Sedona, Arizona – Part 1

Sedona, Arizona is in a picturesque setting with massive, colorful rock formations all around.  It is also a popular tourist city with all the trappings of such a city, many shops, restaurants and art galleries.

In the outlying areas there are many popular hiking trails, scenic destinations and places popular with rock climbers.

My wife and I drove around the local area around the city to check out the scenery.  I made mental notes about possible places to return to at sunrise or sunset to engage in my photography hobby.

My first chosen destination, Bell Rock, for a sunset shoot is just off of a major road and is a popular tourist draw.  As I left our motel in Sedona, an afternoon thunderstorm erupted with lots of lightening and heavy rain.  The local rock features that are visible from the city streets were surrounded by clouds with intermittent breaks in the clouds allowing sunlight to illuminate those features for a short while.  There would have been great photographic opportunities during the storm, if only there had been a place to safely pull over out of the heavy late day traffic and not be exposed to the heavy rain and possible lightening.  I could only observe and admire the views, wishing I were able to photograph the storm.

I hoped that there would still be some of the storm around when I arrived at the Bell Rock parking area, but the storm had moved on into the far distance by the time that I arrived.  The nearby sky was mostly clear, but the distant storm clouds were still visible.

There are a number of hiking trails around and near Bell Rock.  Most tourists opt to hike up the slope towards Bell Rock.  I decided to hike the less popular trail that went around behind Bell Rock towards other rock features nearby.  I only recall encountering two or three others on this trail.  The parking lot was not nearly as full, this late in the day, as it had been during my scouting pass through it earlier in the day.

Red Rocks against a Dark Sky
Red Rocks against a Dark Sky 2

As these first two images reveal, the distant clouds caused the light to constantly vary from entire shade to partial shade and the sky to vary from dark to light.

The Gold at Rainbow End

I made numerous, not so interesting, photographs of the distant rock outcrops as the late day light changed.  While the distant storm clouds added interest, it was not until I noted a faint rainbow appear that I began to hope for something more interesting.  Indeed, as I watched the scene that rainbow became brighter and a double rainbow appeared, seemingly terminating on the rocks with a golden glow from the late day sunlight.

Veneration

As I prepared to photograph this old, majestic tree skeleton (old trees like this are one of my favorite subjects), the clouds in the sky began to glow with the golden color of sunset light.  The golden cloud was perfectly positioned above the tree, as if forming a crown of honor and remembrance for the old tree.

Veneration 2

This is not the same tree as in Veneration, but it is nearby, with more of the local environment in the background.

Arizona Sunset Sky

As I walked the trail back towards the parking lot, after my late day shoot, I had to stop to capture these colorful, post sunset clouds with the silhouette of rock formations in the foreground.

After Sunset

When I turned to look back at this rock feature, I noted that the color was a deeper red just after sunset.  In researching this area, I had seen information that said these rocks looked best for photography just after sunset sunset.  My observation confirms that statement.

Until next time,

Ken

March 2024 iPhone Photos – Part 1 – Republished to correct an image display problem on website

As is my habit, I use my iPhone camera to make images while scouting photo locations and/or sometimes to record in route travel scenes.  This Post and others to follow will feature some of the many such photos made during my March trip to California.  Some of the photos in these post may be similar to those shot later with my DSLR.

I know there are many people that only use their cell phone cameras for photography, simply because it is convenient and nearly everyone always has a cell phone with a built in camera with them at all times.  The cameras in the newer model cell phones are quite good, although there are still limitations.  Nonetheless, it is possible to get good photographs with these convenient devices.  There are also camera apps that may improve a phone camera’s ability to shoot better images and there are plenty of in phone edit apps to enhance the photos.

Sharing photos taken via a mobile phone is also very easy.  It is no mystery why these small, pocketable devices have become so popular with those that just want to shoot a quick photo and share it to social media or via text message or via email.

3AM Window View

A snow storm came across the western U.S. at the start of my trip, threatening to delay travel for a day at least; but as it turned out, we only had slow travel over the Rockies through the area that received significant snowfall, after I-70 was opened just before our scheduled road travel.

