Postcard from Bryce – The Mossy Cave Trail

The trail to Mossy Cave lies a few miles away from the main Bryce Highway. In fact, you leave the park boundaries, rejoin Highway 12, then head east towards the small town of Tropic (this is the town visible from some of the viewpoints in Bryce). You quickly start descending down the mountain. About halfway down to Tropic, you come to a trailhead that is the Mossy Cave Trail.

At this point, you are looking up to some of the beautiful formations in the northern part of Bryce (and you are back inside the park again). The Mossy Cave trail is a 1/2 mile uphill trail that take you to, surprise, Mossy Cave. The interesting part of this excursion not the cave itself…but rather the scenery along the way. In fact I am not even going to show you a photo of it as it is not really a cave, but a large area under a big rock that has been carved out by nature…and, oh yes, has some moss and moister in it. It is interesting, but not very photogenic.

No, it is the scenery along the way the makes this trail well worth the trip. You will see arches (photo #1), a waterfall (photo #2) and other very beautiful scenery carved out by nature. This is the only place in the park where you will see water, even though water plays a major part in the formation of Bryce itself.

If you ever go to Bryce, be sure not to miss this little side trip. As, I said, the scenery is spectacular. And you will be looking up at Bryce, not down like you do in the rest of the park.

Postcard from Bryce Canyon – Fairyland

As I hinted at in my last blog, Fairyland Canyon is not well visited by tourists, which is their loss. It is one of the more intimate places in Bryce as it is smaller in comparison to the sweeping vistas of the Amphitheater, allowing the visitor to feel much closer the the intricately carved hoodoos and rock formations…perhaps more than anywhere else in the park.

Its trails seem gentler and easier to walk than others, allowing us older folks to feel a little less strain in our legs than the other steeper trails in the park…and at 8,000 feet, that is important. While the trail does get steeper, the first part allow you some very good close views of Fairyland’s formations.

Why so few visitors? Here is my explanation. Fairyland is the very first turnoff you come to after crossing the park boundary, but before you get to the main park entrance. And, there is no sign as you drive south on Highway 63 approaching the main gate and visitor center. There is a sign as you leave the park heading north, but I think most people are psychologically finished with the park after they leave the main gate, thinking they have seen everything there is. How wrong they are!

I hope you will remember to stop at Fairyland if you ever pay a visit to this glorious national park.

Next stop…the Mossy Cave Trail…complete with waterfall.

Postcard from Bryce Canyon – New Places

Bryce Canyon National Park isn’t really a canyon at all. It is a wall that runs approximately 17 miles north to south, facing east. It contains some of nature’s most beautifully sculptured creations, but a surprising large portion of the park is never seen by most visitors.

Most of the tourist activity centers along an area called “Bryce Amphitheater,” a series of fours stops, not far from the main park entrance, that contain arguably the most beautiful scenery on our planet. Most of the photos you see of Bryce, including ones I have shown here before, come from the amphitheater area. In planning this visit, I decided to concentrate on the rest of the park…although I did spend some quality time in the amphitheater.

While the amphitheater features four viewpoints, the rest of the park, connected by Highway 63, has 11 other viewpoints…most of which definitely lend themselves to being photographed. I spent three days in the park taking photographs. Except for one stop, all photographs were shot in the morning light.

The first photograph was taken at Paria View, just outside the amphitheater area. I liked this viewpoint very much as the hoodoos and rock formations are very close. Now, notice the light in the foreground…it looks as if the sun is at my back as it is so bright and colorful. In actual fact, my camera is points in the direction of the sun. What makes the foreground so light is the sunlight reflecting off of other red rock walls beneath where I am standing. You will find this kind of reflected light in many Bryce photographs, especially mine, which helps make the park a photographer’s delight. In fact, all three photographs here show off this phenomenon.

The second photo is of Natural Bridge, another easy-to-take photograph as all you have to do is get out of your car to see it. I am sad to say I do not remember exactly where I took the third photograph, but it might be at Black Birch Canyon.

Next stop, one of the least visited parts of Bryce that is actually the very first turnoff once you are inside the park…and one of the most intimate and beautiful places you will find.

Editor’s note: I have temporarily fixed the photo problems that plagued the last few blogs I posted. I am still looking for a permanent solution, but that won’t stop me from continuing on. -JRC

Test of Photo Quality

Please ignore this edition. I am testing to see if I have solved the issue of low quality JPG’s on the Postcard blog. Sending a blog is the only way I can see if I have solved the problems.

Thanks for your patience.

