Location: Bryce Canyon (Winter)

Inspiration Point at Sunset, Bryce Canyon National Park

After exhausting our options in the Grand Canyon, my friend, Beck, and I decided to head up to Bryce Canyon. I have been wanting to get back to Bryce since I had a micro short stay almost two years ago. Winter in Bryce creates a great contrast between the snow and red rock hoodoos, but it can come at a price. I thought the Grand Canyon was cold, but I had no idea how cold it could get in Bryce. At one point my iPhone weather app said -13 degrees F! Not much you can do before your mind and body become lethargic and wonder why the crap you're standing on the edge of a cliff in this insanely cold weather. Sometimes I got so enthralled in the photo taking that I forgot I should probably put my gloves back on or risk frost bite. The reality sets in after I've gotten back in the warm car and the feeling in my fingers and toes comes back with a vengeance. Bryce in the winter really is unbelievably beautiful. If you can fight the cold it is well worth a visit. 

Sunrise at Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park

First light on Bryce Canyon's hoodoos in winter at Sunset Point.

Sunrise at Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park

Swamp Canyon just after Sunset, Bryce Canyon National Park

Inspiration Point sunset panorama, Bryce Canyon National Park

Some tips for shooting in cold weather: 

1. Batteries are the first thing to go when it's cold. Have a spare or two and keep them in a pocket with a hand warmer wrapped around it. I've even seen some photographers place a hand warmer on the outside of the camera and attach it with a rubber band. 
2. Keep your hands warm. I struggle with this myself, mostly because I don't have the proper gear, but my hands are the first thing that get cold. I need my hands to work the small buttons on the camera, adjust the ball-head or focus the lens, but with thick gloves it can be awkward. Most of the time I just take a glove off to make a quick adjustment and fumble through the rest with my gloves on. A shutter release cable makes it easier to find the shutter button with gloves. Hand warmers are also good to keep in your pockets or stick inside the glove for that extra bit of warmth.
3. Watch your breath. Condensation will build up on anything close to your airway and in freezing temperatures it will immediately turn to ice. Not so fun when your filters or front element of your lens gets covered in ice. I should also note that care should be taken when changing lenses in freezing temperature. I'm not always the best at keeping to this, but it's something to consider.
4. Bundle up and layer. Come prepared to face the elements with the proper gear. A light jacket and sneakers aren't gonna cut it. And don't forget a beanie.
5. Last but not least, have fun! Shooting in freezing temperatures is challenging, but there is a certain satisfaction that comes from enduring these conditions and coming away with lasting imagery. 

Year in Review: 2012

What an amazing year 2012 has been! I've met some incredible people, seen some awe inspiring places and learned more than I ever could've imagined. I feel blessed to have had the amazing opportunities I've had this year: from the Tetons, to Zion, to Canada and everywhere in between. So many of you inspire me to be better, to keep creating and to keep exploring, and for that I am so grateful. Thank you. Here's a video to wrap up 2012 and bring in the new year. Enjoy.

And in case you missed some of the highlights of the year on the blog, check the links below:

Grand Teton National Park
Park City and Salt Lake
Zion National Park
Monument Valley
Salt Flats
Canyonlands National Park
Caineville, Utah
Goblin Valley
Humboldt Redwoods
Yosemite National Park
Cecret Lake
Mount Timpanogos
Bonneville Speed Week
Canada: Banff, Jasper and Glacier

Evolution and Religion

I've always loved the Christmas lights at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. It really sets the mood for Christmastime for me. It's been a while since I've gone to photograph the temple in downtown Salt Lake City, but I've been excited to ever since I got my tilt shift lens. I've had some of these photos in mind for a while. It's always good to see them actually come to life. Even if I feel like I've shot this location a thousand times, I still had ideas to change it up and create something new. Conditions are always changing. Our style is always changing. Or better yet, evolving. I look back at some of the photos I've taken, some only months apart, and realize how much I've grown as a photographer. It makes me excited about my future and where I will be able to go with my vision. I just hope I can relay the ideas in my head to actuality and continue to progress. 

Land Around the Corner

Hilltop View of  Caineville, Utah

Civil twilight had just begun. I crawled out of the bed of the truck, grabbed my gear and headed into the wide open space. What looked like attainable buttes at first, seemed endless once on foot.

 "Just over the next hill" I kept thinking to myself. "I just want to see what's over the next hill." 

 I was finally out of sight of the truck. The air was warm and still, and the sun slowly raised to wash over the desert barren land. I wondered how much further I could go before my fellow adventurer woke up and started to worry. 

"Just a peak over the next hill" I thought again, and I ventured off to see what else lay in the "land around the corner". 

Exploration is just as important an element to landscape photography as your tripod. Getting "lost" in the landscape or in nature can bring out images you never even thought were out there. Explore, get lost, and keep going around that last corner. Happy weekend everybody! Oh, and happy birthday Mom!

