Creekbed, Autumn Leaves
“Creekbed, Autumn Leaves” — Autumn leaves scattered on the sand of a creekbed, Zion National Park.
Photographing desert canyon streambeds like this one in Zion National Park is rewarding in so many ways. They are little laboratories in composition, texture, alight, and color, with nearly infinite variations. Water, whether the aftereffects of its passage or current flow, produces all sorts of fascinating patterns. It rearranges, moves, and sometimes collects whatever is loose — in this case autumn leaves. The light can be magnificent, soft and colorful. In ideal conditions it reflects back and forth between red rock canyon walls before softly and warmly illuminating the canyon depths.
Beyond all of that photographic stuff, canyons are just fascinating places to be. The walls cur off the larger world, and your horizons are be measured in feet. It is usually very quiet, with the exception of perhaps a bit of breeze, the sounds of water, and sometimes a bird song. When I visit them I wander slowly, taking it all in.
Creekbed, Autumn Leaves
“Creekbed, Autumn Leaves” — Autumn leaves scattered on the sand of a creekbed, Zion National Park.
Photographing desert canyon streambeds like this one in Zion National Park is rewarding in so many ways. They are little laboratories in composition, texture, alight, and color, with nearly infinite variations. Water, whether the aftereffects of its passage or current flow, produces all sorts of fascinating patterns. It rearranges, moves, and sometimes collects whatever is loose — in this case autumn leaves. The light can be magnificent, soft and colorful. In ideal conditions it reflects back and forth between red rock canyon walls before softly and warmly illuminating the canyon depths.
Beyond all of that photographic stuff, canyons are just fascinating places to be. The walls cur off the larger world, and your horizons are be measured in feet. It is usually very quiet, with the exception of perhaps a bit of breeze, the sounds of water, and sometimes a bird song. When I visit them I wander slowly, taking it all in.