Red Rock Rambles
Be the first to see my photographs from Utah
Hello Beautiful People,
After a busy wedding & elopement season, we had the opportunity to travel to Utah for three weeks. From the fiery hues of its sandstone to the quiet solitude of its canyons, Utah pushed and expanded my creativity.
My cousin recently moved to Moab and needed a pet sitter for a couple of weeks while her and her partner went to Costa Rica. Shawn and I jumped at the opportunity to be in the red rock desert. This was the main reason we made this trip happen. It would have been easy for us to stay in Bishop and be focused on work at home, but with this opportunity we couldn’t say no. Plus, we got to hang out with some cute dogs and stay in a cozy house.
We started the trip off in Capital Reef National Park and from there explored more of the Badlands near Hanksville. The Badlands gave me the opportunity to fly my drone. Drone photography can be frustrating for me because of all the racket it makes and the limited time I have to get my photographs before the battery dies. Although the drone is not my favorite tool to use, I do love the perspective it gave me to capture the textures and shapes of this alien land.
On our way to Moab, we stopped at Leprechaun slot canyon. It was the moment that truly made me want to explore more of Utah’s canyons. Living in the Sierra, I am used to being on top of peaks and domes looking down on the scenery. It is always a joy for me to experience something new and to challenge myself in small spaces. It was definitely cramped in this slot canyon but it gave the opportunity for the abstracts. We got super lucky for the weather that day. It was overcast which brought beautiful diffused light into the canyon. Don’t be deceived by my photographs though. The walls of the slot canyon are short and maybe that is how it got its name. Plus, there was a sense of magic in this place.
I had to lay on the ground for this photograph and borrow Shawn’s 14mm lens. There is hardly a time where I want to shoot that wide, but Utah definitely is helping me expand my creativity at a wider perspective.
This scene really called to me for a black and white edit. I originally started editing it in color and wasn’t feeling it at all. Black and white gave me the opportunity to really bring this photograph to life and truly help highlight the lines, shapes and light.
The Fisher Towers was my favorite discovery while we were in Moab. With its striking red rock that looked like dripping candle wax; I was in awe of this place. I feel that at times it takes me a while to create a photograph that I am proud of at a new location. I can get overstimulated with taking in all the beauty that sometimes it is hard for me to create art. We went to the Fisher Towers a couple of times and one night I managed to hurriedly grab this photograph with the moon peering between the two towers. This was such a tough photograph to make because the clouds and the moon were moving so fast! I barely pulled this photograph together. I had to make two exposures. One for the moon, and one for the towers. And once the moon started moving behind the towers, I ran up the trail a few times to attempt capturing the moment. Also, my mirror-less camera is still new to me so fumbling for the buttons at night was extremely frustrating. But I managed to capture the beauty that night.
Before we left Moab, we met up with our friends, Kyra and Connor from Yosemite. Shawn and I had a vision of a woman in a flying dress rapelling from an arch. In Moab there are only two places where you can actually climb on top of an arch and rappel off. With a little research, Shawn found the perfect arch and route.
With some borrowed gear from a friend who happened to be in Moab, we decided to go for it. That day in particular had a chill in the air and I was a little worried about how cold it could be dangling in a harness high above the valley below, especially since arches can be wind tunnels. But Kyra braved the climb, the rapell, and the wind to create this magic.
These flying dress photo shoots are the hardest shoots that I have ever done. This is coming from fifteen years experience of photographing weddings and portraits and landscapes. So whenever we achieve our vision, I feel so grateful! There are so many ways that these photo shoots can go wrong. Whether it’s the wind or just the mental headgame for everyone involved, there is no room for error. That is what makes these shoots challenging and special. Kyra did amazing and truly brought our vision to life.
After our two weeks in Moab, Zion was calling to us as we slowly made our way back home. Shawn managed to score us a couple of nights in a campground in the park which allowed us not having to drive in early every morning. This was my first time in Zion and it reminded me of Yosemite, but on a smaller scale. The towering red rock gave me a lot to work with when isolating trees for fall color. All the cottonwoods were at peak and it was such a gorgeous time to be in the Canyon.
The Narrows has been a place that I wanted to explore for years. On this trip, I convinced Shawn that we should do the hike while the trees were at peak. It was such a fun adventure! Don’t get me wrong, it was really tough. The cold water and slippery rocks made it very exhausting to hike through, but so worth the challenge. We rented gear to make ourselves as comfortable as possible. This hike has been on my bucket list for years and I felt so grateful to be able to get this opportunity.
This location was one of my favorites of the Narrows that we hiked. It felt like I walked into an idyllic scene in a fantasy novel with the green-ish water, yellow cottonwoods and the towering orange and black walls. Nature truly refreshes me with its beauty.
The reason that I enjoyed the Narrows so much was the layers of light and the dark moody walls. It is always a risk to bring camera gear in wet places so I made sure to rent a wet bag just in case I had an accident. Luckily this did not happen, but with my clumsiness, I didn’t want to gamble. Plus, there is one spot that was deep enough that got my bag wet. The Narrows did take a little pre-planning, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. I am looking forward to my next trip to Utah. The more I explore this beautiful state, the longer the mental list gets with the places that I want to visit.
Let me know your favorite photograph in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Need a present for a special someone? Buy art from Sierra locals and support artists. Shawn and I will be show casing our work at the Holiday Market Place for Mono Council of the Arts in Mammoth December 14th-15th. We will be happy to see you there! Can’t be there in person? No worries! We can ship to you. You can view my work on my website and inquire via email. I look forward to speaking with you!
