Red Canyon just outside Bryce Canyon National Park, is a perfect spot for a sunset.
Continue reading “Explore Red Canyon, a Perfect Sunset Spot Near Bryce Canyon”Explore Red Canyon, a Perfect Sunset Spot Near Bryce Canyon
Utah
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.
Willis creek normally has minimal water flow and is frequently dry.
Continue reading “Exploring Willis Creek Slot Canyon: A Hidden Gem”Best Times to Visit Zion’s Many Pools Trail
Exploring Gunlock State Park: Stunning Spring Waterfalls
Gunlock State Park is a state park of Utah. It adjoins the 266-acre Gunlock Reservoir that impounds the Santa Clara River. The park is located approximately 15 miles northwest of St George.
Continue reading “Exploring Gunlock State Park: Stunning Spring Waterfalls”Cascade Springs, One of the Best Spots to View Moose in Utah
Cascade Springs is a large artesian spring north of the Mt. Timpanogos Wilderness Area and along the Alpine Loop Scenic Backway. Continue reading “Cascade Springs, One of the Best Spots to View Moose in Utah”
Cascade Springs Utah: Photography Tips for Stunning Images
Cascade Springs is a large artesian spring north of the Mt. Timpanogos Wilderness Area and along the Alpine Loop Scenic Backway. Seven million gallons of water a day flow down a series of limestone terraces and pools among lush vegetation.
Continue reading “Cascade Springs Utah: Photography Tips for Stunning Images”
Beautiful Morning Light and Reflections at Cascade Springs
Cascade Springs is a large artesian spring north of the Mt. Timpanogos Wilderness Area and along the Alpine Loop Scenic Backway.
Continue reading “Beautiful Morning Light and Reflections at Cascade Springs”
Explore Cascade Springs: A Utah Natural Wonderland
Cascade Springs is a large artesian spring north of the Mt. Timpanogos Wilderness Area and along the Alpine Loop Scenic Backway.
Continue reading “Explore Cascade Springs: A Utah Natural Wonderland”
Wahweap Hoodoos in Grand Staircase, Photography Tips for Stunning Shots
Wahweap Hoodoos
Hike Details
It’s an 8 or 9 Mile Out and Back Hike to the Wahweap Hoodoos. 4-weel drive vehicles can get closer.
The best light is just before sunrise to an hour or so after sunrise.
The elevation gain is minimal, about 400 feet spread out over miles. Getting to the trailhead early enough in the morning then hiking in to be there at the right time is the main difficulty.
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.
Image Details
I took a number of images just before and after sunrise.
The lead image is just after sunrise before the light hit the hoodoos. The caps are of a harder sandstone than the white entrada sandstone that is eroding away much faster.
The lead image was F16 for 1/30 of a second at ISO 200 with a Canon 24-105MM F4 L Lens on a EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera at 35mm.
Additional Images Continue reading “Wahweap Hoodoos in Grand Staircase, Photography Tips for Stunning Shots”
See the Majestic “Towers of Silence” Wahweap Hoodoos in Grand Staircase
Towers of Silence
Hike Details
It’s an 8 or 9 Mile Out and Back Hike to the Wahweap Hoodoos. 4-weel drive vehicles can get a little closer.
The best light is just before sunrise and an hour or so after sunrise.
The elevation gain is minimal, about 400 feet spread out over miles. Getting to the trailhead early enough in the morning then hiking in to be there at the right time is the main difficulty.
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.
Image Details
I took a number of images just before and after sunrise.
The lead image is just before sunrise. The caps are of a harder sandstone than the white entrada sandstone that is eroding away much faster.
The lead image was F16 for 1/60 of a second at ISO 1250 with a Canon 24-105MM F4 L Lens on a EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera.
I do not normally shoot at that ISO in the daytime but we were there very early and things were dim.
Additional Images Continue reading “See the Majestic “Towers of Silence” Wahweap Hoodoos in Grand Staircase”
Capture a Moonrise Over a Cottonwood Tree in Red Cliffs Reserve
Hollow Cottonwood Tree at Sunset
Image Details
The images in this post are of an old collapsed cottonwood tree on the Red Reef Trail in St. George, Utah, Utah. The tree is so big that two people could easily stand inside it.
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, and a pair of waterfalls that are sometimes dry.
Continue reading “Capture a Moonrise Over a Cottonwood Tree in Red Cliffs Reserve”
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.
Continue reading “Capture Stunning Reflections in the Red Cliffs Reserve”
View Two Waterfalls in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area
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 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.
The waterfalls were totally dry in December and January but rain and snow came in February and the water is still flowing headed into April.
If you hike the trail stop, at the alcove on the way to the waterfalls. I will cover the alcove, pictographs, reflection pools, mountains, and other areas of Red Cliffs in following posts.
Continue reading “View Two Waterfalls in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area”
Explore Grafton: The Most Photographed Ghost Town
Grafton is a ghost town, just south of Zion National Park in Washington County, Utah, United States. Said to be the most photographed ghost town in the West, it has been featured as a location in several films, including 1929’s In Old Arizona—the first talkie filmed outdoors—and the classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The nearest inhabited town is Rockville.
To get to Grafton, you cross the Rockville bridge built for the National Park Service in 1924 to provide a link between Zion National Park and the North Rim area of Grand Canyon National Park.
Image Details
Continue reading “Explore Grafton: The Most Photographed Ghost Town”
Exploring the Rockville Bridge and Grafton Ghost Town Near Zion
The Rockville Bridge and Grafton Ghost Town are just outside Zion National Park. The bridge was built for the National Park Service in 1924 to provide a link between Zion National Park and the North Rim area of Grand Canyon National Park.