Postcard from Tucson – Apologies

Hi everyone.  I fully intended to write a photo blog today on Bryce Canyon, but the last few photos I have attached to the blog have not been good.  The colors are washed out and nowhere near the originals.  I hate showing my photos when the displayed results are not even close to what I intended.

Am not sure why this is happening but am trying to find a solution.  I will resume the blog as soon as I figure out why this is happening.  My apologies and hope you will stay tuned for some really good photos and stories.

Jim

Postcard from Red Canyon – Up a Mountain

One of the items I carry with me on these trips is a marvelous 3 volume set of books called “Photographing the Southwest,” by Laurent Martres. Volume one is about Southern Utah, volume two is Arizona, and volume three covers Colorado and New Mexico. It is an indispensible guide to places worthy for photographing, including the best time of day for shooting each location. It also rates the scenic and photographic qualities of every place mentioned, road conditions and ease of the trails.

In volume one, there is a paragraph on Red Canyon where it describes a scenic trail called the “Arches Trail,”using the word “easy” in the description. That sounded good to me, as the reward at the end of the trail are some some red rocks with window openings (hence the name Arches).

Well, Mr. Martres and I must have a different definition of “easy.” The trail was almost exclusively up a steep mountain…so steep in places they had to build wooden stairs. Now remember, Red Canyon is already at an altitude of about 7,000 feet, and this trail goes much higher. And I realize that I am no spring chicken anymore, but climbing a mountain can in no way be called easy. I don’t care who you are!

But, despite the challenges and many stops to catch my breath, I made it to the top where the window rocks are located (photo #2). The view, as you might imaging is quite lovely, but lack of oxygen in my system made me appreciate it a little less than normal. But, I am privately proud of myself for making it to the top. It reminded me of my journey through the Fiery Furnace in the Arches National Park, a story that I have not yet told you.

Anyway, before the trail starts to climb the mountain, you come across an interesting rock structure, as seen in the third photograph. Legend has it that it was built by Butch Cassidy and his Hole-in-the-Wall gang as a simple food storage facility. Hole-in-the-Wall is actually located in Wyoming, not here…but who am I to disregard legends.

As I explained in my last blog, I saved my morning photography for Bryce Canyon, ten miles to the east. In my next edition, I will take you there and show you some new sights from Bryce, never before photographed…well by me anyway.

Postcard from Red Canyon – Revisiting

Long time readers of this blog may remember a few of my past posts on Red Canyon including some photographs. I was there two years ago and at that time was not even aware of its existence. Part of this trip was dedicated to traveling the entire length of Utah Highway 12, so, I had to travel right through it again. But, my visit was more than just a 1/2 day stop like the last time.

On this trip, I planned to camp here and use it as a base of operations for other nearby destinations, including Bryce Canyon. But I also wanted to see more of this colorful place and explore some of its back roads and trails.

Its a marvelous and unique destination, and as you can see from the photos, very aptly named. Its red rocks are far more red than those in nearby Bryce Canyon. Although they were sculpted by the same forces as Bryce, the results are definitely different.

As written here before, most people who come to Red Canyon stop to take a few photos, then head east 10 miles to Bryce Canyon National Park. Few stop to explore this wonderland of sculpted red rocks.

But on this trip I camped here for five days and sampled some of its hidden canyons and trails. I liked what I found. One of the best ways to see the back country is to take a fairly rough dirt road just west of Red Canyon and go north for a couple of miles. From there, you can take the easy trails through Castro and Losee Canyons…and beyond.

But be aware…these trails are also open to four wheel ATV vehicles. I ran into a convoy of about 10 of them in Castro Canyon. If you don’t have one of your own, you can rent them in nearby. The next time I visit there, I may try one myself and go even deeper into the canyons.

My pre-planned strategy for photography worked out well. I would get up early and head east to photograph Bryce in the morning…then come back to Red Canyon and hike and photograph here in the afternoon. Because of the brightness of these rocks, morning and evening light are not as critical as normal.

Next, I will tell you about my hike through hell to get a few good photos. Stay tuned.

Postcard from Southern Utah

Note: Sorry I haven’t done a Postcard blog in a few days. Life’s trials and tribulations got in my way…car and computer problems, to name a couple. Anyway, all is well now so will try and get back on track…JRC

With the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in my rear view mirror, I headed north to rejoin Highway 89A, then into Southern Utah. It is a very pretty drive and after a short while, the cliffs of the Grand Staircase of the Escalante came into view and I new I was approaching the Utah/Arizona border.

