The Escalante River trail meanders many times across the river and leads to a beautiful natural bridge.
Behind the Shot
You will get wet on this trail. It crosses the river about 6 times, leading to a natural bridge.
But don’t neglect the river itself.
The last hour before sunset, called the golden hour, is the best time.
How to Get Good Reflection Images
- The best result are when there is no direct light on the water. In this image, the sunlight is on the cliffs and the trees, not the water.
- Get low. My tripod is just inches above the water.
- With light on the rocks but not the water it’s easy to overexpose the sky and the rocks.
- Those with a tripod should take multiple exposures, one for the water and one for the land and blend them.
- I focus stacked this image. That is, I focused on the close rock, the big middle rock, and the glowing wall. Those were at at a longer exposure. I also took a much shorter exposure for the sky and the unlit trees and walls.
- Those with a phone should get low and focus on the middle rock and take a shot. Then try again focusing on the sunlit wall.
More Grand-Staircase Images
September 14, 2021: Capture an Amazing Vista Under the Escalante Natural Bridge
This is a view with an extreme wide angle lens from beneath the Escalante Natural Bridge in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
August 7, 2026: Road to Infinity, Grand Staircase-Escalante Milky Way and Airglow
In May, I captured a full arch Milky Way image at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
September 23, 2021: Photography Guide to Lower Calf Creek Falls in Grand Staircase
There are two waterfalls which you can visit, the upper falls and the lower falls. The lower falls is more accessible, a bigger drop, and much more popular.
October 22, 2021: Photography Tips for Grand Staircase Devil’s Garden at Sunrise
Devil’s Garden is located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It’s about 18 miles from Escalante, Utah down Hole-in-the-Rock road.
June 9, 2021: Wahweap Hoodoos in Grand Staircase, Photography Tips for Stunning Shots
The best light is just before sunrise to an hour or so after sunrise.
May 18, 2021: See the Majestic “Towers of Silence” Wahweap Hoodoos in Grand Staircase
Summers are hot. The hike is best in Spring or Autumn. In the winter, there is no direct light on the hoodoos but the light is soft and nice.
July 14, 2023: Exploring Willis Creek Slot Canyon: A Hidden Gem
The rain this Spring and melting snow from winter made for some spectacular waterfalls in numerous Southern Utah locations this year. Here is another set of images.
Equipment
These image in this post were taken with an Canon EOS R5 Mark II.
Coming up: I hike with friends to the “Cosmic Ashtray” in Grand-Staircase Escalante for a night milky way image.
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