau on the opposite of the wash and prior to this exploration, I did not know how to get to these other than walking up the wash from the east. The route I discovered today is a much shorter and faster route from the north parking area.
To get up near these features requires climbing a steep slope of loose, clay soil.
North Bisti Wings and Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
There are a few short branches off of the main wash at the base of the Seal hoodoo and I explored along these finding a few other interesting hoodoos that are easily accessible.
North Bisti Wings and Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
A view across a deep ravine, with many hoodoo features on the opposite side:
Deep Wash and Many North Bisti Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
There are many flat top wing like hoodoos and others along the ravine walls:
North Bisti Hoodoos and Rocks. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Emerging Wing Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Another view overlooking a deep ravine:
Deep Wash Canyon in North Bisti. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
A hoodoo lined North Bisti Wash:
Hoodoo Lined Bisti Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.Hoodoo Lined Bisti Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Back below the big wing hoodoo and others near The Seal, there were interesting clouds passing over:
North Bisti Wing Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Wing Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Wing Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Hoodoo Wings. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Silver Efex Pro 2.
Continuing to the east along the ravine more large wing like hoodoos are high up on hillsides along the wash:
North Bisti Wing Like Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.North Bisti Wing like hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
The narrow ravine eventually merges with a wide wash in the vicinity of the Conversing Hoodoos.
A view down a North Bisti wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Just around the corner, so to speak, from the Conversing Hoodoos is a large batch of large wing like hoodoo features with one triangle shaped one:
North Bisti Triangular Hoodoo against background hillside. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.A North Bisti Triangular Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
One can imagine the triangular hoodoo as an alien space ship.
North Bisti Large Hoodoos and Wings. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Many large wing like hoodoos with some forming windows between the hard rock tops and the softer sediment beneath are in this large group.
North Bisti Large Wing Hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Color Efex Pro 4.
Later in this trip I found a way to get up above or near the same level as these features, where I shot at sunset the last day of this visit. I have not yet evaluated or edited the photos from that shoot, so it remains to be seen how those turned out.
As I hiked back to the north Bisti parking area, it became very windy with rain visible in the distance. The wind whipped up dust and blasted me with sand on occasion, making the hike back a bit less pleasant.
Saturday night, I was completely alone in the parking area and I did not encounter anyone else during my Sunday morning sunrise shoot. I had expected more visitors, since it was a weekend. I’m guessing there were visitors and campers in the official south parking area.
I went to the area east of the big, prominent hoodoo that is immediately visible in the distance as one begins the hike into the northern portion of Bisti from the north parking area for sunrise photography the second morning of my May visit to Bisti. This large hoodoo on a hilltop is visible from a long distance and is useful as a navigation aid.
Pre-sunrise at one of the north Bisti predominate hoodoo landmarks. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/16, 6.0s, ISO 64.
There was good light this morning, as I shot with my 24-70mm lens.
North Bisti Wilderness Sunrise Silhouette. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64.One of the predominate north Bisti landmarks at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 30mm, f/16, 0.5s, ISO 64.
A shot a sequence of these features as the sun rose, progressively illuminating the hillside.
One of the predominate north Bisti Hoodoos and hillside at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 28mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64.A predominate north Bisti Hoodoo and hillside at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 28mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64.
Note that the bottom photo is from a slightly different angle, as I had moved around shooting other features as the sun rose higher in the sky, and I did not get back to exactly the same composition.
A view towards the west between two tall features. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, f/16, 1/3s, ISO 64.A north Bisti bluff at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64.North Bisti rock features and sky at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64.
The laminar clouds added considerable interest to the sky as the sun rose.
North Bisti features and sunrise sky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/16, 1/15s, ISO 64.A north Bisti bluff with pedestal and sky at sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 60mm, f/16, 1/4s, ISO 64.A north Bisti Pedestal and Bluff at Sunrise. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 60mm, f/16, 1/25s, ISO 64.
After the best early morning light, I explored around this area looking for interesting features to shoot in the early morning light before it got too harsh. A few photos from that time will be included in a subsequent post.
The evening of the fifth day in Bisti, my son and I decided to shoot sunset photos in an area, which we think is on BLM land. At least we know it is outside the Bisti Wilderness proper area. It is an area that we accessed via a short spur road off of the road to the unofficial parking area for Bisti North parking.
It was a cloudy day without great sunset light, so I converted the shots presented in this post to monochrome.
A cloud covered scene near Bisti North. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 60mm, f/11, 1/6s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
The photo above is my favorite from this shoot. There are dramatic clouds and hints of rain falling from the clouds, interesting rocks in the foreground and middle ground.