Just over the border, in the small town of Kanab, Highway 89A rejoins Highway 89 and heads due north. Just outside of Kanab I came across a small lake with a cave eroded into the red rock. I stopped to take a photograph (photo #1), not realizing at the time this was one of the few pictures I would take on this trip that included water. There are just not many water features to photograph in the area of Southern Utah where I visited.

Continuing on my way, I soon approached the turnoff for the eastern approach to Zion National Park. It was a difficult decision, but I chose to skip Zion this time. The place would be loaded with vacationers (like the Grand Canyon), it was too early for fall colors, and I would have to ride the shuttle bus in Zion Canyon. Not my idea of fun. I was there almost two years ago in November, when the buses were shut down for the season and autumn was going strong. I settled for that as I still have a ton of pictures from that trip that have not been processed.

Continuing north on 89, I saw this pastoral country for the first time, even though I had driven this road two years previous. At that time, it was still dark. I was glad to see it in sunshine this time. It is mostly beautiful farm country, with red and white rock formations as a backdrop.

Sixty miles north of Kanab, I turned east on Highway 12, Utah’s most beautiful and celebrated highway. In about 10 miles, I arrived at Red Canyon, my destination for this day.

I’ve written about Red Canyon here before and have shown a few photos. I decided to spend some time here as there is much more to explore than I saw on my last trip. And, I used it as a base for some other nearby photographic destinations. Red Canyon is overseen by the National Forest Service and there is a great campground there. I found a great secluded campsite up in the hills. It was so nice that I stayed here for five nights.

It was here I discovered if you arrive late morning, you can almost always get a campsite. By early afternoon, this campground, along with all the others I visited on this trip, were filled to capacity.

Not many people stay at Red Canyon as they are very anxious to keep going the additional 10 miles to see Bryce Canyon National Park. As a photographer, I know that Bryce faces east and is best photographed in the morning. So, I decided to spend the rest of this day on the trails in Red Canyon.

Stay tuned!!

Mostly Microsoft…Good and Bad

Vista/IE market share slide, Win 7/Firefox/Chrome surge

According to data supplied by web metrics firm Net Applications, both Vista and Internet Explorer lost market share during September, while Windows 7, Firefox and Chrome all saw a surge in market share.

Microsoft in Cahoots with Twitter, Facebook

Microsoft on Wednesday announced major new initiatives with some of the world's most popular Internet services companies. The software giant will integrate Twitter micro-blogging posts into its Bing Internet search service and, at a slightly later date, provide similar functionality with public posts from the Facebook social networking service.

Windows 7 Media Center: Netflix and Internet TV

Just days before it officially launched Windows 7 around the world, Microsoft quietly updated the Windows Media Center component of that OS, dramatically increasing the availability of online content. The update takes two forms: Compatibility with Netflix "Instant Queue" streaming and the final version of Internet TV, which provides a pretty decent selection of free TV show content as well as, surprise, surprise, access to video podcasts via Zune Marketplace.

Low-cost Windows 7 laptops hit retail

At many stores on Thursday, Best Buy refreshed almost its entire stock of laptops: all running Windows 7 and all sporting new model numbers. Frys--a megastore electronics retailer with locations throughout California, Arizona, and Texas--also refreshed many of its laptops with new Windows 7 models.

Five Best Software Update Tools

Rather than wait around for your software to notify you of updates (let's face it, a lot of applications never will), these five handy tools keep an eye on your apps, alert you when an update's available, and streamline the updating process.

Post Card from the Grand Canyon – Point Imperial

On my second day of my stay at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, I arose before sunrise and headed back into the park, then east on a narrow road to photograph Point Imperial.

Whereas most of us are used to seeing the Grand Canyon that runs east to west, this viewpoint is of the canyon as it starts to head north. As it faces east, it is best photographed around sunrise, so I was ready. The problem was, the canyon wasn’t. As I soon discovered, it was heavily saturated with smog that often plagues the canyon these days. It ruined the light, making my photographs less than desirable. I have spent some time cleaning them up for display here, but it was a disappointing morning.

Still, Point Imperial is worth seeing. It is the highest view point in the park. The Grand Canyon style cliffs are very close to you, giving you a more intimate feel with the park. The dominate feature in the first photo is Mt. Hayden.

Then, looking east, off in the distance, you look past the Colorado River and see a different view of canyons and desert terrain, as shown in the distance of image #2.

It was sad to have so much smog ruin the photographic possibilities here, but am still glad to have seen it. I had planned to go to nearby Cape Royal, but the light and smog convinced me to cancel that part of the trip.

