Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountains

My first visit to Saguaro National Park and surrounding areas was a much different experience for this Pacific Northwesterner, whose only previous experiences were that of Utah and northern Arizona.  Needless to say, the cactuses are much smaller and different species in those regions.

Saguaro National Park is actually divided into two sections - east and west, divided by the city of Tucson.  I had never seen such a thing.

Our first outing was a trek up Sabino Canyon on what started as a rather cool and breezy day.  It was pleasant but crowded.  There is a parking fee that can be paid in cash, check or over your phone to their website. Cell phone service is hit and miss though, and I paid for parking three times for my single visit because after hitting the submit button my browser just kept spinning and never sent me to the payment received page.  I returned to the hotel to find three email acknowledgements in my inbox!

I would recommend arriving early to beat the crowds and the heat.  Definitely bring lots of water.  While our hike started out cool and breezy, it quickly warmed up as we climbed up the canyon.

The next day I set out on a loop hike up to Wasson Peak, ascending King Canyon Wash Trail to the King Canyon Trail and finishing on the Norris Trail to the summit.  It was a very windy day, especially at or near the passes and ridgetops, and the strong breeze was cold when the sun went behind the clouds.  The views were amazing though and the few people I encountered were very friendly.  

I spent as much time as I could stand on the windy summit before descending down the Norris trail back to the junction, then continued thru the notch and down an incredibly scenic stretch to catch the Sendero Esperanza Trail, which cuts back over to the King Canyon Trail Wash Trail.  However, instead of following it all the way back, I finished my descent by taking the Gould Mine Trail back down to the road and parking lot.  Glad I did!  What a fun hike!  I definitely recommend it and will do it again myself, hopefully on a warmer day.

While I did take my camera gear with me on this hike, it never came out due to the flatness of light in often overcast skies.  Lots of phone pics though!

The next evening, I returned to this area to photograph sunset from an overlook I scouted the previous day - Gates Pass Overlook.  This overlook, besides providing nice compositions of Saguaro cactuses in the evening light, also offers an incredible vista to the west to watch the setting sun.  As it turns out, it also attracts a crazy amount of people at sunset, some of whom began double-parking and blocking people in rather than parking in the overload parking lot across the highway (a minute walk).

We didn't get to witness much cloud action on this night.  Those that were present in the evening disappeared before sunset.  Still, I was surprised to catch some red in the sky as the last of the sun vanished behind the distant ridge.

The next day began my photography trips to Saguaro National Park proper after having scouted them the day before.  I started my morning in Saguaro East, closest to the hotel and the better morning location, in my opinion.

The Cactus Forest Loop Drive in Saguaro East in a must drive!  It's a paved road that is mostly one-way thru ever-changing scenery as the elevation changes.  The Rincon Mountains serve as a wonderful backdrop thru most of the drive.  There are also many trails to explore.

That evening I returned to Saguaro West for sunset, driving the gravel/dirt Hohokam Road to The Valley View Overlook trail.  A quick hike up to the ridge scored me the silhouetted cactus image at the top of the page, and a pleasant walk out in the dark.

The next day was departure day to catch our flight home.  But I awoke to witness the most dramatic light I had experienced the entire trip!  I quickly set my camera and tripod up on the hotel balcony and began shooting away!  A storm had rolled in overnight, offering rain throughout.  But as the morning sun rose, some of its rays would sneak thru the dark clouds for a couple of moments before fading away.  My experience has been that such an occurrence is usually short-lived.  However, this went on for a couple of hours, making packing difficult!  Slowly, the sun began to win battle and it was off to the airport.

You can view these and more of my images from this area in my Southwest Gallery.  You can also see other images from my collection at www.mountainscenes.com

As always, thanks for looking! 

Photographing Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon from Hopi Point at dusk.

I wasn't sure what to expect when visiting Grand Canyon National Park for the first time.  Based on all I had heard and read, I expected to be under-whelmed.  I heard stories about the almost permanent haze, the crowds, the canyon being too big to get a true perspective, etc.

Well, visiting the first week of April, none of these came into play.  I was absolutely amazed!

The South Rim offers amazing views of the canyon along its entire stretch.  I highly recommend walking the West Rim Trail to experience all the viewpoints, then come back with your camera for the golden hour and hopefully, a spectacular show.



Canyon wall from Mather Point.

The most obvious viewpoints along the South Rim are Mather Point and Yavapai Point.  Both are very accessible and can be quite crowded during the day.  In mornings and evenings, I didn't have any problems photographing from these locations.  They were quite pleasant and the views outstanding!  Both these locations are excellent for both sunrise and sunset.  Enjoy the views of Wotan's Throne and Vishnu Temple, as well as the sheer views down into the canyon.