A cloudy sky at sunset and Bisti rock forms. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 50mm, f/11, 1/5s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
We had spotted this little natural bridge or window on an earlier scout of this area.
Cloudy sky near sunset and Bisti Rock Forms. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 28mm, f/11, 1/4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
And another little window shot that I like better than the previous one, possibly because of the more dramatic clouds and the more interesting foreground.
Cloudy Sky over Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 34mm, f/11, 1/4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
The shot above is what I consider a minimalistic shot. The objects in the photo are limited, but there are dramatic clouds, interesting geologic features and multiple leading lines in the barren foreground, which hints at the vast openness of this area.
Cloudy Sunset Sky and Bisti Rock Forms. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 28mm, f/11, 1/4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
The shot above is another minimalistic shot of the same basic features as in the previous shot, but with a different point of view. In this case I have emphasized the broad area around the narrow drainage patterns that are acting as leading lines into the photo with the clouds adding drama to the scene.
Cloudy sky over rock forms in the BLM area to the southwest of the unofficial North Bisti parking area. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/11, 0.4s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
I like the multiple tiers in the rock formations in this photo with the dramatic cloud backdrop.
Bearded Lizard like feature in the BLM area to the southwest of the unofficial North Bisti parking area. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/11, 0.6s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
This rock feature looks like a bearded lizard to me, hence the title of the photo. I’ve added a lens vignette, shifting it to the left to focus on the “head” of the lizard or whatever imaginary creature one might think this looks like.
Black and white turtle or other creature like hoodoo in the BLM area to the southwest of the unofficial North Bisti parking area. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 35mm, f/11, 0.8s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
This hoodoo reminds me of a large turtle, but one might imagine it as some other exotic or alien creature.
Cloudy sunset over the BLM area to the southwest of the unofficial North Bisti parking area. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 26mm, f/11, 0.8s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
This photo does not have the greatest depth of field, but I still like it. I used the flat rock wings or hoodoos running diagonally from bottom left towards the upper right to lead the viewers eye into the photo towards the feature on the horizon in the upper right. I wish I could find these dramatic clouds on nice sunny sunset or sunrise shoots, while still allowing for great light on the photo subjects.
This wraps up the highlights of day 5 sunset shooting in the great vastness of one of New Mexico’s wonderful desert areas.
Arising early on September 20, after coffee and a light breakfast, I set out in the Sportsmobile to select an advantageous spot for early morning photos along Owl Creek Pass Road just a short distance from my campsite. I drove back and forth along one particular interval on the road, before picking what looked like a suitable place, gathered my selected gear for the morning shoot and set out across an open range pasture towards the drainage between the pasture and the mountains to the east.
It was a very cloudy morning, after a rainy night, but not completely overcast as most of the previous day had been and the rain was gone, so I had some hope of getting some early morning light highlighting the mountainsides nearby. It was a bit dicey, as all of the clouds were moving towards the light from the sun, which was still hidden behind a mountainside to the east of the roadway.
As I walked across the open range pasture, I recalled the statement credited to Ansel Adams, “the secret to getting a good photograph is knowing where to stand”. Photographers are always going to extremes to find the best place to stand and sometimes get into uncomfortable or precarious positions in doing so. This morning I noted that a corollary to Adam’s statement had to be “knowing where not to stand”, as I carefully selected each step to avoid the numerous cow patties in the pasture. There were so many that I had to be very careful, not only where I stepped, but where I set up the tripod to avoid sticking one of its legs into a cow patty.
I wandered around in the pasture, looking for various possibilities for suitable places from which to shoot. The broad drainage area between the mountainside to the west and the pasture to the east of it was filled with scrubby vegetation, which would make for a messy foreground, no matter where I stood with my 14-24mm wide angle lens. There was no time to scout any other area prior to sunrise, so I had to make the best of this area.