I headed back to camp after a quick stop at the lodge at Bright Angel Point. I was planning to break camp and head north, but changed my plans at the last minute and stayed in camp for the rest of the day, reading, listening to music, and just plain relaxing.

My revised plan now called for me to leave early next morning and head north into Utah. Stay tuned.

Postcard from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon

While the distance between the North and South Rims of this spectacular National Park is only a little over a mile, the driving distance between the two is 211 miles! Having been to the south rim earlier this year, I headed directly for the North Rim as I had never been there.

To get there, one takes Arizona Highway 89 north from Flagstaff, past the cutoff to the south rim, to Highway 89A. Then, after many miles of twists and turns (while continuing to gain in elevation), you turn south at Jacob Lake on a road that goes 43 miles to the Park Entrance.

A big difference between the North and South Rim is the approach. On the south side, you drive through mainly desert-type terrain, while the northern approach is through thick forests and broad meadows. The north side is 1,000 feet higher than the south.

Twelve miles past the park entrance, you arrive at a magnificent lodge that sits at Bright Angel Point on the rim of the canyon. It is a beautiful, luxurious lodge with a large patio where you can sit and enjoy the incredible view. The lodge caught me totally by surprise as I had no idea it was even there.

What also caught me by surprise was the number of people there…many more than I expected. Many were retired persons like myself who travel when the weather is beautiful and the crowds are less…and many of them arrive in RV’s. The park campgrounds were full so I wound up camping 5 miles outside the park, and was lucky to get one there. Full campgrounds was something I experienced on my entire trip, but I learned quickly how to solve that problem.

There is another large difference between the North and South Rims. On the south side, one can travel many miles along the rim with plenty of places to stop and admire the view. On the north side, the main highway ends at Bright Angel Point and that is your only view. There are two other roads inside the park, one paved and the other not. The paved road twists for several miles and brings you to Point Imperial and Point Royal. The unpaved roads lead to a couple of other viewpoints many miles away with plenty of bumps along the way.

But, my first day here was spent exclusively at Bright Angel Point. The point itself is accessible by an interesting 1/4 mile hike from the lodge. I say interesting as the trail is narrow with plenty of places to fall off. Not for those folks with a fear of heights.

The sky was full of clouds and photography a little tricky as they continuously blocked the sun, especially at sunset. There was also a very strong wind that day that was very evident out at the point. The first photo shows the view from Bright Angel Point and the second is a view along the trail.

The next morning I got up before the sun, and after a strong cup of coffee, headed off the see the sunrise at Point Imperial. Stay tuned.

Picture of the Day – Side Canyon

This is a very busy day for me, so I don’t have time for a full-blown blog about the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. But I could not let the day slip by without giving you a little sample of this less visited side of the National Park.

This photo is of a side canyon that leads into the main canyon near Bright Angel Point. As you can see, it was a great day for photography with lots of clouds and sunlight to bring out the colors of the canyon.

This actually was my first view of the north side of this great chasm as you don’t really see it from the road until you arrive. More photos and stories in my next blog. Click on the image to see it in a large size.

Postcard from Lee’s Ferry – Beginnings and Endings

Hello, everyone. I am back in Tucson, where I belong. It was a great 3+ weeks on the road, seeing old friends, going to places where I have never been, taking photos until my trigger finger was worn out, gathering new memories and stories, and just plain enjoying myself.

My trip covered 6 states and over 3,000 miles. I camped in beautiful places and was favored with outstanding weather. It was a successful journey that ended with a 3-day wedding photo shoot that turned out very well on all levels.

I started and ended my trip with my son…first enjoying football and great food in Mesa, AZ where he was on his weekend warrior duty…then spending the last day of my trip with him and his lovely wife Jill at their home in Blythe before heading home to Tucson. While I had a fantastic time, I was ready to come home.

After my trip to Mesa, and an overnight stay in Flagstaff to watch football, I headed north on Arizona 89 (and later 89A) towards the north rim of the Grand Canyon. My first stop was in Lee’s Ferry, AZ, many miles NE of the Grand Canyon. Lee’s Ferry is where most raft trips down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon originate. It is about the only place where you can get to the river as the start of the deep canyons begin shortly afterword.

There is something special about traveling roads where you have never been and don’t know what’s around the next bend. It is what I live for…to see new places and things. When I travel a new road, the music goes off and the audio books are put away. This is time to savor the sights and smells of new places.

