View allAll Photos Tagged pullout
While at a roadside pullout along Badwater Road with a view looking to the north. This location is in Death Valley National Park. The setting is the mountain desert landscape present along the basin area around Badwater. I wanted to capture a view looking across that to some of the peaks and ridges coming off Mount Perry and going north to Artist Palette Peak.
A look forward at a roadside pullout along Artists Drive with a view looking to the northeast. This is in Death Valley National Park.
There Are Places That Are Truly Beautiful
They take your breath away seeing the wonder
But you come to realize every place is amazing
In its own special way
So I will make a point to visit those beautiful places
And all the other amazing ones around the world
Stopping from time to time to smell some roses!
Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one afternoon in at a roadside pullout along U.S. Highway 163 with a view looking to the south to the sandstone formations and buttes present in this part of Monument Valley. My thought on composing this image was to capture a balanced, leveled-on view with the horizon and use the high ground I was located on to capture a sweeping view across this high desert landscape to the sandstone formations off in the distance. According to the PeakVisor app on my iPhone, they are from right to left: Brighams Tomb, King-on-his-Throne, and Stagecoach.
- Anthony Burgess.
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Visiting Alaska in winter, with a winter storm on our heels, was an unforgettable experience. Although we couldn’t see most of the scenery around us due to cloud cover and fog, we caught glimpses of fantastic scenes whenever it cleared. On our first day in Anchorage, we drove down the Seward Highway South and discovered a pullout where many people rode snowmobiles. We spent some time watching them enjoy the few hours of sunlight left when I noticed that between runs, there were moments when the slope was empty. So, I grabbed my camera and took a few shots when the opportunity arose. I loved how the trees and snowmobile tracks provided a striking scale to the mountains behind them while the sunlight filtered through the clouds, creating beautiful patterns on the snow.
An awesome scene the artist paints, a winter wonderland
A setting looking to the north-northwest while taking in views across a mountain desert landscape, covered with recently fallen snow. This is at a roadside pullout not from from the Sheep Pass campground area in Joshua Tree National Park. My thought on composing this image was symmetry. A balance with the one large Joshua Tree in the center of the image and then pulling back on the focal length to include desert plant-life around it. Well, I did feel that the overcast and snowy skies were a negative space, I felt they also helped to highlight that one Joshua Tree and bring it more into prominence in the image.
The caption used is from a poem.
Winter's Artist, By Suzanne Bates
While taking in views to the east from a roadside pullout along the Blue Mesa Scenic Drive in Petrified Forest National Park. Here I angled my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward to create a more sweeping view across this colored badlands landscape. I used the mesa outcropping as a leading line deeper into the image. The blue skies above would act as a color contrast to complement the more earth-tones present in the lower portion of the image.
View from scenic pullout on US-60, it's approx. 2000 feet down into the Salt River Canyon... known as 'the mini Grand Canyon' - Salt River Canyon Overlook, Arizona.
This river ends at Theodore Roosevelt Lake.
At a pullout along U.S. Route 163 with a view looking to the east-southeast to the namesake formation. My thought on composing the image was to zoom in with the focal length and center as best I could the formation itself, while using the backdrop of the Raplee Ridge (Navajo Indian Reservation) off in the distance. I liked the backdrop of blue skies above as I felt it acted as a color contrast to complement the earth-tones in the lower portion of the image.
While at a roadside pullout along the Southside Dr in Yosemite Valley of the national park with a view looking to the east to the peaks and ridges of North Dome and Half Dome. I decided to angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly upward for this image. I wanted to have a little bit of the nearby evergreen trees as kind of a lower frame for this mountain setting. But the mountain peaks with the skies and cloud formations would be the main focus of the image. I felt that would create more of a sense of grandeur with the image.
