Zion Adventures II

Time to return to my trip to Zion about two weeks ago. Typically I try to avoid “iconic” locations, as not only do you find lots of people there, but it’s much more difficult for me to get into the photographic process when I’ve been blinded by so many previous compositions. Also, many of these iconic places simply do not match up with my style – but a few spots in Zion I simply had to see. Fortunately I was a little late in the season, and saw remarkably few people. After stopping by the Zion Adventure Company to pick up a drysuit and some canyoneering boots, I headed out into the Virgin River Narrows. It’s really quite a remarkable place: towering sandstone walls trap you in the chilly waters, sometimes waist or chest deep (hence the drysuit). Most of the trees had just about lost all their fall colors, in fact, only one retained its full coat of yellow.

“Colors on Charcoal” ~ Virgin River Narrows, Zion NP, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/16, 5 sec

One of my favorite moments of the whole trip was about half an hour that I got to spend watching and photographing one of the countless American Dippers I encountered throughout the Narrows. This one was particularly cooperative, and let me get within six feet or so to get this wider angle image. While it certainly isn’t my most dramatic or aesthetically pleasing image from the trip, it is one of my favorites. I think it captures the experience of being there vicariously through the Dipper – I recommend viewing the larger version!

“Dipping in the Narrows” ~ Virgin River Narrows, Zion NP, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, handheld
Exposure: iso 400, f/4, 1/100th sec
Make sure to see the larger version!

Since I had my drysuit on, I decided I might as well take advantage of that, and squeeze into a narrow slot Guy Tal had showed me the day before in Zion’s high country. This seldom visited slot gets so narrow you almost get stuck… while chest deep in water!

“Adventure Awaits” ~ Zion National Park, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposure: iso 400, f/14, 30 sec

The following morning I set out on what must be one of the most coveted places in the park among landscape photographers: the “subway”. This incredible formation is located in the Left Fork of North Creek, about 4 miles or so in – 4 miles of scrambling, wading, and route finding. As I headed out in the morning the temperature read about 15 degrees F, fortunately I still had that drysuit, as I certainly didn’t want to get wet in that kind of weather! Finally seeing this place, which I had seen so many images of before was not disappointing: one of the few places where it truly lived up to the promise of all the pictures I’ve seen. I had the place to myself for the next 4 hours that I spent exploring the pools, scrambling upstream a little ways, and yes, watching yet another American Dipper! Just 15 feet away he was foraging in the crystal clear pools, picking out grubs from the sandy leaf matter at the bottom. Unfortunately it was too dark to get any great images, but it was an inspiring experience to say the least. If you, too, are a fan of Dippers I suggest you read through John Muir’s notes a friend of mine sent me: the Water-Ouzel.

It took quite some time taking in the character of the place, and getting past all the compositions I had seen previously, before I was finally able to frame my own impressions of the place. Every edge and surface in that hall of sandstone is curved, round, and sensual. I wanted to emphasize that using this simple composition. The second image is a little less predictable – I used an underwater housing and hopped into the main pool to get a truly intimate experience with the icy waters. I’m looking forward to trying this half under/half over water experience in the future!

“Water Sculpture” ~ The Subway, Zion NP, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod, polarizer
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 15 sec

“Submerged” ~ The Subway, Zion NP, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod, EWA marine underwater housing
Exposure: iso 200, f/14, 2 sec

On my way out I noticed the light was dancing beautifully over the red sandstone and the famous “crack” – a section of sandstone where the water has carved a nearly perfect slit. I used a shorter shutter speed to capture the refreshing character of the flowing water. The maple leaf, of course, appeared in just the right spot

“Red Refreshment” ~ Zion NP, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod, polarizer
Exposure: iso 800, f/18, 1/6th sec
Notes: the high iso was necessary to “freeze” the water movement.

That’s all from Zion.. I can’t wait to get back to red rock country though, and I’m sure it will happen next year sometime. A late happy Thanksgiving to all you “Americans” – I hope your dinner was tastier than my can of spicy chili and beans. But I sincerely doubt you had a more inspiring view the following morning than I did!

Creatures of the Night

I’ll take a brief break from my Zion images to share one from today’s adventure. I went “owling” in the San Gabriel Mountains with a local owl expert, in hopes of seeing some of the more uncommon owls around. We started an hour before dusk, using call playbacks to try and find a Northern Pygmy Owl. It wasn’t until we were deep in one of the canyons alongside a babbling stream, that we finally heard one hooting quietly from the dark foliage. We spent 45 minutes or so trying to find the little guy, without any luck. By this time it was very dark – time to start looking for our primary interest, the Spotted Owl. Within minutes of playing back a few deep hoots, we were greeted with a strange screeching sound. Soon after which, some more recognizable hoots confirmed: we had a pair of Spotted Owls! And they were very close! It didn’t take long before we found them, and we were treated to some fantastic looks.