In the first photo, you can see the Colorado River beneath the Navajo Bridge that spans the canyon at Lee’s Ferry. This picture was taken from the old Navajo Bridge that also spans the canyon next to the new bridge. It is a spectacular view from here…the beginnings of the Grand Canyon.

The next picture shows a balance rock which is on the road down to the river. I chose to do it in black and white as the rocks and canyon walls are all red. Only the sky is blue.

The last photo shows the Vermillion Cliffs which run for many, many miles along Highway 89A. Needless to say I had some great cloud formations that day.

Next stop, the Grand Canyon North Rim.

Postcard from Tucson – Big Time Football

Editor’s Note: This will be my last blog for approximately a month as I head out tomorrow for more photographic adventures in the Arizona/Utah wilderness, eventually winding up in CA to do a close friend’s wedding. If I can find a free Wi-Fi connection someplace, I will do a blog, if possible. You can follow my further adventures on Twitter, FriendFeed and Facebook (all jcorkrum); or on a special page on my Website. I can send updates with my Blackberry (and even some photos) when I have signal. This should be a fun trip as I am seeing mostly new territory. Take care. - JRC

Last Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending my first NCAA College Football game in a long, long time. In fact, I don’t even remember the last time I went to one, probably about 25 years ago. Been to many, many NFL games in that time, but not college.

Anyway, I had great seats on the 32 yard line around, 21 rows up from the field. Across from me was “The Red Zone,” where vocal students and other supporters, all wearing red shirts, gather to support the Wildcats. They cheered vociferously for UofA and soundly booed the opponents for the evening, the Central Michigan Chippewa's. The atmosphere was electric, in more ways than one.

You see, Mother Nature was not ready for the game to begin. To the north and south of the stadium, there was a tremendous display of lightning, along with claps of thunder…and as you can see from one of the photos, we were asked to leave our seats and head to shelter. Many did, but not me…nor did the Red Zone fans. In fact, they started chanting, “F*%!K the Lightning,” in perfect harmony.

The game was delayed 45 minutes, until the lightning just stopped. It actually never got over the stadium, and no rain fell that night. But finally, the University of Arizona football team took the field to a thunderous ovation (no pun intended), the band playing the fight song, and the traditional fireworks were let loose, all signifying the start of the football season. It was a sight to behold.

After the kickoff, the Arizona defense performed marvelously, shutting down one of the nations most highly regarded quarterbacks. Central Michigan could only muster one first down in the first half and had less than 100 yards offense. Our offense, did OK, but could not seal the deal, so to speak, when they got inside the 20 yard line. Arizona kicked 4 field goals and only scored one touchdown in a 19-6 victory.

But, Arizona won and it was great to be part of a major college football game and all the atmosphere that goes with it. I already have tickets for the UCLA and Washington State games in the same seat, and will probably attend others, although there are only six home games this year.

These pictures are not all that great as I took them with my little point-and-shoot, but it gives you a little idea of what is was like last Saturday night.

Picture of the Day – Iris and Things

One of the things I miss by living in the Southwest are the blooming Iris plants of the Northwest in spring. They don’t grow here that I am aware of. Since my digital painting is back in full swing now, I decided to paint an Iris in an Impressionistic style. I like how it turned out.

This painting is called “Iris and Things,” mainly because I don’t know the names of the flowers that were in the original photograph. I will probably paint another Iris or two in the near future. Click on the image to see a little bigger version.

I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Picture of the Day – Bryce Trail

I took this picture back in November 2007, the last time I visited Bryce Canyon National Park. I show it now because a week from this very day I will be back at Bryce. It will be about the only place on my forthcoming trip where I have tread before. Most of my destinations are all new for me.

I will start out in Mesa, AZ with a weekend visit with my son who is doing his Army Reserve weekend. After an evening of football, beer, hot wings and Chinese food, I will head north with stops at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Bryce, Red Canyon, Kodachrome Basin, the famous Utah Highway 12 drive, and Capitol Reef National Park. I am really looking forward to breaking out of the confines of Tucson and seeing new things.

Anyway, I like this photo as it shows a trail that starts at the rim and works its way down via switchbacks to the canyon depths. I did this trail back in the 1960’s, but not sure these old legs can handle it now. Still, I may try it for old times sake and for the photos.

I look forward to taking many pictures of new places and sharing them with you here. I will check back in here before I leave.

Postcard from British Columbia – Kootenay Boats

I took the original photograph for this painting several years ago while on vacation on Lake Kootenay in Eastern BC. I love the image and always wanted to paint it, but everything I tried was less than satisfactory. Not anymore.