While standing at a roadside pullout and overlook along the Blue Mesa Scenic Drive and looking to the west-northwest across badlands and eroded formations in this part of Petrified Forest National Park. In some ways, the mesa or cliff face present would be a frame to then draw the viewer to look across the landscape and perhaps even notice the fragments of petrified wood present. The blue skies would then be that color contrast to complement the image with earth-tones present in the lower portion.
A setting looking to the north while taking in views at the never-can-miss stop with the “Face of the Alabama Hills” and other eroded rock formations at this pullout along the Whitney Portal Road. My thinking in composing this image was to pull back a little on the focal length and include some of the surrounding landscape to add to the setting for the image captured. The face would still be image center and the focal point.
A winder wonder land in September! Part the challenge of landscape photography is finding a shot after your plans become ruined. Something that I am not very good at.
I've been after a particular shot of Mt. Rainier for a few years now, and finally I've got my chance to get that majestic mountain shot. Nope, cloud covered and an early snowfall.
With a plan to photograph a grand view of Mt. Rainier in the toilet, my final day in the park, and my disappointment now fulfilled. We started to head back towards Seattle.
My disappointment noticed the light was breaking and a short pullout on the road gave me a sliver of a chance to grab some make up photos. Thankfully disappointment decided to leave me alone for the rest of the morning after I saw this image on the back of my camera.
Something I want to get better at is photographing the light in the current moment. More spontaneous shots are something I would like to get better with. The light breaking through the clouds and back-lighting the snow covered trees in this winter scene was probably one of my top shots of the 2019 year.
And the most beautiful thing is it wasn't even planned.
Mt. Rainier
September 2019
- Eugene Ionesco.
Small coastal towns of California's north coast are some of my absolute favorite places to visit. One town seems to emerge as our favorite when I look back at all the photos I took in the past years. The town's name is Mendocino. With almost a limitless number of coves, beaches, lighthouses, redwood groves, and wild rivers nearby to photograph, it's not a surprise that Mendocino has become our basecamp for our NorCal excursions.
Thanks to its Instagram fame, the cypress tree tunnel of Point Reyes is a famous location for photographers. Most photographers do not realize that tree tunnels are not that uncommon along the northern coast. Near the coastal town of Elk, the Pacific Coast Highway goes through a cypress grove. Now it's not as easy to compose an image here like Point Reyes. There is a small pullout for viewing the grove. The pullout also gives a nice view of the ocean and the haystacks near the shore. Since I had plans for the sunset, I settled for a quick panorama composition. Some electric wires go along the road, making the composition a bit difficult. What came as a complete surprise was a soft layer of fog diffusing the late evening light.
This spot is a popular destination for photographers. Its a short walk on the Tanawha Trail from the Boone Fork pullout on the Blue Ridge Parkway a bit north of the Linn Cove Viaduct. I had been here two days earlier and the water flow was much better. Should have taken a few shots that day too. Colors were changing quickly with the yellow leaves pouring down. Glad I caught it there when I did.
Thanks for viewing my photo stream. Comments are always welcome. Please visit www.reidnorthrupphotography.com to purchase prints.
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Copyright © Reid Northrup, 2017. All Rights Reserved, Worldwide. Please don't use my photos in any way without permission.
While at a roadside pullout along the Blue Ridge Parkway with a view looking to the northwest to ridges and peaks of the Northern Blue Ridge. This is at Bald Mountain Overlook with Knob of Rocks, Bare Mountain, and Cellar Mountain being the more prominent points of interest present (according to the PeakVisor app on my iPhone).
A setting looking to the northwest while taking in views across the Mojave Desert setting at a roadside pullout along California State Route 127. Athel Hill and Salt Benchmark are some of the prominent peaks in the image.
A setting looking to the northwest while taking in views up a mountainside with evergreens present and blues skies for a backdrop. This is at a roadside pullout along the main park road in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
A setting looking to the west-northwest while taking in views across ridges and peaks of the Northern Blue Ridge while at a roadside pullout along the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is located at the Irish Creek Valley Overlook.
