Easter Day with Hudson at Ocean Beach
Hudson, Amanda, and I visited Ocean Beach for a quick walk on this fine Easter Day. The tide was particularly high, so I made good use of my 9-stop ND filter on my 70-200mm VR II. It is such a fun combo. Enjoy!
Kudos to Amanda for keeping him in one place.
Down Hudson…Stay
I used my 9 stop nd filter to slow the exposure to 8 seconds.
The Ice Plant flowers look like Easter Eggs.
Death Valley and Thanksgiving Left Overs
Death Valley Bad Water Salt Flats at Sunrise, Nikon D700 24-70mm f/18 ISO 200
Death Valley is a place that everyone hears about, but few go to visit the lowest and driest place in North America. Strangely or not strange at all, Death Valley lies just 86 miles from the highest peak in the contiguous United States. Ever since I became a phototag in 2006, I have wanted to photograph the texure and scenery of Death Valley. Finally, it happened the weekend after Thanksgiving 2011. Fueled with Colleen’s excellent Thanksgiving leftovers, Pete and myself made the endless drive from SF to Death Valley. Our plan was to camp at Furnace Creek for three night to explore Badwater (Sunrise pic above and below), Mesquite Dunes, and Dante’s View. However, the Sunset campground is not suited for campers due to the many RVs, so we quickly decided to visit two remote locations, “The Raceway” and Eureka Sand Dunes.
Badwater is an excellent photographic subject at sunrise and at sunset. The salt beds form hexagonal crystal formation as far as the eye can see. When the sun crests over the the mountains shadows are cast across the salt flat. Fortunately, I met a talented photographer on the flat, who shared scouted shooting locations with me. Here is Kevin’s website. Badwater is a must visit location. After a good morning beer and peanut butter sandwich, my navigator and I made our way to “The raceway”, which is a photographer destination located 25 miles down a 4×4 road. The Race Track is an amazing sight situated in the remote mountains of Death Valley 3 hours from furnace creek. The racetrack is a ancient lake bed with huge rocks that are dragged across the mud bed during the winter. These events leave the rocks with thick tracks left in the mud. The best way to see the racetrack is to camp at the primitive camp-sights near by. The nights are very cold here and your beers in the ice chest. The last part of the trip we visited Eureka Sand Dunes, which are the tallest in California (700ft). The dunes are again remote and excellent location and peaceful camping. I will definitely revisit these places and mores within Death Valley and for more pics go to my gallery here.
Death Valley Bad Water Salt Flats at Sunrise, Nikon D700 14-24-70mm f/8 ISO 200
Co-Pilot and Navigator
Tea Kettle Junction on the road to “The Racetrack”
Death Valley The Race Track at Sunset, Nikon D700 14-24-70mm f/8 ISO 200
The Rack Track Campground, Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 ISO1600
Death Valley The Race Track at Sunrise, Nikon D700 14-24-70mm f/8 ISO 200
Eureka Sand Dunes, the tallest in California, Nikon D700 70-200 photo stitch
Ants Marching Up the Dunes, Nikon D700 70-200 several photo stitch
Eureka Sand Dunes at Sunset, Nikon 14-24mm
Mount Whitney and Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains Inyo Forest, Nikon D700 70-200 photo stitch
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The Southwest, A photo tour for the Ambitious Part VI: Dead Horse State Park Sunrise to Bryce Canyon Sunset via Park City
Bryce Canyon at Sunrise Point during the Sunset, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-40 f/4 @ ISO 100 f/8, 30 seconds
Day 4 began with sunrise photography at Dead Horse State Park, which is across the way from Canyonlands Island in the Sky. The combination of warm light, shadows, and texture is stunning. I enjoy this type of photography because no ND filters are not required allowing the shadows to create depth. Only clouds over the cliffs could have made the experience better. Dead Horse Point is an excellent location for pre-sunrise, sunrise, and early morning photography. Below are examples of each type of shot, and the layered mountain photo is my favorite. After the sunrise photo shoot and my requisite Red Bull and PBJ sandwich, I was off to Salt Lake City to pickup Andy. We finished up the 800 mile day by camping at Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce is alien location with strange rock formations and textures located at 9000 foot elevation. It is both impressive and eerie at the same time. I found Sunrise Points to be the best for both Sunrise and Sunsets. Andy decided to get a little crazy and pose on a ledge see below. All my Southwest photos can be seen here.