I think this is a good painting, and although it needs a few more finishing touches, I wanted to share it with you today. You see, I am 99% positive I took this photo on this very day, but can’t remember the year for sure. I know I had a new film camera and was trying it out for the first time on this trip. This is perhaps my favorite image from the trip.

And now, it is a new favorite painting….at least for now. You know how artists are!! Enjoy.

Postcard from Rome – Sketch of a Roman Statue

Here is another of those “lost” works I recently found while digging around my computer. It is a sketch I made of a statue in Rome…and am sad to say I don’t know who the artist is or, for that matter, where it is in Rome. My notes are in storage and my memory is not as good as it once was.

It closely resembles another statue in Rome done 2,000 years ago of the god Castor. Sorry I can’t be more specific.

Some of my favorite works are the digital pencil sketches I’ve done over the years…and for that matter sketches and engravings done by other artists. Recently, there was an exhibit at the University of Arizona of engravings and sketches done by some very famous artists from antiquity. It was an inspiring show and I kept going back to see them again and again.

Sadly, my own sketch works were not very good sellers when I was doing shows. But, since that is no longer a concern, you can expect more sketches and even some digital engravings in the near future.

Postcard from Bisbee – A New Painting

The digital paintbrush is back in my hand and I’ve produced a new painting I want to share with you. It is just a simple image from downtown Bisbee, AZ, but I like it very much. I hope you do to.

It has been a while since I sat down and did an entire image from scratch. For this painting, I used Painter X almost exclusively, with a little Photoshop thrown in at the beginning and end to polish it off properly.

When I stopped painting a couple of years ago, I was beginning to get into an “Impressionist” mode for some of my new works. As you can see, I continued that mode here. Not all my paintings will be in that style. But this one fit just perfectly, or so I think.

For instance, the old truck painting I showed you a few days ago would not fit into this style (I know, I tried and in a very short while knew I didn’t like it). But where it fits, I will use it.

Thanks for letting me share this first humble effort with you. I hope my work will get better and better. Sorry the image is so small, but that is the biggest that Blogger will let me do. Click on the image and you will see a larger version.

Picture of the Day – South Falls

This is South Falls, the largest of the ten waterfalls in Silver Falls State Park, OR. If you have not been there, it lies about 25 miles east of Salem in a temperate rain forest. South Falls is 177 feet high and runs all year round.

If you look closely, you can see people along the trail that runs behind the falls. This is the end (or beginning) of the Trail of the Ten Falls where you can, with a little effort, see all the falls. For four of them, the trail actually goes behind the falls, like you see here.

For this image, I did some special treatment to not only slightly exaggerate the green, but give it a bit of a glow. Green is the dominate color in this park as it is in a rain forest (truth be known, I have been here several times and never seen the sun).

If you are ever near Salem, be sure and put this park on your “must see” list.

Postcard from the Road – Gifts

Sometimes when I see such beautiful and amazing sites such as the Double Arch in The Arches National Park, I sit and pause…then reflect on so many breathtaking sites like this that are available to me on this planet and how lucky I am to see them. I sort of pinch myself mentally to make sure I am really there, no matter where it happens to be. Sites like this are the result of millions of years of evolution and I get to see it at this one moment in time.

But just as important, I thank the maker of us all for his gift to me for the ability to see this place with an artist’s eye and the skills to photograph it. More than that, he gave me the gift of easily learning ways to make the most of the image, first in the darkroom, and now with a computer. I am a fortunate fellow, to say the least.

But, while the gift to produce a beautiful image was given, it still took years and years of practice and work to bring me where I am now. The gift was the easy part, the rest is blood sweat, and tears…all happily given.

I once met a well known painter in England at an exhibition of his works in Harrods. I told him that he was such a gifted painter and he reminded me while that was true, it took years and years of education, practice, and hard work to make it all come together. We must all remember that no gift comes without strings.

Postcard from the Painted Desert – Colors Abound

There are actually two painted deserts, perhaps even three in Arizona. I just finished post-processing photos from the two I visited last Autumn and have posted them up on my Web site. I believe I have showed you a previous image from here some time ago.

Anyway, the first painted desert is called the Little Painted Desert and is in a small state park, about 13 miles north of Winslow, AZ. I visited there at sunset, which accounts for the colors of those photos.

The second painted desert lies about 60 miles east of Winslow on Interstate 40 and is part of the Petrified Forest National Park. I visited this park the next day after spending one very cold night camped out near Winslow. This photo is from that Painted Desert.

