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Visiting & Photographing Bryce Canyon National Park
2 min read
If you're traveling through the lens, I recommend spending a few days at Bryce, hiking down into the canyon, and getting up close to the hoodos and this unique environment. Visit the fringes of the park as well, like Fairyland Point and Rainbow Point; they can be less crowded, especially before first light and after sunset. Of course, no trip to Bryce Canyon should be without a visit to Bryce Point, which offers some of the most spectacular views of the amphitheater.
The Navajo Trail Loop provides stunning views during the descent into the canyon, throughout the canyon, and as you ascend to the rim. Bryce's hikes are challenging due to the switchbacks and elevation. The high altitude & climate can also add difficulties, and so I'd recommend packing a light kit with one or two lenses, neither of which is a telephoto lens. You'll thank me later.
In fact, I never once used my telephoto lens while in the canyon. I did, however, use it quite a bit at all the rim views. You may even consider ditching the tripod on this hike and shooting handheld, if you're comfortable shooting without a tripod, that is.
I used a 24-120mm on my Nikon Z8 for most of the hike, and several compositions with an ultra-wide lens (14-30mm). I think an even better kit for the Navajo hike would have been my Z6 with the 24-120 teathered and no tripod. I would have been a much happier hiker, while stopping to capture more images along the way. Oh, and don't forget your trekking poles. They come really handy for the switchbacks.
- The Houdsta
Experiencing this landscape in person, you can't help but ponder how the hand of nature has so delicately and elegantly sculpted this canvas of... read full blog >
Visiting & Photographing Zion National Park
1-1/2 min read
Truly, a place of heavenly appeal, and yet a challenging approach to landscape photography, at least from the valley, as the tall canyon walls and surrounding mountains proved difficult to capture the best light of the day.
I found photographing Zion's valley to be inopportune. Ironically, the road into the park from the East, Mt Carmel Highway (Hwy 9), was simply lovely, and incidentally, where my best photographs were created. This is due in part to the fascinating rock formations, mountains, and enticing trees, and if you know me, then you know I love rocks and trees! Almost the entire span of Mt Carmel Road into the park is pullouts, with some small parking lots. So I guess you can say my favorite images of Zion were all roadside photographs, 😳, and I'm not ashamed to say it.
- The Houdsta
The area is so dang gorgeous! What I loved most was the exceptional work I created in an otherwise renowned park. Yes, you've seen the Watchman photos, the Narrows, the Canyon views, but have you seen... Read Full Blog >
Visiting & Photographing Kodachrome State Park
2-1/2 min read
Just 30 minutes southeast of Bryce Canyon National Park is where you'll discover Kodachrome Basin SP, and you'll be missing out if you don't make the stop. As a bonus, the drive there is gorgeous, and there are no crowds.
Fun Fact: Kodachrome Basin State Park got its name from the aptly named Kodak film. Learn more here >
Kodachrome Basin SP will WOW YOU with its raw beauty and geology. With some 67 monolithic spires, called sedimentary pipes, you'll be pointing your lens in awe of this rocky landscape. Can you imagine what you'd capture with a drone?
Turns out, Utah is drone-friendly. Yep, when you arrive, head into the office and purchase a drone permit; it's clear skies from there. I couldn't believe it, but it's true and it's legal.
Just to be clear, that doesn't extend to Utah's National Parks. From a federal perspective, they are still off limits for any personal drone flights. No drones are allowed at any time in any National Park. Plain and simple, it's illegal to launch a drone from all of our National Parks.
Even if you don't own a drone, the photography opportunities from the ground are breathtaking, exciting, and there's plenty to photograph here; from lovely Juniper Trees to the redist rocks I've ever seen, and they have plenty of character as you can see in my Kodachrome Gallery above.
You'll want to pack a full arsenal of lenses to cover ultra-wide to telephoto. The beauty of this park is that, if you're short on time, you can still cover much ground and create plenty of photographs. You can drive through the entire park, find a pullout or lot, and start shooting. Then, it's rinse and repeat for the next stop.
- The Houdsta
This stop is definitely worth your effort and time. It's a little different from the hoodoos at Bryce, and that's what makes it special. It's close enough to Bryce, yet distinctive enough to add variety to your portfolio. But more than anything, it's ... Read Full Blog >
Visiting & Photographing Cedar Breaks National Monument
2 min read
Cedar Breaks moved me spiritually, and hinted at something special, but I wasn't quite sure what it was until I stood at the base of an Ancient Great Basin Bristlecone Pine out at Spectra Point. Palming my hand over its textured and weathered wood was quite extraordinary.
From the visitor center, it's a 1-mile hike along the rim to reach Spectra Point, and then 1 mile back. Pack a light kit and bring your trekking poles. If you're not acclimated to the altitude (10,000 feet / 3,000 meters), you may find this hike challenging.
I suggest taking your telephoto shots at the visitor center (Point Supreme Viewpoint), where there are excellent shots to make of the hoodoos and amphitheater. Then, leave the long lens in your vehicle to save weight along the hike; you won't need it for the Bristlecone.
I was glad to have created some fantastic black and white imagery of this wonderful tree. The light and clouds lent themselves nearly perfectly for B&W work. But ultimately, it was the experience of meeting this beauty, which was a blink of an eye for the tree, and a lifetime of memories for me.
- The Houdsta
I tried to imagine a mega Time-lapse through time, from seed to sapling and beyond, of what this tree has endured... 584,000 sunrises & sunsets, storms, fires, insects, and ... Read Full Blog >
Stories From Bryce Canyon
Hoodoo upon hoodoo cover this parks entire canyon floor. With names like Queen Victoria and the hammer of Thor.
Like colorful stone soldiers standing at attention in a row. Silently on guard, with time being their only foe.
These monoliths glow of red and gold, in the early morning light. Then come back to life in the darkness, with eerie blue shadows on a full moon night.
There is wild life aplenty, from chipmunks to prairie dogs to antelope and mule deer. But my favorite are the ravens, soaring playfully through the hoodoos without care or any fear.
So to sum it up, Bryce Canyon is one of the five gems in Utah's National Park crown. And I promise you, a visit to this magical place, will not let you down.
Written by Mark Camp
Photographer, Wordsmith, Friend