Dead Horse State Park Point, Sunrise with warm light and contrast, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-200 f/4 @ ISO 100 f/16, 1/20 seconds
Dead Horse State Park Point, Early Morning Mountain Layers into the Sun, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-200 f/4 @ ISO 100 f/16, 1/180 seconds, My Favorite Pic
Dead Horse State Park Point, Pre-Sunrise Photo, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-40 f/4 @ ISO 100 f/16, .5 seconds
Bryce Canyon at Sunrise Point, Andy on the Edge,Canon EOS 5D Mk II 17-40 f/4 @ ISO 400 f/16, 6.0 seconds
Bryce Canyon Sunset, Sunset Image Stitch,Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-200 f/4 @ ISO 100 f/11
Bryce Canyon Sunset, Detail, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-200 f/4 @ ISO 400 f/8
The Southwest, A photo tour for the Ambitious Part III: Canyonlands Island of the Sky and Arches
Arches National Park, Delicate Arch & La Sal Mountain Detail, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-200 f/4 @ ISO 200 f/6.7
Canyonlands Island in the Sky and Arches National Park are two amazing places, where a photographer could spend weeks. For my day and half visit, I camped at Horse Thief campground, which is located between Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point, and Arches Parks. This great campground provides quick access to Deadhorse State Park and Canyonlands for those gold hour shoots. However, Horse Thief is bit perfect due to the high winds and little protection. At 430am the next day mother nature decided to test me with a cold windy rain storm. As the gusts of wind built, I could hear the tent fly lift more and more. So, I grabbed my rain gear from the car (Never leave you rain gear in the car) and staked down the fly properly. My morning plan was to shoot Mesa Arch at sunrise in Canyonlands, but rain storm gave me a nice excuse to sleep till 7am and shoot the arch later. 
After the arch, I set off to find False Kiva, an ancient Native American ruin located on a remote cliff. During my search I meet another photographer, Wolfgang from Mexico City, looking for the same location. Photography trips are great because of the places you get to visit and the people who you meet. Finding False Kiva is a fun task that involves a 4 mile hike down a cliff and through some huge caves. I suspect it is a great location to shoot astronomy time-lapse photography. The challenge with shooting False Kiva during the day is the huge dynamic range. I bracketed my images to produce a HDR image.
I finished my day by photographing the famous Delicate Arch with snow-capped La Sal mountains behind it. Arches, like Canyonlands, is a huge park and one afternoon is not enough time.
Horsethief Campground Waiting for the next Wind and Rain Storm
Canyonlands Island in the Sky, Mesa Arch, Canon EOS 5d Mk ii 17-40mm Photo Stitch
Canyonlands Island in the Sky, Mesa Arch, Canon EOS 5d Mk ii 17-40mm ISO200 f/9.5
Canyonlands Island in the Sky, False Kiva, Canon EOS 5D mk ii 17-40mm ISO200 f/9.5, 3 Image HDR
The Trail to False Kiva Leads through huge overhangs and caves. Look for Wolfgang in the picture on the right.
Arches National Park, Delicate Arch, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 17-40mm f/4 @ ISO 50 f/16
Arches National Park, View From Splendid Arch, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-200 f/4 @ ISO 200 f/6.7
Arches National Park, Park Avenue, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-200 f/4 @ ISO 400 f/11
Arches National Park, Path to Splendid Arch, Canon EOS 5D Mk II 70-200 f/4 @ ISO 100 f/4
The Southwest, A photo tour for the Ambitious Part II: Monument Valley Sunrise to Moab
Day two of my Southwest camping trip began with a 3am unpleasant wake up in Page Arizona. My goal was to photograph sunrise at Navajo Reserve in Monument Valley. Rising at 3am theoretically gave my 3.5 hours to arrive in Monument Valley with 1 hour to locate a good sunrise shooting location. However, my plan did not work out as I intended because there is a 1 hour time difference between Arizona and Utah during the summer. Consequently, I was 1 hour behind schedule and I did not reach the Navajo Land for sunrise. Instead, I saw this sunrise on the side of the highway…not a complete loss. Monument Valley has an interesting vacant feel. The valley was formed from eroded sections of the Colorado Plateau. Today all that remains are the remarkable rock formations characteristic of old western movies. Utah and Arizona are rich with places to see and explore, and Monument Valley is worth one sunrise and sunset or a drive through on the way to Moab!
Monument Valley Sunrise: Canon EOS 5D MK II, 70-200 f/4 @ 70mm, f/16, 1/350 second ISO 200
Monument Valley Sunrise: Canon EOS 5D MK II, 17-40 f/4 @ 17mm, f/11, .5 second ISO 200
Monument Valley Morning: Canon EOS 5D MK II, 70-200 f/4 @ 70mm f/11, 1/180 second ISO 200 warming polarizer
I decided to take Hwy 261, the less traveled road to Moab, so I could locate and photography the Fallen Roof Ruin native American ruin. The Hwy 261 is an old gravel road that takes the traveler from the Monument Valley to the top of the Colorado Plateau, where the climate and land changed to a pleasant and arid alpine environment. Fallen Roof Ruin is located within the Grand Gulch on the edge of the Colorado Plateau. To access the ruin, one needs to hike down through the gulch and along a dry river bed. Before I set off towards Fallen Roof Ruin, I noticed distance rain clouds that stirred images of flash floods notorious to Utah. There was no time to waste, so I hustled along the trail until I found the ruin perched high on a cliff. The ruin/ancient residence was constructed under a large under hang to create the roof. The texture and erosion of the roof makes this image so impressive. The photo of the ruin below is a stitch of 3 wide angle shots taken at 17mm to fully capture the dwelling and the huge roof. It would have been nice to have a 14mm lens here…hmm. Just as I finished the shooting, the first rain drops began to fall. At this moment I began to worry the trail would become flooded and the clay access road to the trail head would be impassible for my Hyundai Elantra. I quickly packed my gear and made headed back to the car making certain to stay away from the river bed. After arriving at the car, I was relieved that the road was dry and Hyundai Elantra compatible. Next stop Moab.
