My enthusiasm for rock formations is fading. That may be from over a month of studying Southwestern geology or the constant battle with persistent haze over the Southwestern geology.

I’ve been processing a few images in HDR to circumvent the problem. That works to a certain extent but my HDR expertise needs honing. I can’t resist the urge to pump up the color. This picture is from the overlook at the Canyonlands National Park Visitor Center. It is not an HDR but I pushed pretty hard on the contrast button. Notice the snow capped mountain peaks in the background. It gets very cool in the high desert at night.

Note: I read a sign posted by the Park Service that directly blames the haze on coal-burning power generating stations. It is the worst when winds are from the Southeast - Page, AZ.

We’re camped in Dead Horse Point State Park. There is a very scenic overlook that is fantastic for both morning and evening light. Getting a good spot for pictures at Dead Horse Point requires an early arrival and patience. It is a very popular spot. We didn’t get back from Canyonlands in time to enjoy the early part of sunset but did manage a few colorful images from the red evening light. Although it looks like an HDR, this image of the red light on a twisted juniper is purely photograph with just a touch of shadow lightening.

I returned for a morning session and was there just at sunrise. The place was already crowded. I moved off to one side, edging along some treacherous cliffs and overhangs that I would not have been allowed to traverse had Jane been with me.  :-)   I found a soft rock and cuddled up with myself to stay warm until the light was just right.

The light and colors can be very contrasty. But, it also is very saturated and warm. It is the ideal situation for HDR with long shadows and extreme contrast. Mine were not perfect but the HDR skills are coming along. The image I liked best, however, was not an HDR but this self-portrait. Shooting with my 12~24 lens, I was having a hard time keeping my shadow out of the image. Finally I gave up and just included the shadow as a part of the picture. Now, it isn’t just a part … it is the picture.  

I realize that I have nearly completed this article and not included an HDR example. Here is one from this morning’s shoot at Dead Horse Point. As I said, it isn’t perfect but sometimes a poor image is better for learning. At least I hope I am learning from my mistakes. 

HDR of Dead Horse Point Sunrise

This image is the result of three exposures bracketed at two stop intervals– two over, two under and one right on. I did some processing in Photoshop Elements but can’t remember exactly what I did. I think I just lightened the shadows and added the unsharp mask to enhance the foreground tree. The HDR processing was done in Dynamic-Photo HDR, selecting the “Human Eye” version of the tone-mapping result. As usual, I liked the image immediately after processing (otherwise I would not have saved it), but started to find fault after a few “second looks.” I’ve learned from my mistakes that it is a good idea to put your favorites aside for a few minutes, hours, days - forever - and come back later for a more objective evaluation. I need to be more diligent in practicing what I preach.  

We’ve had an interesting and exciting voyage to this point. My lack of enthusiasm for early morning photography, however, is an indication that we should head back to Texas. We’ll return any budget excess to the coffers and start planning the next adventure. Wonder what Montana geology is like? 
l8r

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We drove into Moab on Monday, October 6. Jane needed to restock the cupboard and the truck was on empty. What a place - Moab is purely tourism. You can find outfitters and tour guides for nearly any adventure imaginable. Four-wheel drive, overland adventures into the outback areas of Canyonlands or Arches National Parks, four-day float trips down the Colorado River, hikes into the wildest of areas, and the snow-covered peaks hovering over Moab had local businesses yearning for ski season. Mountain biking and dirt bike adventures are also quite popular in this vast area of Public Lands. The BLM has some restrictions on the use of land managed by them but nothing nearly as stringent as the National Park Service.

We found a grocery store, filled the truck with diesel and visited the Moab Visitor Center. It was there that we learned of a nearby wetland preserve. Who would have guessed it? Here we are in the highest and driest areas of the US and we come across wetlands. Jane got directions to the Scott M. Matheson Wetland Preserve. We managed to miss the turnoff and ventured even further into the unknown. We were on a paved road leading through BLM property. We stopped at a trailhead/picnic area that had some of the best petroglyphs we have seen.

A few campers came by and, being the curious type, we followed their backtrack to see if we were missing a hidden campsite. That led us to some of the most “alternative” living styles you can imagine. People were living in caves dug back into the limestone cliffs. There were two homes that were almost exact replicas of Anasazi ruins. The masonry was a little more modern but the design was directly from ancient cliff dwellings, no roof other than the overhanging cliff. One odd feature - they were connected to commercial power lines. Even the cave dwellers had electricity.

We found the wetlands preserve on our second attempt. It was nice. We followed a one-mile, handicap-accessible path through the preserve, stopping at a nice viewing blind, but saw very little in the way of wetlands wildlife. We had been told that water was scarce. It was just too dry for the critters we had hoped to see.

We left there and drove back to Arches National Park, which is less than ten miles from Moab. The roads were being paved with fresh tar and white gravel. Only one lane was open and traffic was backed up waiting for an escort. It was a little annoying but no big deal. We’re always complaining about road conditions. It seems silly to complain about repairing those conditions. 

Arches has a nice Visitor Center and Museum. We walked through the museum and watched the orientation movie. The steep climb from the Visitor Center to the first view point is a scenic drive but too narrow to pulloff.

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park

We didn’t make our first stop until we reached Balanced Rock. There is a picnic area just across from this very popular viewpoint. We stopped for lunch and I tried using my polarizing filter to cut thru the haze for an image of the snow-capped peaks of the La Sal Mountains behind Balanced Rock. Back lighting made the haze even more evident. It took some Photoshop adjustments to make this image acceptable.

The history and legends of the area interest me more than geology and lectures on how millions of years of upheaval and erosion formed the canyons and arches. Delicate Arch, however, is a must-see site. It is the unofficial symbol of Utah.

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park

This image was made from the most accessible and easy to reach viewpoint I could find. It is just a short walk from the historic Wolfe Ranch site. Unlike most images of the arch, I made no attempt at an artistic representation. This is what it is - a popular site that is always difficult to photograph because of the throngs trying to get close. You can just make out dozens of people walking along a trail that leads to the “best view” of the arch. This shot is with my 18~135mm lens set to 135mm. I got closer and used my 300mm for a tight shot. I like this one better.

I probably spent more time reading about and photographing the old buildings and corral at Wolfe Ranch than I did at Delicate Arch.

Historic Wolfe Ranch in Arches National Park

It is the typical story of how this area was settled by ranchers and pioneers. They were the rugged sort, not expectant of any luxuries. Every element of their lives was functional, practical, and only what they could make with their own two hands. The house shown here is much nicer than the original home of Wolfe and his son. This was built to please his daughter who joined Wolfe after he and his son established the ranch. The original home was a hole in the ground with a thatch, mud and rock roof. This house has a window, hinged door and roughly hewn furniture.

We had hoped to make it to the end of the road and hike the trail to Landscape Arch from the Devil’s Garden turnaround. We did but the sun was on the wrong side of Landscape Arch and had dropped behind some tall cliffs. The images were disappointing. This arch needs to be photographed much earlier.  Sunrise would be best; no later than noon, I think.

It was well after dark when we got back to the trailer. It had been a long but interesting day. We went to bed wondering what a new dawn would bring.
l8r

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