As with all locations, I recommend arriving at least half an hour early (I typically arrive an hour early) to not only get set up, but to allow the creative juices time to start flowing on how you are going to approach the scene before you.  Depending on the weather, there are lots of different ways to approach photographing the canyon, whether it is isolating certain scenes, offering an expansive panorama, or something in between.  Storm clouds can add much drama to the scene and make you want to capture much of the sky above the canyon.  Clear skies will probably have you wanting to cut the sky out as much as possible and focus on the canyon itself.



Sunset on the Grand Canyon from Hopi Point.

Hopi Point is located along the Hermit's Rest Road and is an excellent sunset location.  To get there, you must either walk the West Rim Trail or catch the shuttle bus as private vehicles are not allowed on this road (the exception being December thru February).  I always chose to walk simply so I could scout other locations along the way, then catch the shuttle bus for the return after sunset.  Hopi Point can get pretty crowded, so be sure and arrive early.


Grand Canyon from Mather Point.

Yaki Point rivals Mather Point as the supreme destination for sunrise photography.  The view is very open looking westward, offering miles of canyon.

Getting to Yaki Point requires the same logistical challenge as Hopi Point.  You must catch the shuttle bus at the Canyon View Information Center.  I recommend arriving an hour before sunrise.  Both mornings I did this, I found myself alone on the bus and the first one to arrive at Yaki Point.

The other option is to park at Desert View Road and walk the mile to Yaki Point.



Grand Canyon at sunrise from Yaki Point.

As for lenses, I recommend mid to long range telephoto lenses.  You can leave the wide-angle lens at home, in my opinion.  The exception might be if you are lucky enough to get a dramatic sky with storm clouds, but even then the mid-range telephoto should serve you well.  I would also recommend a warming polarizer and a selection split GND filters.  Of course, a tripod goes without saying.

Above all, take time to enjoy your visit.  The Grand Canyon is an amazing place and should be experienced beyond the camera.  Be sure to get out and walk around and experience this magnificent wonder.

You can view more of my photography at www.mountainscenes.com.  I hope to have more of my Grand Canyon images uploaded soon.

As always, thanks for looking!

Photographing Horseshoe Bend in Glen Canyon National Recreational Area

Horseshoe Bend is a fantastic and very unique feature of the Colorado River near Page, AZ. Here the river has actually created a 270 degree bend in the shape of a horseshoe!

The overlook is reached via a 1.5 mile round trip trail from a parking area off U.S. Route 89, just south of Page.  You can't miss it.

The trail itself is an easy, albeit sandy walk.  It climbs from the parking lot up to a ridge, then descends the other side to the wide overlook.  The overlook has no railings.  It is an exposed cliff with a 1000' sheer vertical drop to the river below, so watch your step!

The overlook area is large and there are many vantages to enjoy your view from, or in this case, compose your image.  For the top image, I ventured south along the rim away from the people for some morning solitude.  The image to the right was taken from a location that allowed both river channels to be viewed.  I like both perspectives, for different reasons.  I've seen other compositions that include more of the cliffs and even cut off one of the channels.  A lot of things work here.  Be creative and play a bit.

The Paria Plateau and Vermilion Cliffs serve as colorful backdrop to the west, and catch the morning light well.  The colors of the rock change throughout the day as the angle of light changes.

Horseshoe Bend is best photographed at sunrise, though a dramatic sky at sunset would also work.  Surprisingly, only a small handful of photographers were present the mornings I visited.  Be warned that by mid-day this place can become a zoo as the tour buses and RVs show up!

A wide angle lens is necessary to capture Horseshoe Bend in its entirety, unless you plan to stitch.  A 2 and 3-stop GND filter will also be needed, unless you are shooting hdr or bracketing for post-process stacking.  A warming filter might also be considered.

To get all of the Colorado River in your frame, you will need to stand right up to the lip of the rim!  This can be daunting, with a 1,000' vertical drop at your toes!  I found that having a camera and tripod in front of me gave me some false sense of security and allowed me to focus on the task at hand without worrying.  I'm not sure why.
 
I would recommend including some rock in your foreground to give scale to the scene.  Truth be told, it will be hard NOT to get rock in your foreground with a wide-angle lens!  Keep the amount of sky to a minimum, unless something interesting is happening.

Have fun and enjoy this beautiful stage as the show unfolds before you!

To view more images from the Southwest, view my Southwest Gallery (this will be updated in the near future).  As always, thanks for looking!