Grand Gulch Area, No Man’s Land you do not want to get stuck here!
Fallen Roof Ruin in Grand Gulch: Canon EOS 5D MK II, 17-40 f/4 @ 17mm, 3 photo stitch
Moab is a cool little town with its culture shaped by people that love the outdoors. It is perfectly located between Arches National Park, Canylonds Island of the Sky National Park, Dead Horse State Park, and the Colorado and Green Rivers meet there. Moab could possibly be one of the best outdoor adventure location. I ended this long day by enjoying some good Moab hippie eats and photographing a great sunset from the edge of Canyonland Island of the Sky . See those clouds they gave me a little surprise at 430am the next day…
Canyonlands Island of the Sky Sunset: Canon EOS 5D MK II, 17-40 f/4 @ 17mm, ISO 100 f/8 45.0sec 2 photo stitch
The Southwest, A photo tour for the Ambitious Part I: Las Vegas to Page, Az
Valley of the Fire, Entrance to the Park: Canon 5D Mkii 70-200mm f4
The American Southwest provides photographers with iconic scenes and amazing outdoor experiences. I have always been drawn to the South West from stories of hiking “the narrows”in Zion, seeing images of Monument Valley and watching old Western Movies. This past May I was fortunate enough to visit these places on a last minute 5 day camping trip. I aggressively designed my trip to drive over 1300 miles across three states to visit: Valley of the Fire Nevada State Park, Page Arizona, Monument Valley, Canyonlands Island of the Sky, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park. Optimizing the trip for the best sunrise and sunset photos was difficult due to the many great locations to photograph.
Day 1: My trip began with a early morning flight into Las Vegas, and the renting of a hot Red Hyundai Elentra. The luxury of the Jeep would have been great, but I needed those high mpg’s. Typically, my Vegas arrivals are met with apprehension and anxiety for the many day hangover associated with my departure from sin city. Instead, the excitement of the upcoming adventure fueled my motivation to get on the road. After, loading up food and supplies from a sketchy Vons, my first destination was Valley of the Fire, Nevada State Park. The park is an easy 45 minute drive north east of Vegas. My plan was to spend 1.5 – 2 hrs in Valley of the fire and then head to Page, Az. The trip to Page Az, was 300 miles and it was crucial to depart Valley of the Fire to allow for sunset images at Horseshoe Bend.
The park entrance winds through volcanic mountain ranges with amazing textures and mountainous layers. The image above was captured from the side of the road. The atmospheric attenuates the color and clarity of the layered mountains demonstrating depth. I desaturated the sky to draw the attention to the texture of the mountains.
Valley of Fire Park is a creation of volcanic activity on the edge of the Colorado plateau. The ancient volcanic activity and red rock provides interesting layered colors, textures, and patterns. Many of the rock formations creep up and tower in globular life-like formation that make great abstract photography subjects. I visited the park during mid-day with high contrast and harsh light. My secret weapon for these conditions is a warming polarizer 81A. The warming polarizer slightly increases the saturation warm tones and reduces the reflected light and contrast.
Canon 5d mkii, 70-200 f/4
I hiked 2 miles to a dried river bed to shoot the unique candy striped rocks. Canon 5d mkii, 17-40 f/4, I needed a wider lens!
Valley of the Fire is a great park with too much to see and photograph in the 2 hours. I recommend spending one night in the park to fully exhaust all the photography opportunities and find the best sunset and sunrise photography locations. Valley of the fire also provides great camp ground options. For instance this camp site (below) is a prime location.
After leaving the park, the 250 mile journey to Horseshoe Bend for sunset images began. The beautiful route passes in and out of Utah and Arizona twice on a mixture of freeways and state highways. Horseshoe bend is a geographic phenomena located near Page Arizona, where the Colorado river makes a complete 180-degree turn on itself. The scale of this sight cannot be realized by this photo! The vertical height of the bend is an impressive 1000ft . I used a 17mm wide angle lens for this shot, but the Nikon 14-24mm lens is perfect for this image. I captured this image with my Singh-ray 3 stop reverse ND filter to darken the horizon.
Horseshoe Bend at Sunset, 5D mk ii 17-40mm @ 17mm.
I spent less than 8 hours in Page, so I could make it to Monument Valley and Moab the next day. The price of my early departure was missing Coyotes Buttes, Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell. All three are great locations that worthy of visits. Be sure to plan in advance for Coyote Buttes and Antelope Canyon. They are spectacular locations that require permits and reservations.
Next day 2 Monument Valley to Moab.
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