While at a roadside pullout along the Akamina Parkway in Waterton Lakes National Park. The view is looking to the east and across a mountainside with the ridges coming off Mount Crandell and the Clark Range.
Pinnacle Desert found in Numbing National Park. Limestone monoliths dot the desert sands with the white sand dunes bordering the Indian Ocean. I had my doubts about travelling 2.5 hours (there and 2.5 hours back) with a few marginally few towns in between. Miles and miles of desolate outback.
The park has a 4 km trail marked by stones on each side of the hard sand road with pullouts ever few meters to allow photographers to exit their cars and take shots. The added real attraction is the sunset and night shots you get within these borders which had I listened to the forecast of the area, which I did not since it was sunny and cloudless in Perth, I would have discorvered was overcast and completely cloud covered by dusk. The experience however was like stepping on the moon's surface on a hot day. Never have I seen such an anomaly of nature.
Sony ILCE-7RM4
FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS
ƒ/5.6 212.0 mm 1/125 ISO 100
From Holbrook we continued our Navajo Nation trip at Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. We entered through the south entrance.
This is the view of the Painted Desert looking east from the Painted Desert Inn.
www.visitarizona.com/places/parks-monuments/the-painted-d...
Colorful badlands meet the Mother Road in Arizona’s high desert.Looking like pastel mounds of Neapolitan ice cream, Northern Arizona’s Painted Desert is a vast, striated badlands that extends some 150 miles from the eastern end of the Grand Canyon into Petrified Forest National Park. A geologist’s other-worldly paradise, the colorful hills, flat-topped mesas and sculptured buttes of the Painted Desert are primarily made up of the Chinle Formation, mainly river-related deposits dating back some 200 million years. Inhabited by indigenous people for thousands of years, the multi-hued sweep of pigmented rock in the arid high desert received its present name in the 1540s from the Spanish explorer Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, who called the area El Desierto Pintado.
While much of the Painted Desert is located in remote areas of the Navajo Nation, the portion within the northern section of Petrified Forest National Park is the easiest to access. Get your bearings through the interpretive exhibits at the Painted Desert Visitor Center. If you’re short on time, the best place to see the Painted Desert is via a drive on the Main Park Road, which makes a loop from the visitor center and back out to Interstate 40. Plenty of pullouts and interpretive signage offer reasons to stop, learn, view and take that Instagram-worthy shot of the landscape. Need to get in your daily steps? The Tawa and Painted Desert Rim trails get you into the grassland ecosystem and offer wide-open views of colorful geology. Keep your eyes peeled for coyotes, jackrabbits, pronghorn, mule deer, hawks and other locals. Hiking the sunny trails in spring and late summer? Seasonal rains make wildflowers blossom.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_Desert_(Arizona)
The Painted Desert is a United States desert of badlands in the Four Corners area,[2] running from near the east end of Grand Canyon National Park and southeast into Petrified Forest National Park. It is most easily accessed from the north portion of Petrified Forest National Park. The Painted Desert is known for its brilliant and varied colors: these include the more common red rock, but also shades of lavender.
The Painted Desert was named by a Spanish expedition under Francisco Vázquez de Coronado during his 1540 quest to find the Seven Cities of Cibola. He located these some 40 miles (60 km) east of Petrified Forest National Park. Finding the cities were not made of gold, Coronado sent an expedition to find the Colorado River to gain supplies. Passing through the wonderland of colors, they named the area El Desierto Pintado ("The Painted Desert").[3]
Much of the Painted Desert within Petrified Forest National Park is protected as Petrified Forest Wilderness, where motorized travel is limited.[4]
Navajo Nation 2025
Green River Overlook, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah
Such a spectacular past weekend spent relaxing in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands NP. My Fiance found a Denver company called Native Campervans, they rent out minivans that have been converted into campers. We picked up our van last Friday morning and headed west to Moab. We arrived to Canyonlands just as the golden hour had begun, so we raced right for the Green River Overlook to catch the sunset. When we arrived, the harsh back light was preventing us from seeing down into the canyon, but the walls had began glowing! I really loved the way the light was accentuating the incredible canyon floor. We watched the sun drop over the horizon and shot until the color was gone. Then we headed out of the park to a BLM road to park our van for the night. The van was equipped with a pullout table and benches, but it also converted into a bed. In the trunk space, there was a small propane burner for cooking, and a sink that pumped water. We brought a cooler full of food to cook for the weekend. My fiance cooked up some quesadillas, and we enjoyed our evening together hanging out in the van! The van was perfect for this time of year because it was a little chilly to sleep in a tent, but we also had the luxury of having all of our things with us everywhere we went. The next morning, we woke up and set out to shoot sunrise! More to come from this beautiful weekend in Canyonlands!