Location: East Canyon and Little Dell Reservoirs

East Canyon Reservoir, Utah

The last few work days I've been able to get off early, and I've taken every advantage to go get some new imagery. I'm lucky to live in such a diverse area that I sometimes have trouble deciding which way to go. Recently I've been heading east of Salt Lake and checking out several of the surrounding reservoirs. A week or so ago I made it to East Canyon, but just as a low clouds started to envelop the scene and turn it grey. I was intrigued by what I saw so I decided to return. With the reservoir so low this time of year the inlets and outlets create a photographers dream: leading lines, cracked mud, bright green undergrowth. I was lucky enough to find some clean patches of the cracked mud below; most of the area was trampled by cattle. 

"Crack" (aptly named by my brother) at East Canyon Reservoir, Utah

East Canyon Reservoir, Utah

Little Dell Reservoir, Utah

Little Dell is just on the way to East Canyon and can be seen from the top of Emigration Canyon. It's a great little reservoir that I've been wanting to shoot for a while. Far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but close enough to feel like it's in my backyard. I'm hoping as it gets colder these reservoirs will freeze and produce some interesting imagery. I just have to figure out how to keep this early shift...

Little Dell Reservoir, Utah

Little Dell Reservoir, Utah

Little Dell Reservoir, Utah

As a side note, one of my Instagram photos was chosen as a finalist for the @igutah #utahwildlife contest. If you're on Instagram check it out!

Here's the photo and link

Bonneville Speed Week 2012

The Yankee Engineuity Express starts down the flats reaching 153 MPH.

Another day full of engines, salt, and speed! Bonneville Speed Week is like nothing else. Men and women spend the year building and perfecting their vehicles in hopes to squash land speed records on the fastest course in the world. Racers of all types lined up despite the wetter-than-usual salt this year. A storm had hit the night before, closing two of the three courses, but had not managed to dampen any spirits. Spectators, racers and photographers were as giddy as school children; something about loud and fast cars that gets people excited.

Those invested in the 'projectiles' wait anxiously while docked at the starting line, waiting for their signal. Large trucks peel out as they push the aerodynamic cars down the course until they can reach third gear pace. The crowd waits for the punch as the driver finally picks up his own speed and quickly disappears into the mirage near the edge of the horizon.

Many come to show off what they've been working on during the past year, revving engines and lifting hoods ready to share their life story to any passerby curious enough to strike up a conversation. Those who have been coming back since the beginning, however, are there for only one reason; to get some speed! 

This car waited hours at the starting line, only to pull off at mile 2 after reaching 161 MPH.

The salt flats are aptly named, as there is no shade to speak of. You have to make your own if you want to be out of the sun.

Some of the competitors have used their life savings to build the kind of car required to reach speeds of up to 400 MPH. 

Speed Week is a perfect time to show off your pride and joy, even if it never races for timed speed.

Photographically speaking, I kept my Singh-Ray warming filter on my 17-40mm and my Vari-N-Duo (warming filter and neutral density filter combo) on my 70-200mm. This allowed me to get shots that weren't completely blown out by the bright scene and play around with a slower shutter speed (see first photo). As all races are held during the day, the bright harsh light is always a factor when shooting Speed Week. It just becomes part of the scene. I would definitely suggest a warming polarizer of some sort. It make just that extra bit of difference in such harsh lighting.

People from all over the world come to see speed records fall at the salt flats.

Location: Mount Timpanogos

The meadow full of wildflowers below the summit of Mount Timpanogos

We finally made it to the meadow, sweaty and exhausted. The hope of wildflowers was met with patches of blue and red below the summit of Timpanogos. We found a spot to pitch out tents and quickly crashed after setting up our beds. My sleep was interrupted throughout the night, by hikers getting an early start (as early as 2 am) and coyotes howling under the moon. My lack of sleep and excitement for the photo ops in the early morning light got me up before dawn. The views were right outside my tent door, so I didn't have to go very far to get what I wanted. I opened my tent and started setting up my gear when three deer casually walked just eight feet in front of me. The first one heard me and froze. I tried taking a shot, but hadn't realized the lens cap was still on. Oh well. They probably would have only been a blur, anyway, with the predawn light. They left as quickly as they came and the sun was starting to rise. I grabbed my gear and started scouting sunrise shots with overwhelming opportunity. 

Lupine wildflower in the basin of Mount Timpanogos

Lupine in the foreground of the summit

Camping under the moon and the stars at Mount Timpanogos Wilderness Area

The next morning we decided to relocate our camp and head towards Emerald Lake to filter some water. It was hard to put a heavy pack back on and climb further up the mountain, but it was worth it. The area surrounding Emerald Lake offers 360 degrees of beauty. Mountain goat were abundant and wildflowers were scattered throughout the area. We headed to the summit in the afternoon and made it back to enjoy some pasta salad with some friendly fellow backpackers. I soaked a sore knee in the icy glacier water and caught some sunset light on our camp. We packed up the next morning feeling rested and successful and started the long hike back down the mountain. 