“Spotted Owl” ~ San Gabriels, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 500mm f/4 + 1.4x tc, 580 exII flash, better beamer, tripod/sidekick
Exposure: iso 3200, f/5.6, 1/50th
Notes: I was trying some alternate flash methods, which necessitated the higher iso, though those did not work out. While I have some exposures at iso 400, the curious look in this one was the best. Thanks to the 5D2′s iso performance (given proper exposure), the noise is a none-issue. The exposure time for flash work like this is irrelevant, since all the light comes from the flash.
Processing: I darkened the backdrop significantly, to reduce the “flashed” appearance. Also, Spotted Owls are notorious for their “red-eye”, I opted to adjust the reds to a more natural looking pale yellow to remove the “evil” look.

The Spotted Owl is an IUCN near threatened species, so we were very fortunate to get to see them so well. The California subspecies, such as the ones we saw, are not quite as threatened as the Northern subspecies, which makes its home in old growth forests of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Still, these birds don’t have it easy with the frequent wildfires tearing through the landscape, in addition to habitat encroachment by the growing cities. After watching them for about 10 minutes we started back, so as not to stress the birds any more. On the way back we had two close encounters with Screech Owls, however, they were too shy to pose for more than brief glimpses. Meanwhile Great Horned Owls hooted from their hidden perches. Needless to say, it was a fantastic experience to hear and see so many owls in the dead of the night. Owls hold a special place in my heart, and in the hearts of many, because their mysterious nocturnal lifestyle, curious nature, and almost human faces. It’s always a joy to get to hear and see them!

Canyon Whispers

It hasn’t been out of neglect that it’s been so long I’ve been able to post new images or stories – I simply haven’t gotten the chance to get out and photograph! Fortunately last weekend I was finally able to get away, and met up with friend and photographer Guy Tal in Zion National Park to catch the last breath of autumn. On Saturday we started out in a seldom visited portion of the Kolobs region, where most of the trees had already lost their coat of leaves, leaving them dancing like ghosts in their deep hall of sandstone. Aside from the welcome chirps of the canyon birds, we had the silent place to ourselves; a very refreshing change from Pasadena for sure.

“Canyon Whispers” ~ Zion National Park, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/14, 1.3 sec

After refueling at Oscars (prime destination for delicious sweet potato fries, and more), we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the high country – the eastern side of the park (read: away from the tourists) – in search of elusive maple leaves, wispy trees, and intimate sand/stone-scapes. The forecast for snow came through, almost, and we were treated to a light shower of gropple – a schizophrenic mix of snow and hail. The storm was the trailing edge of earlier rains that had created some marvelous mud patterns.. everywhere we stepped, there was something to see. Nearby maple trees graciously supplied some brilliantly crimson leaves, which seemed to fall in just the perfect places, every time without fail, it was uncanny!

“Maple Designs” ~ Zion NP, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod, polarizer
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 0.6 sec

Most photographers, and leaf peepers I suppose, try to time their visits for fall color viewing to “peak color”. I, however, found the dwindling leaves which exposed the expressive trees’ form to be a much more evocative sight. The twisted forms of the gray/blue scrub oaks and maples came into view behind their veils of color.

“Confetti” ~ Zion NP, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 70-200mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/14, 1/6th sec
Notes: You can see a much larger version here, for maximal details!

Finally, we decided it was time to move on up the canyon to see some hidden petroglyphs carved in the smooth sandstone. A few larger trees populated the drainage, among them several ponderosa pines. I was fascinated by all the shades of red – all we seem to have here in Pasadena is shades of gray and brown – so when this scene, anchored by the stately pine emerging from ghostly maple forms, set against a smooth sandstone studio quality backdrop, I knew just what to do!

“Red” ~ Zion NP, UT
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 2 sec

We finished off the day with some fine beers and scotch around a crackling fire. And that was just day one! The following morning Guy had to take off, but I spent another two days exploring more of the park, which I’ll be sure to share with you soon.. less chaotic wispy trees, and more simple sandstone forms. One teaser: it was mid November… there were icicles on the canyon walls… and I jumped into several pools of emerald waters, camera in hand! Yes, I’m completely serious.