This is a fourth set of images from Pine Creek in Zion. I kept returning to this location all autumn and Winter. This is something a little different.
Exploring Pine Creek: Bubbles and Cascades in Zion
Reflection
Stunning Autumn Reflections in Zion National Park
Autumn came late to Southern Utah but it was great. This is another et of images from Pine Creek in Zion.
Scrambling to Discover Zion’s Hidden Waterfalls
Autumn came late to Southern Utah but it was great. This is a second set of images from Pine Creek in Zion.
Capturing the Beauty of Pine Creek Waterfalls in Zion
This set of beautiful images are from Pine Creek in Zion National Park.
Late Autumn in Southern Utah: Stunning Images from Fire Lake
This set of images is from the Fire Lake Reservoir in Ivins, early December.
Capturing Magic: Reflective Pools in Snow Canyon State Park
Snow Canyon State Park is about 15 minutes from where I live. After significant rainfall, which occurs very rarely, reflective pools build in an area of the park with sandstone formations known as petrified dunes
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Capture Stunning Reflections in the Red Cliffs Reserve
Quail Creek Pool Reflection
Image Details
The Red Reef Trail in St. George, Utah follows Quail Creek to a pair of waterfalls that are at times completely dry.
The Red Reef Trail follows the Quail Creek drainage as it enters the Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness. Ten of thousands of visitors hike this first 0.6-mile section of trail each spring when snowmelt creates short cascades of water that pools in slickrock bowls.
The trail head starts at the Red Cliffs Campground. The best spot to park, is near campsite #2, if you can get it. Parking is extremely limited, so go midweek or very early in the morning or late in the day or you will struggle with parking.
It’s 2.2 miles out-and-back and it’s an easy trail for kids. The trail passes old cottonwood trees, an alcove with Pictographs, and reflection pools in the creek.
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Photography Tips for Quail Creek State Park Reflections
Standing In the Creek
Quail Creek State Park is very close to where we live. It’s a small but popular park for fishing, boating, kayaking, and hiking.
Quail Creek reservoir was completed in 1985 to provide irrigation and culinary water to the St. George area. Most of the water in the reservoir does not come from Quail Creek but is diverted from the Virgin River and transported through a buried pipeline.
Two dams form the reservoir. The main dam is an earth-fill embankment dam. The south dam is a roller compacted concrete dam, constructed to replace the original earth-fill dam that failed in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1989.
The maximum depth of Quail Creek can reach 120 feet, so it is cold enough to sustain the stocked rainbow trout, bullhead catfish, and crappie. Largemouth bass, which is also stocked, and bluegill thrive in the warmer, upper layers of the reservoir.
Image Details
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Sunset Photography and Reflection Tips at Quail Creek State Park
Park Overlook at Sunset
Quail Creek State Park is very close to where we live. It’s a small but popular park for fishing, boating, kayaking, and hiking.
Quail Creek reservoir was completed in 1985 to provide irrigation and culinary water to the St. George area. Most of the water in the reservoir does not come from Quail Creek but is diverted from the Virgin River and transported through a buried pipeline.
Two dams form the reservoir. The main dam is an earth-fill embankment dam. The south dam is a roller compacted concrete dam, constructed to replace the original earth-fill dam that failed in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1989.
The maximum depth of Quail Creek can reach 120 feet, so it is cold enough to sustain the stocked rainbow trout, bullhead catfish, and crappie. Largemouth bass, which is also stocked, and bluegill thrive in the warmer, upper layers of the reservoir.
Image Details
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My Image Reflected in the Eye of a Meadowlark: Badlands National Park
The feature image was a surprise to me. It was not until I started editing the image did I discover that I was reflected in a bird’s eye.
Feature Image Details
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
- Canon 100-400 MM F 4.5-5.6 L Lens at 312mm, F9, 1/60 second, ISO 400.
I pulled off the side of the road to photograph Prairie Dog colonies near the Prairie Wind Overlook. A curious Meadowlark flew up near the car, perhaps 10 feet away. At first, it was in bright sunlight, not a good spot. I wanted the Meadowlark to hop into the shade and it did.
I already had my longest lens attached. I grabbed a few shots and it flew away. It may have been on the lookout for free peanuts that people toss to the Prairie Dogs.
What Would I Have Done Different?
I always ask myself what I could have done better. In this case, I could have had the car trunk closed to make the reflection better. I might have had brighter clothes on. I zoomed in to about 300mm but I could have come in even tighter. The image shown is cropped heavily, but it works because I have 30 megabytes to work with.
But realistically, I was not attempting to get my image reflected in a Meadowlark’s eye. It just happened.
Here are some more wildlife images from the Badlands, all taken with the 100-400mm lens.
Prairie Dog Badlands
Pronghorn
That shot was from Sage Creek Road, through the window of the car, with the window rolled down. If you get out of the car they will be long gone in less than a second.
Bighorn Sheep
I used my 100-400 lens for all the images on this page, a rarity lens for me.
Why? The weight.
I hike a lot and it is not a hiking kind of lens. It weighs over three pounds. If I am hiking more than 1-2 miles round-trip, it sits in the trunk unless I am 100% positive I need it.
At Badlands National Park you can get close to wildlife from the road. If you see something, pull off the road and shoot.
Equipment
Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.
Additional Badlands Articles
- Badlands National Park Yellow Mounds Overlook, Big Badlands Overlook
- Badlands National Park Pinnacles Overlook: Sunset, Panorama, and Milky Way Images
- Badlands National Park – Double Rainbow at Pinnacles Overlook
- Badlands National Park – Castle Trail and Notch Trail Images
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Next Up: Monument Valley
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Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Joshua Tree National Park – Barker Dam – Autumn Reflections in December
The Barker Dam, also known as the Big Horn Dam, is a water-storage facility located in Joshua Tree National Park in California. The dam was constructed by early cattlemen, including CO Barker, in 1900. It was raised in 1949 by rancher William F. Keys.
I took this set of images on December 12, 2017. No one was more surprised than me to learn mid-December was the peak of Autumn. The willow trees were all glowing orange and yellow about a half-hour before sunset.
We got there late in the afternoon and it was a scramble to take as many different angles as I could in about 1/2 hour of time.
Feature Image Details
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
- Canon 24-105MM F4 L Lens at 28mm, F16, 1/40 second, ISO 400.
Additional Images
All of the images were taken with the same 24-105mm lens. The focal lengths of the images ranged from 24 to 98mm.
Nowhere else in the park has such beautiful deciduous trees.
Equipment
Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.
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Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Starved Rock State Park, Illinois: Illinois Canyon Autumn Reflections
This is another in a series of posts on Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois. The park is about 2 hours away from Chicago.
I took these images the first week in November of 2017. They are from Illinois Canyon, the longest and arguably the prettiest canon in the park.
There are numerous color variations and weathered details on the sandstone walls in Illinois canyon that are not present in other canyons. Also, the sandstone is not as carved up with fool’s initials as much as many other canyons.
The canyon floor can be muddy, especially in the Spring. I recommend waterproof boots, ankle high is generally sufficient.
The reflection images show the water you may encounter. It’s not that deep. but in Spring and Fall, it can be cold. There are several places one needs to cross water. Usually, you can find a spot that a waterproof hi-top shoe can navigate without getting wet.
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