Mount Timpanogos shelter near Emerald Lake

(Clockwise starting from the top left photo) Hiking to the top, camping under mountains, mountain goat family, Emerald Lake, Lupine and Indian Paintbrush wildflowers, Mount Timpanogos Wilderness

Hiking to the top of Timp

Emerald Lake and the Timpanogos shelter

Moose on the hike up Mount Timp

Timpanogos shelter and our camp near Emerald Lake

Lupine and Indian Paintbrush in the meadow of Mount Timp

View from the summit

Lupine and the Timp shelter

Timpanogos Wilderness

Canon 24mm TS-E

I got the chance to really use my 24mm 3.5 tilt shift lens at the Salt Flats a few weeks ago. It takes a lot more time to set up a shot, but it can produce some amazing results! I actually love taking the time to set up and manually adjusting everything. I've been trying to utilize the tilt function of the lens so that the plane of focus is spread between the foreground and the background. Everything is in focus from the details in the near foreground of the salt to the ridges in the far mountains. Take the above photo for example. Taken at aperture 3.5 and still the foreground and background are in perfect focus. This technique is a bit difficult to master, but I have a feeling I'm going to be using it often. 

Location: Cecret Lake

Cecret Lake, Albion Basin, Utah. Canon 5D Mark II, 17-40mm, Singh Ray 3-stop reverse filter, Warming Polarizer.

Last night, I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I had envisioned shots like this at Cecret (Secret) Lake for some time now, and I finally got to capture it. I waited through wind and rain just hoping for the clouds to break at the right moment. I have to be honest, it wasn’t looking promising, and I kept thinking about how unprepared I actually was if things were to turn ugly. The rain was getting heavier and my crepe soled shoes (bad idea) had started slipping in the mud. I hiked to a spot I found photographically pleasing and waited. The light was fading and my hopes for a sky full of color were fading with it. It’s all part of the game. Often times the waiting doesn’t pay off. You sit and wait, only to come home cold and wet with grey photos. It’s the times when the waiting and the patience actually pay off that keep you coming back for more, and last night was one of those times.

There were moments of joy and frustration as the rain continued to spit on my most prized filter. The rain was the heaviest when the light finally leaked through, but I couldn’t wipe my filter off, hold it in front of my lens and place it fast enough before drops started to hit it again. The light went as quickly as it came, but I was so stoked about the shots I was able to get that I didn’t care how long it lasted. It was incredible. I didn’t care that I was wet, or that my shoes were muddy. Those things were only temporary. The moment and the beauty will be with me forever.

On my way back down the mountain, I was thinking of the natural wonder I had just witnessed. In my daydreaming and replaying of the last hour, I stumbled upon FOUR moose along the trail. The first sighting was of a mom and baby along the tree line about 50 yards away from the trail. We spotted each other at the same time, and I stopped just as they froze. I slowly crept past on the trail, keeping my eye on the mother. Further down, I nearly ran into a male moose eating along the trail. I must have only been 30 feet from him. With its head down eating the grass, and the low light of dusk, I didn’t recognize its form until he came up to chew his food. He hardly seemed fazed by my presence, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I started off trail to see if I could go around him when I saw yet another in my diverted path. I had to weigh my options for a minute and remain calm as I thought of my next step. I started off trail the other way, giving the male, still in the middle of the trail, plenty of room, and eventually got back on the path. I had never seen so many moose at once! And all so close. I’ll never forget it. 

Dramatic storm clouds and rainbow over Cecret Lake, Albion Basin, Utah.

Before the light hit at Cecret Lake, Albion Basin, Utah.

Cecret Lake, Albion Basin, Utah.

*Please click on photos for maximum viewing.

Location: Goblin Valley

Layers of rock in Goblin Valley

Here are some pics from my latest trip to Goblin Valley State Park. The afternoon started out windy, and when I say windy, I mean *blow-your-tent-from-it's-stakes-so-you-never-see-it-again windy, so I was a little skeptical about actually getting out to shoot sunset. As my friends and I hunkered down in the back of a shell covered truck to wait out the wind, the light started to change. The wind died and the menacing clouds broke enough to create some dramatic light in the valley. There were 360° views of magical light. 

The weather never ceases to surprise me. I have learned this time and time again, especially living in a place like Utah. There is a saying in Utah, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." This is a valuable truth to learn as a photographer; light can change instantly and if you're not ready for it, you'll miss it. 

The three sisters in Goblin Valley

Photographer takes in the views in Goblin Valley

The Three Sisters in Goblin Valley

*Actual experience. I set up my tent with it staked to the ground in relatively calm weather, go off and play among the goblins in windy-as-hell weather, and come back to three stakes in the ground holding nothing but the air around them. The $25 tent that had been my shelter for so many weekend adventures was gone.