Posted by Chad Rudd on February 24, 2007 at 10:11 AM
I've been visiting this forum for quite awhile, and frankly I'm somewhat intimidated by all of the talent. I'm very much a novice when it comes to photography, but I'm learning tons of stuff from this and other photography sites.
I'm flying into Salt Lake City during the third week of March for some job-related training in Bountiful, and I'm trying to develop an itinerary to get some photography in. So far:
Day 1 - Arrive approx. 10:30; drive to Green River to check into hotel; catch sunset at Fisher Towers; Moab was full, except for one hotel with $150 rooms.
Day 2 - Spend the day at Arches, culminating in a sunset shot at Delicate Arch
Day 3 - Start drifting north toward Price via Buckhorn Draw Road or some other alternative to photograph Buckhorn Draw and Wedge Overlook areas.
Days 4-7 (evenings available only) - Try to find something close to SLC to photo, with an emphasis on finding good sunset locations. I've found around 20 snowshoe hikes in the Salt Lake Tribune, some of which would probably yield some good spots.
I'd like to get a magic hour photo of Bonneville with the Pilot Range in the background on one of those evenings.
Looking at the time I have available, is this a good plan? Should I focus on anything in particular in Arches? Is there something I shouldn't miss around SLC for an evening shoot? In the San Rafael area, are there some must-see opportunities? Thanks in advance.
Posted by Guy Tal on February 24, 2007 at 11:13 AM
Honestly your options are endless. You should keep in mind that Green River is still a pretty long drive from Moab. If you have the gear, I think you'll be much better off camping than staying in a hotel.
The same is true for the Bonneville salt flats (about a 100 mile drive from SLC - you may want to find a cheap place in Wendover for that evening instead).
Around Moab, if you want to hit the "must see at least once in a lifetime" spots, you may want to catch the sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands' Island In The Sky, then spend some around the mesa before going into Arches.
I'm sure Bret can give you some pointers on things to see in Arches. I would consider spending another day there and visiting Dead Horse Point at sunrise, and the Green River Overlook at sunset.
Around SLC there's a ton of snow hikes in the Wasatch mountains. A nice sunrise scene can be found at the large parking lot at the end of American Fork Canyon (which is as far as the road is plowed) looking towards Mt. Timpanogos. If you're the adventurous kind you may also want to rent snowshoes the previous day (the local REI has the best rates) and try to get there early enough to hike up the road a couple of miles for a better view:
Posted by Les Barstow on February 24, 2007 at 12:40 PM
My guess is that if Moab is full up, you're going to be competing with a *lot* of bicyclists or 4-wheelers. Delicate Arch will be okay because it's a hike. Mesa Arch might be a bit crowded... If you're taking the day, plan a hike on the Devil's Garden trail. Once you get past Landscape Arch (great sunrise shot, BTW), you'll be free of the crowds for as long as you want to stay out there. Bring lots of water.
Posted by Don Eason on February 24, 2007 at 8:44 PM
Chad, I have spent little time in the Moab and SR Swell areas, usually breezing through them on my way to Dirty Devil or Glen Canyon destinations, but allow me to share some lessons I have learned from my Utah photo experiences that may help you to get a higher % of success from your limited time.
1. I generally think of Utah desert photo locations as either "up top" (canyon rim or plateau) or "down in" (floor of narrow canyon or defile). For highest productivity, shoot "up top" at sunrise and sunset and 'down in" during the rest of daylight hours. When you are in Arches, Courthouse Wash and parts of Devil's Garden will give you opportunities for shooting "down in" where dramatic and ever-changing bounce light can be found. Courthouse Wash has the added attraction of streams and pools to add fascinating reflections to your compositions.
2. Desert light is often extremely strong and harsh. If you are shooting film as I do (dating myself), you will probably get more keeper exposures with a contrast-tolerant negative film. You can turn it to "Velvia color" in the computer if necessary. I am currently shooting (and loving) Kodak Ultracolor 400. Kodak Portra NC 400 is also very good and can be saturation-boosted digitally if required. Don't underexpose or you will get a lot of grain. Also if using film, override your camera's recommended exposure in favor of the "sunny f16 rule" for shots that are in full sunlight, and compromise between the rule and the meter if partially sunlit.
3. When shooting away from the sun's direction at sunrise and sunset, start shooting long before sunrise and stop shooting long after sunset. In extremely dim light your camera (and/or film) can see colors and contrast that your eyes can't. If the glow in the sunward sky has any perceptible color, you may be able to capture some intense colors that are invisible to you. And sometimes after sunset the warm glow in the west will fade, only to reappear several minutes later with intensified color. The posted photo, from Capitol Reef NP, was taken long after sunset, with an exposure of about 30 seconds at f16 on Velvia. By this time all the other photographers had left because the "light was gone". Good luck!
