Kyle Jones
Moderator
When I went to Utah and Arizona with Alejandro earlier this month, one of our main goals was to get some good shots at Horseshoe Bend. So we devoted two sunsets and a sunrise to the effort. The most dramatic conditions we had were that last sunrise (I shared it here) where we were treated to a rainbow. Both of the sunsets had their charms though!
When we arrived in Page, we learned that the parking lot for Horseshoe Bend was closed for the new construction they were doing. They have a shuttle lot set up 2 miles away and shuttle tickets are $5 round trip. We asked the driver how late the shuttles run, and learned that they stop at 5pm - that wasn't going to work for sunset! He then looked around and quietly told us that the construction ends at 3:30 or 4:00 and cars can start parking in the lot at that time. He also noted that the police are ticketing people that try parking along the highway. We observed that first hand.
Since it was just after lunch, we took the shuttle over to Horseshoe Bend to do some scouting. There is a fenced viewing platform, but it isn't very wide and there are plenty of viewing options on either side. I was looking for a spot where I could get a clear view down to the river with some framing on either side and something interesting in front of the bend. After about an hour of looking around both sides, we settled on a spot well to the right of the viewing platform. It gave me what I needed and it wasn't very popular with the crowds so I had some space to work.
Our first sunset didn't have many clouds, so this was my chance to work with sunstars and flare. This is a blend of 3 exposure: One exposed for the canyon, one exposed for the canyon with my finger over the sun (for flare removal), and one darkened a stop or two to eliminate some hot spots in the sky.
1) Sunset first night:
Our second night had some really interesting clouds, although they were too thick to develop any real color. I didn't mind that, as I thought the clouds were interesting enough in their own right. Recent rain had moistened the rocks, really adding to the saturation in the canyon (I didn't add any saturation in RAW and actually reduced it further in PhotoShop). This may be my favorite of all my Horsehoe Bend shots that weekend.
2: Sunset second night:
I really like how different the images are from the three trips we made to Page. That's a great answer to the question "why do you shoot icons?": Because they are different every day! Any thoughts are welcome.
When we arrived in Page, we learned that the parking lot for Horseshoe Bend was closed for the new construction they were doing. They have a shuttle lot set up 2 miles away and shuttle tickets are $5 round trip. We asked the driver how late the shuttles run, and learned that they stop at 5pm - that wasn't going to work for sunset! He then looked around and quietly told us that the construction ends at 3:30 or 4:00 and cars can start parking in the lot at that time. He also noted that the police are ticketing people that try parking along the highway. We observed that first hand.
Since it was just after lunch, we took the shuttle over to Horseshoe Bend to do some scouting. There is a fenced viewing platform, but it isn't very wide and there are plenty of viewing options on either side. I was looking for a spot where I could get a clear view down to the river with some framing on either side and something interesting in front of the bend. After about an hour of looking around both sides, we settled on a spot well to the right of the viewing platform. It gave me what I needed and it wasn't very popular with the crowds so I had some space to work.
Our first sunset didn't have many clouds, so this was my chance to work with sunstars and flare. This is a blend of 3 exposure: One exposed for the canyon, one exposed for the canyon with my finger over the sun (for flare removal), and one darkened a stop or two to eliminate some hot spots in the sky.
1) Sunset first night:
Our second night had some really interesting clouds, although they were too thick to develop any real color. I didn't mind that, as I thought the clouds were interesting enough in their own right. Recent rain had moistened the rocks, really adding to the saturation in the canyon (I didn't add any saturation in RAW and actually reduced it further in PhotoShop). This may be my favorite of all my Horsehoe Bend shots that weekend.
2: Sunset second night:
I really like how different the images are from the three trips we made to Page. That's a great answer to the question "why do you shoot icons?": Because they are different every day! Any thoughts are welcome.