Thanks for viewing and reading!
You can watch a short video from our trip to Canyonlands here (www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgdXpZ-Iamk&t=4s) We hiked down into the canyon via the Gooseberry Trail. It was so cool!
A view looking up and to the west at a roadside pullout off the main Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park. The skies that afternoon with clouds and wisps were captivating. I also wanted to capture some of these sky settings to use the Photoshop Sky Replacement tool with other images.
While at a roadside pullout along the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway (California State Route 89) in Lassen National Forest. The setting is with a view to the north-northeast with a wildfire damaged forest (Dixie Fire) and Lassen Peak from the national park as a distant backdrop. My thought on composition was to work the angles to first find a gap so that I could have more or less unobstructed view to the mountain peak off the distance. Another was to include as much of the tall trees to my front with some blue sky space around. I didn't want to have the tops of the trees cut off at the upper portion of the image. I felt having a wider angle view would bring out more of a sense of grandeur with this forest and mountain beauty.
Mesa Verde National Park.
After leaving Moab, I headed off to Farmington, NM with a quick stop at Mesa Verde. Since this was still in prime COVID season, most everything in the park was either closed or not very accessible.
Cliff Palace is the largest and most well know ruin in the park, but access was closed. This was taken at a pullout across the canyon.
While at a roadside pullout along the main park road with a view looking to the southeast across a snowy landscape with Joshua Trees seemingly scattered across this open setting in Joshua Tree National Park. My thought on composing this image was to keep a balanced, leveled-on view. I took advantage of this small opening between the trees that seem to channel the view as one looked into the image. Nearby were tall Joshua Trees leading to more distant ones that filled the landscape from image edge to edge.
While at a roadside pullout along US Hwy 82 just west of Hope, New Mexico. The view is looking to the north to some passing storm clouds with rain falling down across this part of the Chihuahuan Desert. My thinking and composing this image was to capture a look across the pretty much flat landscape with the storm clouds gathering above. I decided that I wanted to have the horizon lower into the image, so that I could include more of the skies above, especially with the one centered where rain, was coming down. I expose for the highlights and brighter portions in the skies above, knowing I can pull out the more shadowed areas later in post-production. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation in DxO PhotoLab 6. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 5 where I added a Polarization and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.
From a roadside pullout on the main park road with a view looking to the west across the desert landscape in this part of Big Bend National Park. The distant peaks and ridges are a portion of the Chisos Mountains with Lost Mine Peak, Pummel Peak and Panther Peak.
As a Kid Growing Up, I Watched a TV Show About a Land of the Giants
But as an adult, I walked amongst them in a forest of California coastal redwoods
A forest logged long ago but now protected
Even in wide eyed wonder, I could not see them from base to crown
They were just so wonderfully tall
Blue skies above and a forest of nature below
A road traveled and a forest explored
Seemingly never ending but knowing the day would end
Beauty...oh, so beautiful!
Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning in Humboldt Redwoods State Park while walking around and taking in views around the Landsdale Bar pullout. My thinking in composing this image was to use the road as a leading line into the redwood forest to my front. While I wanted, at least my thinking was that, to capture the full height of the redwoods, my focus would be on the road and capturing as much of the tree height as I could. The other consideration I had to focus on was metering the image properly, given the brighter areas in the upper portion of the image with that of the shadowed areas below. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 5 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.
While at a roadside pullout on a graveled road heading to the Ski Cloudcroft. The view is looking south, uphill to a nearby ridge in the mountains of the national forest. My thought on composing this image was to get down low around the level of the nearby wildflowers, and capture a view looking over and across the grassy meadow. That would raise the ridge or hillside higher into the image, but still have enough of the blue skies and clouds above to complement the setting.
From a roadside pullout around the Fern Spring area with a view looking to the south-southeast to a nearby forest of tall trees present in this part of Yosemite National Park. As opposed to pulling back on the focal length, I decided to compose the image focusing on this grouping of trees in the nearby area. I was using an idea I’d read many years ago on the “impact of less” and having the trees fill up the image and spill over the edges, so to speak.
Hello Everyone!
I'll start off by wishing everyone a happy and easy week. As mentioned in my post yesterday, I spent the past weekend taking photos all over New York with one of my friends. Friday we decided to walk the Brooklyn Bridge to "Empire Fulton Ferry State Park" to set up for some sunset photos.
We were about to pack up and leave when all of a sudden a massive storm blew in out of no where. Although we were there to focus on the Brooklyn Bridge, I noticed a lightning storm north of where we were standing. I pointed the camera NW and framed a shot with the Manhattan Bridge. Sure enough I managed to capture several shots with lightning bolts. This was the last shot I took before massive raindrops started falling. We quickly packed up our gear into our bags and covered them with the pullout rain covers.
Many people think that capturing a lighting shot is all about quick reflexes. It's not, here's the little secret.... It's all about long exposures. Set the focus to infinity and grab several long exposures.
Camera Data from this shot:
Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
Shutter: 52 Seconds
F Stop: f/22
ISO: 200
No HDR
Taken with Gitzo Tripod
I took a very quick run up to the Blue Ridge Parkway on 10/9 to check out the colors. They are great now. I visited the Linn Cove Viaduct (totally fogged in) and the Rough Ridge area. Started on the Park coming off US221 at Linville. All along the Parkway, colors were very nice. Locals were amazed how quickly the turned stating it was overnight. Also, please note the pullout areas along the section of the Parkway south of Rough Ridge where you get the distant view of the viaduct has all been shut down with new fencing. That will really impact the ability to park close by. But I suppose it was a traffic hazard. I'm heading back up Wednesday and Thursday and will try to report on colors. Please provide me with your color reports too.
This photo is of the bridge heading up the Rough Ridge trail. Always a pleasure to see it during autumn.
Thanks for viewing my photo stream. Comments are always welcome. Please visit www.reidnorthrupphotography.com to purchase prints.
Best Viewed with black border. Please Press "L" for lightbox.
==========================
Copyright © Reid Northrup, 2017. All Rights Reserved, Worldwide. Please don't use my photos in any way without permission.
A setting looking to the west while taking in views across the expansive landscape present at a roadside pullout along the Blue Mesa Scenic Drive in Petrified Forest National Park. I angled my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward to create a more sweeping view and bring the horizon higher up in the image.
At a roadside pullout on US Hwy 385 with a view looking to the southwest just outside of Marathon, Texas, on a drive to Big Bend National Park. My thinking in composing this image was to use the centerline and road ahead as a leading line into the image with Santiago Peak as a focal point and distant destination. I used the swiveled out LCD screen and LiveView on my Nikon SLR camera to line up the image. I could then just touch that screen to focus and meter the image captured. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 4 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.