Posted by Chad Rudd on February 25, 2007 at 10:28 AM
I really appreciate the very good advice from you guys!
Guy, that's a tremendous photo of Mt. Timpanogos! You've clearly stated my dilemma, as there are infinite possibilities (but I'm so limited for time). I'm definitely going to rent snowshoes from REI, but my locales will be limited to evening shots. Sunrise and sunset are both around 7:30, so I can't get back to class in the mornings.
Les, I will hike the Devil's Garden Trail, and I might try Landscape Arch for my sunrise photo. I'll only have one sunrise to work with in the park, so I'm looking for a great spot.
Don. I love the subtle lighting and colors in your photo! I'm shooting digital, but I understand your points about the desert light. I was in Zion, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, and Grand Canyon last month, and the lighting was quite different than what I'd seen before. The biggest problem I had was in shots with high contrast and red rock. Some of my Zion and Antelope shots had red fringing around some of the rock features, and I don't know what to do about it. And, noise is a bear with my Canon 350 under low light conditions.
Posted by Grant Collier on February 26, 2007 at 2:46 AM
If you call the Moab hotels a few days before you leave, they'll often have openings from cancellations. You might also try the B&Bs, cabins, and condo rentals listed at: http://moab-utah.com/. If you stay in Green River, you might try visiting Little Wildhorse Canyon during the day (it's prone to flash floods so make sure there's no storm clouds or rain in the forecast within 100+ miles). Goblin Valley can be good at sunrise or sunrise. Both places are very scenic but can be difficult to photograph.
Around Moab the best iconic shots that time of year are probably as follows:
Sunrise:
Mesa Arch
Dead Horse Point
Turret Arch thru North Window
Courthouse Towers (especially if there has been a lot of rain and you can get reflections in water-filled potholes).
I'd probably avoid Landscape Arch at sunrise. It's best around the summer solstice and even then the light isn't great.
Sunset:
Delicate Arch
Balanced Rock
Fisher Tower (it can be iffy whether or not you'll get a good reflection, so a good shot isn't a sure thing).
Sandstone Fins seen from Sand Dune Arch parking area.
It's difficult to photograph mid-day, but here's a few possibilities:
Navajo Arch can get good light bouncing up into it in late morning. You can see Landscape Arch and Double-O Arch if you head up this way.
Sand Dune Arch never gets much in the way of light, so it can be okay anytime.
If you're really ambitious you can head down to Cedar Mesa and Fire Roof Ruin. I'm *guessing* it would get good light until around noon to 1 pm in March. But get there as early as possible to be safe.
Dead Horse Point can be good mid-day on an overcast day.
Some of the other iconic spots tend to get the best light closer to winter or summer solstice. But there's still a lot to see, so I'd try to spend a second sunrise around Moab if you can.
Posted by Mel Ladewig on February 26, 2007 at 12:21 PM
In addition to a photography hobbiest, I'm also a jeeper. If your plans are to visit Moab about a month from now, You might be running into Easter Jeep Safari. This is a HUGE event in Moab. I wouldn't avoid Moab due to EJS, but you should know that it will be very busy. The dates are March 31st to April 8th 2007. It is run by Red Rocks 4 Wheelers club.
Like Don, I find that the times before sunrise or after the sunset are often more pleasing to my eye for red rocks color. There is a glow in them even when the sun isn't beating directly onto them. The rock on the left is limestone, not the sandstone you'll find in much of Utah, but you can see how intense the red is already becoming on the sandstone on the right.
Posted by Chad Rudd on February 26, 2007 at 9:58 PM
Grant, that's excellent information! It'll take me awhile to digest all of it and get my final itinerary planned.
Mel, that's a beautiful photo with the pink sky and red rock complimenting each other very well. I was amazed in Zion at the exraordinary level of color in the sandstone in direct light. It's almost difficult to deal with.
Thanks again, guys!
Posted by Bret Edge on February 27, 2007 at 6:36 PM
Chad:
I'll echo Grant's suggestion not to go for sunrise at Landscape Arch. There are many other areas in Arches and Canyonlands that get better light and allow for more interesting compositions. At Landscape Arch you are very limited due to the inability to move much beyond the viewing area. Access under the arch is closed and has been for many years.
Also, I would avoid Moab like the plague during Jeep Safari. It is busy, congested, the hotels and restaurants are booked beyond capacity and the entire area is overrun by tourists. Sadly, property crime skyrockets during this time as well.