Pre-sunrise test shot. The clouds are adding drama to the sky, but might prevent early morning light on the mountainside. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/3s, ISO 64.The clouds moving to the east might totally obstruct the early morning sun rays. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 0.8s, ISO 64.Pre-sunrise, early morning clouds and mist or campfire smoke in the valley. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 0.4s, ISO 64.It is getting close to sunrise and the clouds are still a major concern. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 0.8s, ISO 64.Nice clouds, but I am becoming more concerned about getting good early morning light on the mountainside. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 0.8s, ISO 64.Pre-sunrise. I kept seeing either mist rising or camp fire smoke wafting in the valley, but I was never ready to shoot, when it looked the best. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 0.4s, ISO 64.A crop of the previous shot, better showing the mist or campfire smoke in the valley.Surprise! Even with the heavy clouds, sunlight is beginning to highlight the mountainside! Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/6s, ISO 64.A crop of the previous shot.I’m liking the clouds thinning and the ribbon of light highlighting portions of the mountainside. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/6s, ISO 64.A crop of a photo very much the same as the previous one, leaving the dramatic sky and emphasizing the diagonal mountainside slope with the streak of light along it.Rotating to the left, I get this view with a thin ribbon of light along the mountainside. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/10s, ISO 64.A crop of the previous shot, emphasizing the clouds and the thin ribbon of light along the mountainside.With the light now highlighting the vegetation in the wash, I had to get a shot with the mud splattered Sportsmobile in the foreground. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/8s, ISO 64.This is entirely about the clouds sweeping overhead. I just happened to note that the thinning clouds, revealing the blue sky background, made the sky look very attractive. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 14mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 640.
This was, perhaps not the best morning nor the best location for sunrise shots, but the views were quite good, even though I might not have captured the scenes as well as I would have liked.
Part 2 of this post will continue with mid-morning shots and experimentation with tilt/shift lenses.
Yankee Boy Basin, located in the Colorado Rocky Mountains near Ouray, Colorado, is accessible via a 4 wheel drive road. My oldest son, who provided the 4×4 Jeep, and I spent several early morning and evenings in the basin, since it was a relatively easy place for us to get to and there were multiple photography opportunities in the area.
Yankee Boy Basin
It is best to have a high clearance vehicle with skid plates and good off road tires before attempting to travel this road. If the road is not wet, it might be possible for a high clearance vehicle equipped with only stock tires and an experienced driver to make it up the road. On one of our outings there, a thunderstorm came up at our destination, so we went back down to a safer place to wait out the storm. We encountered a young man in a Subaru Outback, who was planning to make the trip up the 4×4 road. His vehicle had stock tires and no skid plates. My son, who has some 4 wheel drive road experience and has been up this road a number of times, advised him not to try the road with his vehicle; however, he told him that he could follow us, if he liked, and at least he would have someone nearby in case he had difficulty. He tried to follow us up the road, but very soon got to a point where his tires could not get sufficient traction on the wet rocks and he turned around.
We ended up aborting one of our planned evening shoots due to a continuing storm. We had hoped to get gorgeous views with clouds and mountainsides illuminated with the late evening light as often happens after a storm; but the storm and sky showed no signs of clearing, so we retreated to our campsites, where we were treated to sky, clouds and a double rainbow; but I only had time to shoot a few iPhone photos before these all faded away.
A view from Ridgeway State Park, Colorado, after an early evening rain.This is the kind of sky we had hoped to see during our aborted Yankee Boy Basin evening photo shoot.
Yankee Boy Basin is a picturesque setting and can be covered with wildflowers in the early summer months. There were some wildflowers remaining during our visit in late July, but they were mostly past their peak bloom.
Early morning view in Yankee Boy Basin
The 4 wheel drive road follows a stream much of the way and there are a number of waterfalls and lovely cascades along the way.
Early morning light above Sneffles CreekEarly morning in Yankee Boy BasinSneffels Creek WaterfallEarly morning light in Yankee Boy Basin along Sneffels CreekYankee Boy Basin WaterfallYankee Boy Basin WaterfallEarly morning in Yankee Boy BasinSneffels Creek CascadeSneffels Creek Waterfall/CascadeClose up view of a portion of a waterfall on Sneffels CreekClose up view of one of the Yankee Boy Basin waterfalls
At the end of the 4 wheel drive road is a small lake surrounded by mountain peaks. A popular hiking trail begins at the end of the 4 wheel road that takes one to Mount Sneffels, 14,158 feet high mountain, which many hikers like to bag.
The elevation everywhere in this area is high enough that one not used to it might have some difficulty with the thin air. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noted that higher elevations are more of a problem, but so far I’ve not had altitude sickness. I can move around quite well at altitude, as long as I am not carrying a load; but as soon as I pick up a loaded day pack and camera gear, the effort to walk up an incline becomes noticeable, requiring frequent stops to catch my breath. I’m sure that my normal sea level life adds to the altitude effect.
One of the fun things about such outings as this is meeting other people with similar interest. On our first morning in the basin, we chatted with the only other person there, who was also into photography and from the same metropolitan area as me.
I hope that you enjoy this post and I welcome your comments and suggestions.