Both of these parks remind me so much of the Painted Hills of Oregon. Different environs, of course…the Painted Hills being in forested country. I am just happy that I got to see them all.

As for the third painted desert, it lies somewhere on Highway 89, just north of the Grand Canyon turnoff. I will be passing through there in September, so will tell you more about it later.

Postcard from Tucson – A Rediscovered Painting

I put down my digital paint brush about 20 months ago. That was when my now ex-wife (and still good friend) announced out of the blue, she no longer wished to be married. My life changed dramatically that day, and after a short time of mourning, I started making plans for a new life. Somewhere in all time of sadness and change, my painting got left behind.

Fast forward to present day:

I have a good life now and have taken steps to begin painting again. Being happy and free has helped and I certainly have enough subjects gathered from all my adventures. But this last weekend, I set aside some time to go through my computer and remove unused files and programs.

While going through a section of the hard drive where I kept my “works in progress”, I found two paintings…one 98% done and the other about 90% done. It was a surprise, and after looking at them, I realized I liked them both very much.

I couldn’t resist so I finished the first one, let it sit overnight to see if I still liked it in the morning. I do. So I present it to you for your inspection. I am working on the second one now and will show it to you when it’s done.

I was pleased to find them both, and even more pleased that I still liked them. But most pleasing of all was to pick up the brush again to create something beautiful.

As time has passed, so have my tastes for my own work, past, present and future. During the computer cleaning process, I threw out many works in progress as I no longer found them acceptable. Perhaps I never did like them, but they were still on my hard drive. We all change with time and events.

Picture of the Day – Dwarfed!

This image was taken in Zion National Park. I called it “Dwarfed” as the beautiful autumn trees are just overwhelmed by the wall of red rock behind them.

I almost cropped this picture to remove some of the upper portions of the rock, but then decided not too as I wanted the large trees to look as small as possible. I think I achieved that. And, believe me, those are not small trees!

I am hoping to get back to Zion next month as part of my upcoming photographic expedition. If time permits, I would like to also see some of the less visited sections of Zion where I have never been.

Picture of the Day – Fin with an Arch

Yesterday, I told you how sandstone fins are the first step in the long process of creating an arch. Today, I am showing you the photo of a fin that did eventually form into an arch.

There is no one answer as to how long an arch can take to form…usually it takes thousands of years. It is estimated that the famous Delicate Arch, also found in The Arches National Park, took around 100,000 years to form. There is another arch in the park that was not an arch in 1940…but some unexpected events helped it form into a full blown arch in the last 70 years.

The arch you see in this image will eventually disappear. The forces of nature are forever at work. Eventually, parts of the arch will start falling away and the weight of the remaining rock will eventually cause the arch to collapse. About a year ago, the well-known Wall Arch in the Devil’s garden collapsed completely. But, don’t worry…new ones are always forming.

Picture of the Day – Fins and Sky

There is nothing more beautiful than late afternoon light in southern Utah where the red light of the sun hits the red rock of the canyons. I took this picture in The Arches National Park late one afternoon when I also got lucky with an amazing sky.

This kind of rock formation is called a fin, and is made of Entrada Sandstone. A fin is the first stage of the formation of an arch. Overtime, water will erode the small recesses in the rock. In time those recesses will grow to become an alcove…and if we are lucky, some alcoves will open a window in the rear and an arch is born. Sadly, I won’t be around to photograph this fin when it becomes an arch. With only around 10” of rain per year, it does take a while.

Like many of my pictures in this blog, the small size of the photo does not do it justice.

Picture of the Day – Red Canyon

Red Canyon lies just a few miles west of the more famous Bryce Canyon in southern Utah. In fact, if you are approaching Bryce from the west, you pass right through it. The majority of people who come here are anxious to get on to Bryce…and I can’t blame them. They might stop for a few minutes, snap a couple of photos, then head on out to the big show.

Sadly, they are overlooking a wonderful park with its own personality. In general, the colors in Red Canyon are more vivid than Bryce. There are also some interesting, easy trails to explore. One, called the Arches Trail, takes you by a large red wall with its own windows. You even pass a old structure where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid supposedly stopped for a meal.

Visitors to my Web site know that I have had a few photos from Red Canyon up for sometime. Well those are all gone now, replaced by some new reworked photos showing the park off in a better light, so to speak. I used some of my new tools to better enhance my original photos. I think they are far more spectacular than the original photos and I invite you to take a peek.