I awoke at about 3AM my first night in Colorado and peeked out my bedroom window to check the weather and this winter scene filled my view.  So naturally, I grabbed my phone and captured a few images through the window.

3AM Window View 2

It is easy to see in these two images how light sensitive the camera sensors in these phones can be.  Of course, there was some light from street and house lights and the heavy cloud cover reflected the city light onto the snow, which bounced the light, too.  The detail in these 3AM low light photos is still remarkable.

The passenger in a moving vehicle might be able to shoot while moving along at highway speeds with one of these devices.  (The driver should pay attention to driving and not use the camera while moving).

Straight On

This image was made somewhere in Utah, the morning of our second travel day, as the storm seemed to be clearing; although, we continued to see storm warnings along the highway and we had driven through some snow flurries the day before in some higher elevations.

Until next time,

Ken

Indiana Fall 2023, Part 27 – Abstract Images (Continued)

This is the second part of my post on abstract images of fall trees via ICM (intentional camera movement).

Fall Trees Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023
Fall Trees Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023

These two images (above and below) are the same but with different editing applied.  These are not realistic natural images, so I’m not bothered by artistic renditions via edits.

Fall Trees Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023
Fall Trees Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023

The same scene can yield very different results, depending upon the camera movement.

Autumn Abstract 2, Indiana, November 2, 2023
Autumn Woods Abstract 5, Indiana, November 2, 2023
Autumn Woods Abstract 6, Indiana, November 2, 2023

I must admit that I had fun creating these abstracts.  Maybe I should do this more often and I like the vertical motion abstracts of trees much more than those created via horizontal camera movement.

Until next time,

Ken

Indiana Fall 2023, Part 26 – Abstract Images

One day at the cabin, I went out into the area around the cabin to shoot some scenes that had caught my eye due to the lighting on another day.  However, today the light was not the same and the shots of those previously interesting looking scenes were not interesting.

My stroll around the area eventually led me into a wooded area behind the cabin and I still was not getting any interesting images.  So I decided to try getting abstract images via intentional camera movement (ICM), a technique that I seldom use.

Autumn Woods Abstract 1, Indiana, November 2, 2023
Autumn Woods Abstract 2, Indiana, November 2, 2023
Autumn Woods Abstract 3, Indiana, November 2, 2023

Usually, the most interesting images can be obtained via vertical camera movement with trees as the subjects.  But I did manage to get a few interesting images by panning the camera horizontally.

Tree-Light Weave, Monochrome, Indiana, November 2, 2023
Tree-Light Weave, Original Color Version, Indiana, November 2, 2023

I think the monochrome version works best for this horizontal panning motion.

Autumn Woods Abstract 4, Indiana, November 2, 2023
Autumn Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023

To be continued,

Ken

 

 

Indiana Fall 2023, Part 25 – Frosty Halloween Morning

Prior to any road trip, I always check the weather forecast for my destination, so that I know how to prepare for the expected weather.  I’ve also learned to heed the season and expect the unexpected change in the weather.

This fall, the first few days of our visit to Indiana, the weather was much as forecast, then an unexpected cold front came across most of the U.S., dropping temperatures well below my allowance for cold outings.  I had brought my typical normal cold weather gear and even a few chemical hand warmers, since my fingers tend to get cold even in mild winter weather.  And once my fingers get numb with cold, I can’t easily operate my camera controls.

I knew I would still want to get out in the cold weather, so I purchased additional cold weather clothing and more hand and foot warmers in a local store.

Halloween morning was the first below freezing weather we had during this trip.  I knew the cold front coming in over the warmer landscape and warmer bodies of water would result in early morning water vapor condensing into mist or fog.  So I went out again to Ogle Lake in Brown County State Park early in the morning of October 31.

It was, indeed, a heavy frost morning and mist was rising from the lake surface.