Here are my suggestions for sunrise:
Three Gossips from the bottom area of the wash/trail through Park Avenue
The Organ, particularly after a rain
Balanced Rock from the Windows side
Turret Arch, or Turret Arch thru North Window
The Spectacles from the primitive trail on the east side of the formation
Broken Arch (hike through the arch for sunrise)
Mesa Arch
Green River Overlook
Pine Tree Arch (go thru arch, take a hard left and then follow the wash to your right)
Sunset:
Balanced Rock
Nefertiti's Head in Park Avenue
La Sal Mountains from Willow Springs Road
Delicate Arch
Skyline Arch (one of my favorites)
Turret Arch from just past the Garden of Eden on your right
Garden of Eden
Grandview Point
Buck Canyon Overlook
Shafer Canyon Overlook
Faux Falls
Sand Dune Arch receives amazing reflected light from around 3:00 to 4:30 at this time of year.
That should give you a few ideas. I live in Moab year 'round. Feel free to call or email if you have additional questions. Enjoy your time here!
Posted by Chad Rudd on February 27, 2007 at 8:17 PM
Thank you so much, Bret! You guys have been very helpful, and I can't wait to get out there.
After I've researched all of these locations, I may have some additional questions.
Discussion
9 repliesI'm flying into Salt Lake City during the third week of March for some job-related training in Bountiful, and I'm trying to develop an itinerary to get some photography in. So far:
Day 1 - Arrive approx. 10:30; drive to Green River to check into hotel; catch sunset at Fisher Towers; Moab was full, except for one hotel with $150 rooms.
Day 2 - Spend the day at Arches, culminating in a sunset shot at Delicate Arch
Day 3 - Start drifting north toward Price via Buckhorn Draw Road or some other alternative to photograph Buckhorn Draw and Wedge Overlook areas.
Days 4-7 (evenings available only) - Try to find something close to SLC to photo, with an emphasis on finding good sunset locations. I've found around 20 snowshoe hikes in the Salt Lake Tribune, some of which would probably yield some good spots.
I'd like to get a magic hour photo of Bonneville with the Pilot Range in the background on one of those evenings.
Looking at the time I have available, is this a good plan? Should I focus on anything in particular in Arches? Is there something I shouldn't miss around SLC for an evening shoot? In the San Rafael area, are there some must-see opportunities? Thanks in advance.
Honestly your options are endless. You should keep in mind that Green River is still a pretty long drive from Moab. If you have the gear, I think you'll be much better off camping than staying in a hotel.
The same is true for the Bonneville salt flats (about a 100 mile drive from SLC - you may want to find a cheap place in Wendover for that evening instead).
Around Moab, if you want to hit the "must see at least once in a lifetime" spots, you may want to catch the sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands' Island In The Sky, then spend some around the mesa before going into Arches.
I'm sure Bret can give you some pointers on things to see in Arches. I would consider spending another day there and visiting Dead Horse Point at sunrise, and the Green River Overlook at sunset.
Around SLC there's a ton of snow hikes in the Wasatch mountains. A nice sunrise scene can be found at the large parking lot at the end of American Fork Canyon (which is as far as the road is plowed) looking towards Mt. Timpanogos. If you're the adventurous kind you may also want to rent snowshoes the previous day (the local REI has the best rates) and try to get there early enough to hike up the road a couple of miles for a better view:
Sleeping Beauty (Mt. Timpanogos)
Guy
1. I generally think of Utah desert photo locations as either "up top" (canyon rim or plateau) or "down in" (floor of narrow canyon or defile). For highest productivity, shoot "up top" at sunrise and sunset and 'down in" during the rest of daylight hours. When you are in Arches, Courthouse Wash and parts of Devil's Garden will give you opportunities for shooting "down in" where dramatic and ever-changing bounce light can be found. Courthouse Wash has the added attraction of streams and pools to add fascinating reflections to your compositions.
2. Desert light is often extremely strong and harsh. If you are shooting film as I do (dating myself), you will probably get more keeper exposures with a contrast-tolerant negative film. You can turn it to "Velvia color" in the computer if necessary. I am currently shooting (and loving) Kodak Ultracolor 400. Kodak Portra NC 400 is also very good and can be saturation-boosted digitally if required. Don't underexpose or you will get a lot of grain. Also if using film, override your camera's recommended exposure in favor of the "sunny f16 rule" for shots that are in full sunlight, and compromise between the rule and the meter if partially sunlit.