A setting looking to the east while taking in views across desert landscape present at this roadside pullout along Olivas Ranch Road in the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. My thinking in composing this image was to have a layered approach with the nearby desert landscape leading to the fog covered Owens Valley before coming to the ridges and peaks of the Inyo Mountains. I decided to crop a portion of the road to my front as I felt it really didn't add to the image, but also because I wanted to bring out more of a panoramic look to this vast, open space in western California. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 5 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.
Many years ago I was introduced to something beautiful
A friend showed me a place in the mountains of Utah
I've come back from time to time to visit and marvel at the wonder
Not a penance or for thoughtful memories
But to stand in awe of a mountain cathedral
Aspens, maples, evergreens
Every season they put on a different tapestry
A coordination with the sun
So having seen this majesty once again
I will finish the day and know
That I am a better person for having
Met this friend in a memory past
Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one afternoon in Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest at a roadside pullout along the Alpine Loop Scenic Backway. The view is looking to the south across the side of Mount Timpanogos. My thought on composing this image was to take advantage of the ridges and create a layered look, from near to far. The foreground would include some trees that were along the road side and then ridge after ridge leading off to a distant horizon. I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation in DxO PhotoLab 5. I then exported a TIFF image to Nik Color Efex Pro 5 where I added a Polarization and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.
There's More to Life Than What You Feel
Even sweating for a moment
Or getting rid of those tired thoughts
You have to throw on the gear for today
Head out, with or without a plan
And do what you love.
Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one morning in Pinnacles National Park at a roadside pullout while driving to a nearby parking area for a morning hike. My thought on composing this image was to take advantage of the setting I saw with the ridge and pinnacle volcanic formation in the image center. Or at least the way I lined it up for that capture. I also wanted to include the sun that was still low in the morning skies. I decided to use the nearby tree to my front to help minimize some of the brightness of the light, while also closing down on the aperture to bring out more of a starburst look.
I did some initial post-processing work making adjustments to contrast, brightness and saturation with DxO PhotoLab 6. I then exported a TIFF image to Photoshop and used a healing brush to clone out some of the light artifacts from the sunlight across my lens. I later did some more post-processing work in Nik Color Efex Pro 5 where I added a Polarization, Foliage and Pro Contrast filter for that last effect on the image captured.
In Joshua Tree National Park at a roadside pullout looking to the east and across a snowy landscape with Joshua Trees and other desert plant-life. I liked the layered look of this national park landscape with the snow covered foreground, leading up to the hillside of rock formations that was itself also getting snow covered.
- Ansel Adams.
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Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is known all over the world for McWay falls. Its waterfall that drains directly into the pacific ocean in a dreamy cove setting and is incredibly picturesque. But it doesn't mean that it’s the only photo op at this stunning state park. About three to four thousand feet north of McWay falls is vista point with a pullout, and it also has some fantastic views that can blow you away, especially if you are looking south.
During many of my visits to the park, I was incredibly obsessed with getting a great shot of the mcWay falls, and this viewpoint got very little attention from me. While going over some of my old images, I recently found this panorama that I captured of the view and decided to try my luck editing it. The final results show how stunning a spot this is, even though I am using a completely wrong focal length for the shot.
While at the El Capitan Lookout with a view looking to the south but reflected back to the north at the namesake peak for this pullout in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. While I was able to get some focus, attempting to line up this setting, I found later the sharpness wasn’t quite there, but I did like the setting with the mirror view. I later worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 6 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image.
A tragically backlit Black-chinned Sparrow at Pacific Crest Pullout, Kitchen Creek Rd., Laguna Mountain, San Diego, CA.
Also got 4 Gray Vireos and 2 Scott's Orioles.
Turnagain Arm in the morning on my drive to go skiing at Alyeska. This was about 10 or 20 miles southeast of Anchorage Alaska on the Seward Highway.
My son described this as an "Epic Adventure". Four days and three nights touring the Navajo Nation in Northeast Arizona.
I had budgeted 1 hour for Petrified Forest National Park. We spent 2 1/2 and did not see it all. The main road through the Park from the Visitor Center to the Rainbow Forest is 28 miles.
