Canyonlands Storm

Gallery: LandscapePosted December 3, 20075,026 views45 comments

Two days ago I drove out to Green River Overlook in Canyonlands after hiking to False Kiva in the afternoon. An intense winter storm was moving fast across the canyon below. I arrived, set up my tripod and made three exposures as the storm quickly overtook my position, pelting me with freezing rain and fat snowflakes blown horizontally by strong gusts of wind.

This is not a black and white conversion. The only PS adjustments made were a quick curves adjustment, dust bunny removal, cropping and sharpening.

Thanks for having a look and leaving a comment.

1Ds MKII, 24-105mm lens

Comments

45 comments

Comment posted by Marc Dilley on December 3, 2007 at 3:16 PM

Way to hang in there to capture this fine image. Amazing it's so monotone.

Registered on November 21, 2007, 57 Posts, 1494 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on December 3, 2007 at 3:29 PM

Bret,

Wow! This is incredible. You can see what appears to be water building up the plateau tops. This is quite powerful Bret. Congrats for "weathering the storm."

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Hudon on December 3, 2007 at 3:49 PM

Wow! Great scene, Bret!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 315 Posts, 2246 Comments

Comment posted by Marc Adamus on December 3, 2007 at 3:52 PM

Fascinating and surreal image. One of the most powerful I've ever seen from here.

Registered on September 17, 2005, 780 Posts, 8091 Comments

Comment posted by Tristan Campbell on December 3, 2007 at 4:02 PM

Great stormy light, love the lead in lines created by what looks like wet rock. Atmospheric. Tristan

Registered on June 23, 2006, 113 Posts, 719 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Anderson on December 3, 2007 at 4:14 PM

Awesome Bret! Very powerful with those stormy skies and the highlights on the rim of the canyon are perfect! Must have been spectacular to see and feel in person.

Registered on January 31, 2006, 228 Posts, 3072 Comments

Comment posted by Amanda Kiplinger on December 3, 2007 at 4:23 PM

If you wouldn't have said that this isn't a monochrome photo, I would have thought it was. Actually to me it almost looks like a sepia or duotone photo. Congratulations on the beautiful photograph.

Registered on April 6, 2007, 16 Posts, 29 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on December 3, 2007 at 5:04 PM

Impressive photo! And interesting to learn that this is not a bw image.

Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments

Comment posted by Giovanni Russello on December 3, 2007 at 5:40 PM

Excellent dynamic image. However, I find the bright spot on the right a bit too distracting.

gio

Registered on January 21, 2007, 95 Posts, 1617 Comments

Comment posted by Younes Bounhar on December 3, 2007 at 6:05 PM

WOW! Such intensity!

Registered on November 25, 2007, 81 Posts, 1234 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Dallos on December 3, 2007 at 6:18 PM

Amazing photograph, Bret. This must have been great to witness.

Registered on October 11, 2005, 91 Posts, 1590 Comments

Comment posted by Todd Caudle on December 3, 2007 at 7:01 PM

This is what you call an OHMYGOD! moment! Bret, this might be the single coolest photo you've ever posted. No offense to King Adamus, but this one deserves the dozens of comments, all positive.

Registered on November 9, 2003, 472 Posts, 3705 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on December 3, 2007 at 7:19 PM

This is sweet! Very dramatic and powerful. Well worth getting pelted by mother nature.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Tomas Kaspar on December 3, 2007 at 7:34 PM

Very cool Bret.

Registered on December 26, 2005, 158 Posts, 736 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Wong on December 3, 2007 at 8:08 PM

wow. that is really unusual color for a Canyonlands photo. great stuff, it looks kinda dangerous to be out there.

Registered on February 2, 2006, 79 Posts, 2629 Comments

Comment posted by Gabi Lach on December 3, 2007 at 8:51 PM

Bret, this is soooo very cool! Great mood, tonality, composition... love it all!

Registered on May 1, 2007, 101 Posts, 3187 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on December 3, 2007 at 8:56 PM

Great photo, Bret--im headed that way in a couple weeks and this has me psyched!

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Fricke on December 3, 2007 at 9:31 PM

Amazing...lack of color

I love how the light reveals the contours of the canyon and the river beyond. Excellent composition

Registered on January 19, 2007, 133 Posts, 1448 Comments

Comment posted by Guy Tal on December 3, 2007 at 9:38 PM

Wow, Bret! This is the most unique view of this overlook that I have seen in a long time. Very dramatic and beautiful.

Guy

Registered on November 1, 2003, 566 Posts, 15507 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Dawson on December 3, 2007 at 9:51 PM

Some powerful storm, love the layers

Registered on February 4, 2006, 364 Posts, 8872 Comments

Comment posted by Erik Stensland on December 3, 2007 at 9:58 PM

Bret, this is beautiful! I agree with Todd, this is one of your best ever!

Registered on September 27, 2004, 121 Posts, 718 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on December 3, 2007 at 10:21 PM

Incredible light. I like this a lot.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Bret Edge on December 3, 2007 at 11:15 PM

Thank you for all the kind comments. It really was an impressive sight to behold and certainly one of the cooler experiences I've had in Canyonlands.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 711 Posts, 6363 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Pelton on December 3, 2007 at 11:43 PM

Very nice image, Bret. I like how you can just see a hint of the river.

