Postcard from The Arches Campground

Can you imagine waking up to this scene in the morning? I did on one of my photographic adventures into the Arches National Park in Utah. This was a sunrise I saw from my campsite. It was wonderful to sit and have my first cup of coffee and see this magnificent scene.

I’ve always been an early riser, and in the wilderness, one goes to bed early so one rises early. I am also an avid coffee drinker, so when the feet hit the ground, the first thing that happens is the morning coffee making ritual. Ever since I spent time in Italy, I want strong coffee. So, even when camping, a make a cup of espresso coffee with my genuine Italian espresso pot, cut it with some water and cream, then add some sweetener. Actually its what I do here at home every morning, using the same kind of espresso maker I used in the wilderness. It makes fabulous coffee, no matter where I am.

I also use a coffee cup with a lid on it so it stays hot longer…usually about an hour. So I wind up drinking far less coffee than many people as one cup lasts so long. Smart, eh?

I didn’t mean to turn this into a blog about coffee, it just happened. But, in the wilderness, after coffee, I would head out to try and capture the early morning light at some preplanned location. Here is a hint on how I do that:

I always carry a special book for photographers that tells me what locations are best shot in the morning or evening. During the middle of the day, I would scout all the locations and make my plans for morning and evening shots. At midday, one is dealing with pure white light which doesn’t usually make for very good pictures. Avid photographers shoot at sunrise and sunset, then scout locations during the day (and often sneak in a nap). So the next time you are looking at photographs by professionals, notice how many were done at sunrise or sunset.

For me, after an early morning shoot here in the Arches, I went back to my campsite, made breakfast and relax and read…then drive or hike to locations to do some scouting.

So that is the life of a nature photographer out in the field, shoot picture, drink coffee, scout, sleep, then grab the camera and hope there is beautiful light, some clouds, and a great sunrise or sunset. I got lucky with this one. I didn’t have to even move from the table.

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com.