One of the first stops is the Painted Desert Inn. Also known as the Stone Tree House.
This is the view of the Painted Desert looking northwest from the Painted Desert Inn. Pilot Rock is in the distance.
www.visitarizona.com/places/parks-monuments/the-painted-d...
Colorful badlands meet the Mother Road in Arizona’s high desert.Looking like pastel mounds of Neapolitan ice cream, Northern Arizona’s Painted Desert is a vast, striated badlands that extends some 150 miles from the eastern end of the Grand Canyon into Petrified Forest National Park. A geologist’s other-worldly paradise, the colorful hills, flat-topped mesas and sculptured buttes of the Painted Desert are primarily made up of the Chinle Formation, mainly river-related deposits dating back some 200 million years. Inhabited by indigenous people for thousands of years, the multi-hued sweep of pigmented rock in the arid high desert received its present name in the 1540s from the Spanish explorer Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, who called the area El Desierto Pintado.
While much of the Painted Desert is located in remote areas of the Navajo Nation, the portion within the northern section of Petrified Forest National Park is the easiest to access. Get your bearings through the interpretive exhibits at the Painted Desert Visitor Center. If you’re short on time, the best place to see the Painted Desert is via a drive on the Main Park Road, which makes a loop from the visitor center and back out to Interstate 40. Plenty of pullouts and interpretive signage offer reasons to stop, learn, view and take that Instagram-worthy shot of the landscape. Need to get in your daily steps? The Tawa and Painted Desert Rim trails get you into the grassland ecosystem and offer wide-open views of colorful geology. Keep your eyes peeled for coyotes, jackrabbits, pronghorn, mule deer, hawks and other locals. Hiking the sunny trails in spring and late summer? Seasonal rains make wildflowers blossom.
DSC00036 acd
While at a roadside pullout along Tioga Road with a view looking to the south to ridges and peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains in this part of the Inyo National Forest. This mountain setting does look to Tioga Pass and then beyond to Yosemite National Park. My thinking in composing this image was to use the layers present in the ridges, one after the other, to lead a viewer into the image.
I worked with control points in DxO PhotoLab 5 and then made some adjustments to bring out the contrast, saturation and brightness I wanted for the final image. I later used the ClearView Plus tool in that same program to bring out more details present in the haze that morning.
While at a roadside pullout along US Route 62 with a view looking north to the hillside and then ridges and peaks present in this part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. My thought on composing this image was to zoom in with the focal length to include only those hillsides and foothills leading up to El Capitan and Guadalupe Peak with the ridges and peaks coming off of that range.
There was a highway pullout and a trail through the woods, and no sign saying "Keep Out". I can't resist a forest trail, so I walked a short distance downstream and it opened onto this place. I think this part of the river sees tidal fluctuations; we are looking downstream toward Broughton Strait. The place where I was standing was very slippery, and a misty rain was falling. The green, algae-covered boulders were almost florescent in the soft light. The Nimpkish is Vancouver Island's longest river, originating in the mountains near the town of Gold River (where I worked for two years in the 1970s in the now-defunct pulp mill) and flowing 118 km (just over 73 miles) before it empties into the sea.
I shot this with my favourite landscape lens, Nikon's 14-24mm. Shooting very wide - in this case at 15mm - means you have to get very close to something. I learned this at a young age, with my first wide angle lens: push in close! Fill the foreground with something interesting! The tripod allowed me to choose a low ISO for zero digital noise, and f/22 for maximum depth of field. I used a cable release to lock the mirror up before exposure. Being patient and waiting two seconds for any lingering vibrations from mirror slap to die down can require discipline and reminders-to-self that "I've come all this way" so it would be foolish to not return with the best quality possible. Today I am thanking my younger self (from one month ago) for taking care with this. It makes processing so much easier...
Photographed along the Nimpkish River, British Columbia (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2019 James R. Page - all rights reserved.