3. When shooting away from the sun's direction at sunrise and sunset, start shooting long before sunrise and stop shooting long after sunset. In extremely dim light your camera (and/or film) can see colors and contrast that your eyes can't. If the glow in the sunward sky has any perceptible color, you may be able to capture some intense colors that are invisible to you. And sometimes after sunset the warm glow in the west will fade, only to reappear several minutes later with intensified color. The posted photo, from Capitol Reef NP, was taken long after sunset, with an exposure of about 30 seconds at f16 on Velvia. By this time all the other photographers had left because the "light was gone". Good luck!
Guy, that's a tremendous photo of Mt. Timpanogos! You've clearly stated my dilemma, as there are infinite possibilities (but I'm so limited for time). I'm definitely going to rent snowshoes from REI, but my locales will be limited to evening shots. Sunrise and sunset are both around 7:30, so I can't get back to class in the mornings.
Les, I will hike the Devil's Garden Trail, and I might try Landscape Arch for my sunrise photo. I'll only have one sunrise to work with in the park, so I'm looking for a great spot.
Don. I love the subtle lighting and colors in your photo! I'm shooting digital, but I understand your points about the desert light. I was in Zion, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, and Grand Canyon last month, and the lighting was quite different than what I'd seen before. The biggest problem I had was in shots with high contrast and red rock. Some of my Zion and Antelope shots had red fringing around some of the rock features, and I don't know what to do about it. And, noise is a bear with my Canon 350 under low light conditions.
Around Moab the best iconic shots that time of year are probably as follows:
Sunrise:
Mesa Arch
Dead Horse Point
Turret Arch thru North Window
Courthouse Towers (especially if there has been a lot of rain and you can get reflections in water-filled potholes).
I'd probably avoid Landscape Arch at sunrise. It's best around the summer solstice and even then the light isn't great.
Sunset:
Delicate Arch
Balanced Rock
Fisher Tower (it can be iffy whether or not you'll get a good reflection, so a good shot isn't a sure thing).
Sandstone Fins seen from Sand Dune Arch parking area.
It's difficult to photograph mid-day, but here's a few possibilities:
Navajo Arch can get good light bouncing up into it in late morning. You can see Landscape Arch and Double-O Arch if you head up this way.
Sand Dune Arch never gets much in the way of light, so it can be okay anytime.
If you're really ambitious you can head down to Cedar Mesa and Fire Roof Ruin. I'm *guessing* it would get good light until around noon to 1 pm in March. But get there as early as possible to be safe.
Dead Horse Point can be good mid-day on an overcast day.
Some of the other iconic spots tend to get the best light closer to winter or summer solstice. But there's still a lot to see, so I'd try to spend a second sunrise around Moab if you can.
Like Don, I find that the times before sunrise or after the sunset are often more pleasing to my eye for red rocks color. There is a glow in them even when the sun isn't beating directly onto them. The rock on the left is limestone, not the sandstone you'll find in much of Utah, but you can see how intense the red is already becoming on the sandstone on the right.
Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs
Mel, that's a beautiful photo with the pink sky and red rock complimenting each other very well. I was amazed in Zion at the exraordinary level of color in the sandstone in direct light. It's almost difficult to deal with.
Thanks again, guys!
I'll echo Grant's suggestion not to go for sunrise at Landscape Arch. There are many other areas in Arches and Canyonlands that get better light and allow for more interesting compositions. At Landscape Arch you are very limited due to the inability to move much beyond the viewing area. Access under the arch is closed and has been for many years.
Also, I would avoid Moab like the plague during Jeep Safari. It is busy, congested, the hotels and restaurants are booked beyond capacity and the entire area is overrun by tourists. Sadly, property crime skyrockets during this time as well.
Here are my suggestions for sunrise:
Three Gossips from the bottom area of the wash/trail through Park Avenue
The Organ, particularly after a rain
Balanced Rock from the Windows side
Turret Arch, or Turret Arch thru North Window
The Spectacles from the primitive trail on the east side of the formation
Broken Arch (hike through the arch for sunrise)
Mesa Arch
Green River Overlook
Pine Tree Arch (go thru arch, take a hard left and then follow the wash to your right)
Sunset:
Balanced Rock
Nefertiti's Head in Park Avenue
La Sal Mountains from Willow Springs Road
Delicate Arch
Skyline Arch (one of my favorites)
Turret Arch from just past the Garden of Eden on your right
Garden of Eden
Grandview Point
Buck Canyon Overlook
Shafer Canyon Overlook
Faux Falls
Sand Dune Arch receives amazing reflected light from around 3:00 to 4:30 at this time of year.
That should give you a few ideas. I live in Moab year 'round. Feel free to call or email if you have additional questions. Enjoy your time here!
After I've researched all of these locations, I may have some additional questions.
Thanks again!