Postcard from Utah – The Amazing Utah Juniper

When you travel the beautiful and stunning realm of southern Utah, one of the common sites you see is the Utah Juniper. You see them in many shapes and sizes…and in the national parks and monuments that inhabit the area, they make wonderful foreground subjects for the breathtaking rock formations. You have probably already seen some in some of the photos I have shown you in my blogs from The Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

But what makes them so amazing, at least for me, is how they survive in such a harsh, barren environment. It is the classic desert tree that has adapted to where it lives. Its twisting, often-dead branches epitomize the struggle of life with little water. When moisture is scarce, a juniper will actually stop the flow of fluids to some outer branches so that the tree has a better chance for survival. Scale-covered leaves and bluish, waxy-coated seeds also help the tree conserve moisture.

In other words, it kills parts of itself off so that other parts may survive. You can see a perfect example of this in picture #1, taken at the Needles in the Canyonlands National Park. Picture #2 shows several Utah Junipers in front of two alcoves in the Arches National Park.

So, if you are ever in this part of the country, look for them and use them in you photographs…and appreciate how they live and survive in the harsh desert conditions.

Postcard from Mt. Rainier – Paradise

I was browsing through some of my never-before-seen images in the Mt. Rainier National Park and came across the very colorful photo. It was taken on one of the trails in the aptly-named Paradise Valley section of the park. Mt. Rainier would be off to the left.

For a guy who lived in the state of Washington for 16 years, I only visited this natural wonderland only once on a two day photo safari just a few years ago. Hard to believe, but true. I hope someday I can come back here. And you know something else…I never once visited Mt. St. Helens.

Now, as you well know, I live in a different kind of place, the unique Sonoran Desert, a very beautiful place in its own right. But, I miss the beauty of the high mountains of the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada’s of California.

There are some wonderful hikes and natural scenic wonders in Mt. Rainier National Park. Early summer is a good time to go as the wildflowers can be just extraordinary. Spring comes very late at these high elevations.

I am in the beginning stages of planning another expedition into uncharted territories (translation – going to see some places I have not been to before) in another month. I will keep you informed as plans unfold.

Picture of the Day – Window Rock

This is not the first time I’ve presented a picture of Windows Rock here, but it is the first time I’ve shown a black and white image. The previous image was from a different location and was in color. But, I really like this black and version. At this reduced size, I hope you can see the large bird flying through the window.

Window Rock is located in a city of the same name in northeastern Arizona…very close to the New Mexico border. It is the capital city of the Navajo Nation. In fact, the park where this image was taken is right by their government headquarters. As you might image, Window Rock is very sacred to the Navajo people. That is partly why I was pleased to capture a large bird in the image as nature is such an important part of their culture. I wish I could tell you what kind of bird it is, but ornithology is not one of my strong suits.

I am starting to gather some of my black and white images on my newly revised Web site…with many more to come. Stop by when you have a chance.

Picture of the Day – From the Painted Hills

I’ve spent the last couple of days post-processing some of my photos from the Painted Hills in Oregon. Here is a sample of one of the photos I took on that trip last October.

It is such a fascinating place for both the photographer and the amateur geologist. It is off the beaten path, but well worth the journey. The best time to visit for photography is in the afternoon. Towards sunset is even better, but there are several places that you can photograph all day long.

The colors of these hills will just blow you away…lots of reds and greens, some gold, and even some pure white…all arranged by nature as if they indeed had been painted.

I’ve posted the best of my Painted Hills photos up on my Website, if you care to drop by.

Picture of the Day – Ghost Tree

This image is from someplace inside Zion National Park, up in the higher elevations of the park. I liked the image when it was in color and was doing some enhancements when I decided to try out a new plug-in filter I just acquired for creating black and white images.

Using a digital orange filter, I darkened the sky and brought out the light clouds. The tree then took on a ghostly image that was not there in color. Instant love!

Being more or less retired these days has given me the time and inclination to stretch my creative juices further than ever before. Also, it helps that I am sort of trapped inside most of the day because of the incredible heat here day after day.

Picture of the Day – Window Dressing

When visiting small towns, I’ve developed the habit of walking around town, with camera in-hand, of course, looking at shop windows for interesting photo possibilities. Many stores still put interesting displays in their windows and you can get some very nice results.

Not only do you capture whatever is on display, but also some light reflections off of the window which can add to the mystique of the image. Of course, there are far more uninteresting displays than good ones, but if you are walking around town anyway, just keep your eyes open.

This particular image was from a music store in downtown Bisbee, AZ. I really got lucky in that town with great photographic possibilities. But I have found interesting windows in many other towns. Just look and you will too.