Frosty Morning 1, Ogle Lake, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 31, 2023
Frosty Morning 2, Ogle Lake, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 31, 2023
Frosty Morning 3, Ogle Lake, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 31, 2023
Frosty Morning, Ogle Lake, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 31, 2023
Frosty Morning, Ogle Lake, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 31, 2023
Frosty Morning 4, Ogle Lake, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 31, 2023
Frosty Morning, Ogle Lake, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 31, 2023
Frosty Morning 5, Ogle Lake, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 31, 2023

By the time I had obtained these few images, my fingers, even with the hand warmers in my fleece mittens with the exposable thumb and finger tips, were so numb that I had to give up shooting.  I retreated to my vehicle, started the engine and sat there until my fingers were warm enough to drive away.

I really would have liked to spend more time photographing frosty scenes around the park this morning, but I knew I could only shoot for a few minutes at a time due to the cold weather effect upon my fingers.  I settled for getting one shot at an overlook in the park, before heading back to the cabin.

Scenic Overlook, Ogle Lake, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 31, 2023

Until next time,

Ken

Indiana Fall 2023, Part 24 – Miscellaneous

Even on days when I did not venture out for photography, my wife and I often drove through scenic Brown County State Park on our way to or from some other destination.

Scenic Overlook 1, Brown County State Park

Occasionally, we might stop at

Scenic Overlook 2, Brown County State Park

an overlook and sometimes I took time to get a photo.

Ken

 

Indiana Fall 2023, Part 21 – Early One Foggy Morning, Brown County State Park

This is a continuation of a foggy morning shoot in Brown County State Park near Nashville, Indiana.

Foggy Fall Forest Morning, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 2, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning Gold, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning Gold 2, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023

There were occasional breezes through the trees and I did not try to adjust my shutter speed to freeze the wind induced motion, so some of the images may show that motion, such as that in the image above.

Red and Green against the Fog, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Autumn Color Display, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 17, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Tall Foggy Fall, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 19, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Cabin, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023

To be continued,

Ken

Indiana Fall 2023, Part 23 – Early One Foggy Morning, Brown County State Park

I initially photographed along a roadway through Brown County State Park on a foggy morning, then took a long hike through the forest.  Photos in this post and  a number in the previous post (part 22) were taken along that forest hiking trail.

Foggy Morning 31, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 32, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 33, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Tall Foggy Fall 7, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Dense Fall 7, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023

The fog was getting thinner now and it became more difficult to capture the fog in my images.  I elected to stop photographing as it was getting late in the morning and I was getting hungry for breakfast and caffeine.  I’m sure the hiking trail was not of great length, but it seemed like it took me a considerable time to get back to a a roadway.  Then I had to hike a considerable distance along a roadway to return to my vehicle.

Until next time,

Ken

Indiana Fall 2023, Part 22 – Early One Foggy Morning, Brown County State Park

A continuation of a foggy morning photo shoot in Brown County State Park, Indiana.

Tall Foggy Fall 2, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Tall Foggy Fall 3, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Tall Foggy Fall 4, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Woodland Creatures of the Fog, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 25, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Tall Foggy Fall 5, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Tall Foggy Fall 6, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 28, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 29, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 30, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023

To be continued,

Ken

Indiana Fall 2023, Part 20 – Early One Foggy Morning, Brown County State Park

Foggy Morning 1, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023

Another early morning photo shoot in Brown County State Park, Indiana.  I got lucky this morning.  It was a moderately foggy morning with heavy fog in some areas.  Foggy mornings here are not unusual and I had hoped to get at least one foggy morning.

Foggy Morning 2, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 3, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 4, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 5, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 6, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 7, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Fog Fade, Foggy Morning 8, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Edge, Foggy Morning 9, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 10, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023
Foggy Morning 19, Brown County State Park, Indiana, October 29, 2023

The last two images here are essentially the same composition, but the last one obviously has a foggier look.  That is due to shooting it farther away from the tree line and having more fog between the camera and the trees.

One has to be careful when shooting in the fog and when editing the foggy images.  It is not always easy to get the exposure right and editing can take out the effect of the fog, if over done.  I can’t claim to be an expert at either of these skills, but fog surely can add magic to some scenes.

To be continued,

Ken