The bridge was designed by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads for the Park Service, fabricated by the Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company, and erected by Ogden contractor C.F. Dinsmore. The bridge spans 217 feet (66 m) in a single span, using a steel twelve-panel Parker through-truss.
The Rockville Bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
Image Details
Continue reading “Exploring the Rockville Bridge and Grafton Ghost Town Near Zion”
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
Continue reading “Photography Tips for Quail Creek State Park Reflections”
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
Continue reading “Sunset Photography and Reflection Tips at Quail Creek State Park”
Photography Tips for Capturing Hidden Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon
On a trip to Salt Lake City, my wife and I visited some waterfalls in the area. Hidden Falls is in Mounthaven, Utah.
It’s a short 0.3 mile hike to the falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
I used a Canon 16-35MM F4 L Lens for 1.6 seconds at ISO 200.
Continue reading “Photography Tips for Capturing Hidden Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon”
Tips for Hiking Bryce Canyon’s Navajo Loop
Returning back to Bryce Canyon, here is an image taken in a section called “Wall Street” on the Navajo Loop trail.
Feature Image Details
I used a Canon 11-24 F4.0 L lens at 11mm.
To get this shot I was flat on my back with my tripod perhaps 1 foot off the ground. I was halfway between those two trees with the camera pointed straight up.
Leveling the camera a foot off the ground and squaring it perfectly between the trees is what makes the shot work.
I took a sequence of exposures and blended them manually in Photoshop.
Other Bryce Canyon Images
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Winter Sunrise, Sunset Point
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Thunderhead at Sunset, Sunrise Point
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Sunrise, Fairland Canyon Viewpoint
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Sunrise, Bryce Point Overlook
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Sunset, Bryce Point Overlook
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Milky Way, Sunrise Point
Tip
When hiking the Navajo Loop Trail, do so counterclockwise. The view of these trees and Wall Street will be in front of you much of the way. If you hike clockwise, your view of these trees will be fleeting and it is steeper back up as well.
If you head out at Sunrise, there is a good view of a feature on the Navajo Loop called Thor’s Hammer. Go there first (clockwise), then come back up (a short backtrack) and hike the loop counterclockwise as I suggested.
Better yet, for an even longer hike, go to Thor’s Hammer at sunrise, then hike the Navajo Loop Trail counterclockwise (coming back up) but instead of finishing the Navajo Loop continue to the Queen’s Garden Trail instead. A park map will show you what I mean.
Equipment List
Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.
Please Subscribe: Click to Subscribe by Email.
If you like this article, please share by email or use one of the share buttons beneath the article.
Please Subscribe and Follow.
Thanks!
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Sunrise Point, a Great Sunrise and Milky Way Opportunity in Bryce Canyon
Due to the direction of the canyon walls, Bryce Canyon generally presents more opportunities at sunrise than sunset.
This image is a panorama composite (two panorama images merged) from the same location.
Continue reading “Sunrise Point, a Great Sunrise and Milky Way Opportunity in Bryce Canyon”
Bryce Point is the Best Sunset Location in Bryce Canyon
Due to the direction of the canyon walls, Bryce Canyon generally presents more opportunities at sunrise than sunset.
The Bryce Point Overlook provides a genuine Sunset opportunity. These images were taken at sunset on the same day.
Continue reading “Bryce Point is the Best Sunset Location in Bryce Canyon”
Tips for Capturing a Stunning Sunrise at Bryce Point
Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is a fairyland of red, orange, and white hoodoos and spires. The rim elevation varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet.
Rooms in the park can be difficult to obtain, so book early.
The images in this article were taken in Late July and Early August . Bryce point is an excellent sunrise location.
Continue reading “Tips for Capturing a Stunning Sunrise at Bryce Point”
Fairland Canyon in Bryce, an Excellent Morning Hike
Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is a fairyland of red, orange, and white hoodoos and spires. The rim elevation varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet.
Rooms in the park can be difficult to obtain, so book early.
The images in this article were taken in Late July and Early August. As is typically the case at Bryce Canyon, sunrise generally presents more opportunities than sunset.
Continue reading “Fairland Canyon in Bryce, an Excellent Morning Hike”
Capturing Bryce Canyon’s Winter: A Photographer’s Guide
Winter comes early at Bryce due to the high elevation. The park is open year-round but rooms at the lodge are generally closed January and February.
Continue reading “Capturing Bryce Canyon’s Winter: A Photographer’s Guide”
Photography Tips for the Amazing Double Arch in Arches National Park
Arches national Park is a red-rock wonderland in Southern Utah. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks.
Double Arch is in the very popular Windows section of the park.
All the literature that I have read suggests one cannot get a “sunset” image from this location.
But there it is. Double Arch at Sunset.
OK but …
Yes, the sun is not in the image.
However, the best sunset images look away from the sun.
Feature Image Details
This is not an easy shot. It is a blend of 8 images of varying exposures some for the inside of the arch, and some for the clouds.
I also used a Canon 11-24 F4.0 L lens at 11mm, not exactly a routine piece of equipment.
But equipment is not the point of this article.
Thinking contrary to popular opinion is.
Two Tips
- At Sunrise Think West
- At Sunset Think East
If possible, I go for both, but choose the one that makes the most sense.
Well over half the time, it makes no sense at all to shoot towards the sun at sunset.
Yet, I constantly observe people shooting in the wrong direction.
Arches National Park Images
- Arches National Park: Turret Arch Viewed Through North Window
- Arches National Park: Landscape Arch Glorious Sunrise
- Arches National Park: Delicate Arch Sunset
- Arches National Park: Delicate Arch Milky Way
Equipment List
Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.
Please Subscribe: Click to Subscribe by Email.
If you like this article, please share by email or use one of the share buttons beneath the article.
More Arches images coming up.
Please Subscribe and Follow.
Thanks!
Mike “Mish” Shedlock