Registered on November 25, 2003, 380 Posts, 4647 Comments

Comment posted by Kerry Leibowitz on December 4, 2007 at 12:26 AM

Bret--wow. And double wow. This is an amazing image with a ton of impact.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 167 Posts, 5800 Comments

Comment posted by John Lehmkuhl on December 4, 2007 at 1:47 AM

Wow, Bret. This is a WOW photo if there ever was one - the lighting is incredible. Even more so that this isn't B&W !! Powerful but still a beautiful composition....

Registered on May 22, 2005, 165 Posts, 2008 Comments

Comment posted by Dorin Bofan on December 4, 2007 at 2:07 AM

Superb. I almost feel like I'm right there. Beautiful!

Registered on April 30, 2007, 122 Posts, 3086 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Brown on December 4, 2007 at 3:26 AM

I almost never comment on here, but WOW. This really proves what many say that bad weather often makes for great photos. Although, I'd have to add that this statement is more true for landscapes than wildlife.

Anyhow, I doubt if it's possible to make a finer landscape image.

Registered on June 29, 2007, 0 Posts, 7 Comments

Comment posted by Angela Classen on December 4, 2007 at 10:08 AM

I don't know what to add except that I think this image is: bold, dynamic, moody, powerful, and intense. The layers are absolutely fantastic, and the way the lighting pulls out the canyon rims is amazing. The sinuous curve of the river is a nice touch to the composition. Like others, I would have thought this was a bw conversion.

Registered on June 13, 2007, 434 Posts, 2742 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on December 4, 2007 at 10:38 AM

Cool & very powerful Brett. I would play around with the levels to increase the contrast even more. Great job on making the shot.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Tom Perkins on December 4, 2007 at 12:00 PM

Never seen anything like this in a Canyonlands image, thanks for sharing.

Registered on July 28, 2007, 20 Posts, 186 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Bernabe on December 4, 2007 at 2:29 PM

Way too cool, Bret. A very powerful moment and image!

Registered on November 24, 2004, 180 Posts, 1545 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Pelzmann on December 4, 2007 at 2:49 PM

I love these photo ops when you are only a short distance from your car.

Not as much fun when you are just starting your hike out of False Kiva.
Boy, the thunder echoing off the cliffs in False Kiva is impressive!

Registered on January 26, 2005, 27 Posts, 265 Comments

Comment posted by Ryan Shain on December 4, 2007 at 3:53 PM

Once in a lifetime capture Bret!!!!!!

I love the atmospheric power conveyed in this awsome image!!!!

I

Registered on February 20, 2007, 226 Posts, 4571 Comments

Comment posted by Dave Showalter` on December 4, 2007 at 6:59 PM

WOW! I love everything about this image and the sepia tone really rocks!

Registered on September 19, 2005, 23 Posts, 70 Comments

Comment posted by Eric Good on December 4, 2007 at 9:40 PM

This has such a simplicity, and yet delicate but impacting quality to it. It's rare to see images that contain all these qualities. I wonder if it has to do with photographers often trying too hard and over thinking things... whereas in this case, it appears you just reacted to the scene unfolding in front of you. Letting everything fall into place, as it were. An absolutely fantastic image and accompanied story. It's fleeting moments like this that fuels my passion for photography. Great stuff!

Registered on March 17, 2007, 116 Posts, 4764 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on December 4, 2007 at 11:30 PM

Not to sound redundant, but that's very cool. There's a lot of intensity to this image. I like how you are still able to see the river flowing through the comp.

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Anil Rao on December 5, 2007 at 3:50 AM

Beautifully done, Bret. The darkness in the sky at the top of the frame is a nice touch. What an incredible feeling it must have bene to witness this in person.

Registered on November 15, 2003, 234 Posts, 4923 Comments

Comment posted by Carol Hyman on December 10, 2007 at 9:08 PM

Bret, This is a beautiful image. Black and white suits it well.

Congratulations on the EP.

Carol

Registered on January 18, 2007, 597 Posts, 8062 Comments

Comment posted by Gabi Lach on December 10, 2007 at 9:33 PM

Well deserved EP, Bret! Congratulations!

Registered on May 1, 2007, 101 Posts, 3187 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Kargus on December 10, 2007 at 9:55 PM

I missed commenting on this earlier. You nailed everything here - the tonal range, capturing the sheets of rain, the background light ...
Congrats on the EP, Bret!

Registered on January 19, 2007, 47 Posts, 1051 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Fricke on December 10, 2007 at 10:07 PM

Congrats on the EP Brett, well deserved.

Registered on January 19, 2007, 133 Posts, 1448 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on December 10, 2007 at 11:13 PM

Bret: Jaw dropping good! Congrats on teh EP. >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on December 11, 2007 at 1:36 AM

Wow! That looks and sounds fierce! Good on you for being out there! On the other hand, what were you doing out there in weather like that! Crazy! That's why you guys get all the winning photos....

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Alex Mody on April 8, 2008 at 1:46 AM

Upon first glance, I was almost sure this was converted to b+w. Wow. I guess this is one of the many luxuries of living in Moab!

Registered on December 25, 2007, 163 Posts, 1896 Comments