Wotan's Throne ~ North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

I believe that one of the most magnificent views of the Grand Canyon is from Cape Royal on the North Rim. It’s a view that I think everyone should see at least once in their life. Myself, I’ve been very lucky to not only visit, but also photograph from this location many times.

The photograph above was created in August 2011 at the conclusion of a photography workshop I was giving. My plan for the evening was to create a panorama of Wotan’s Throne reaching into the canyon and towards the setting sun. At the time I was wanting to get some practice using my newest lens, the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II tilt-shift, to create panoramas. It turns out that creating a panoramic photo with a tilt-shift lens is actually pretty simple (and quick), and it’s a process I teach in my workshops.

Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II Tilt Shift
Filters: Singh-Ray Daryl Benson 4×6″ Reverse Neutral Density Graduated Filter, and Lee FK Foundation Kit Filter Holder
Exposure: f/13 @ 0.4 seconds, ISO 100

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Temple in the Clouds ~ Grand Canyon National Park

This image was created on the same morning as the image in the post “Waiting for a Window” and was a scene that lasted only a matter of seconds as clouds once again obscured the view. Due to the fierce winds and some blowing snow, I was shooting with two camera bodies in order to avoid changing lenses in the harsh conditions. I had my 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS mounted to a 5D Mark II and was shooting handheld. My goal here was to create an image where Vishnu Temple appeared to be floating in the clouds.

Camera, Canon 5D Mark II
Lens, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS
Exposure, f/8 @ 1/250 second, ISO 400

Ford on Route 66

The grille of an old Ford pickup, photographed somewhere along Route 66 in Arizona. Let me know if you would like to see more photos like this!

Camera, Canon 5D Mark II
Lens, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
Exposure, f/13 @ 1/250 second, ISO 1600

Grand Canyon National Park

A few weeks ago I drove up to the Grand Canyon to spend some time shooting for myself. A late winter storm was forecast to hit the area and I wanted to be there as it broke up. My plan was to create a photo of the canyon covered in a fresh dusting of snow. The storm hit the canyon right on-time, as forecasted, and I was there ready to capture the moment I was after.

Long story short, I spent most of the weekend standing on the edge of the canyon in howling winds and extreme cold as it snowed and the visibility dropped down to just a few feet at times. There wasn’t much to see let alone photograph. We got the snow, but I needed a window to open to allow me to see into the canyon.

After two days, the clouds began to lift and visibility improved. The canyon’s rim was still obscured most of the time, but occasionally Mother Nature gives you a brief window with a view into a greater world, you just have to be ready for it.

Camera, Canon 5D Mark III
Lens, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II
Exposure, f/16 @ 1/5 second, ISO 400

Side note…I think this may be the first landscape photo I’ve created using the new Canon 5D Mark III camera body. I was also shooting with my 5D Mark II on this morning as I wasn’t completely comfortable yet with the new camera, and I’m still waiting on Kirk Enterprises to release their L-bracket.

Cardenas over the Colorado

The Colorado River is often lost amongst the temple, buttes, and towering walls of the Grand Canyon. Even when it is visible it is overshadowed by the sheer scale of the other natural features which surround it. From a point on the canyon’s South Rim I created this photo of the Colorado flowing into the shadows of the canyon as the last light of the day strikes Cardenas Butte.

Camera, Canon 5D Mark II
Lens, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS
Exposure, f/10 @ 0.4 seconds, ISO 100

Autumnal Grace

Every autumn in the American West, landscape photographers seek-out large forests of aspen trees for their golden leaves and white trunks. The cottonwood tree on the other hand is often overlooked. It’s leaves too can glow with an intense yellow with a bit of an orange hue. Their trunks are just as magnificent with deep texture and their branches reach out in many directions in a graceful way seeking a clear view of the open sky. They too are an amazing specimen that deserves a place in Western art.

Camera, Canon 5D
Lens, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L
Exposure, f/11 @ 1/125 second, ISO 100

Canyon Fire ~ Grand Canyon National Park

You can wait years for a sunset like this, one of the most amazing displays of color that I have witnessed at the canyon. It was almost as if the light and color was painting the atmosphere in the canyon. If you look closely you can see that even the Colorado River, hidden 5,000 feet below in the depths of the canyon, is reflecting the colors of the sky above.

• Camera, Canon 5D Mark II
• Lens, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS
• Exposure, f/11 @ 4 seconds, ISO 100

A Buick in the Desert

I find old cars to be absolutely fascinating, especially when they are abandoned and left to rust in out-of-the-way places in southern Utah. On this particular morning, a sliver of light was shining between two buildings behind me casting a bit of light onto the hood and grille of this old car.

Camera, Canon 5D
Lens, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L
Exposure, f/16 @ 1/250 second, ISO 320

Winter at the Grand Canyon

The same storm that went through northern Arizona last week, dumping nearly 3 feet of snow at my home near Flagstaff,  also left it’s mark, albeit temporary, at the Grand Canyon. It was zero degrees, 90% humidity, and the wind was howling when I created this image. I love shooting in harsh conditions, but I am looking forward to summer!

Artist's Light ~ Grand Canyon National Park

A soft light paints the Grand Canyon with colors lifted straight off a painter’s palette. I love all kinds of light, but this really spoke to me as an artist. It’s a simple light that fills the atmosphere with warmth and color.

If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a minute to talk about photographing the Grand Canyon. A common misconception about photographing the Grand Canyon is that it’s best to capture what is before you with a wide-angle lens. Why do we do this? The answer is simple…we want to capture the whole thing!

Many photographers use lenses such as the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II, or the Nikon AF-S  Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF. While a wide-angle lens is indeed useful, it can have the effect of grossly exaggeration the distance from one rim to the other. The end result is that many of the interesting features and shapes of the canyon will seem farther away and lose significance in the photograph.

In my workshops and guided tours at the Grand Canyon, I encourage participants to experiment with using a telephoto-zoom lens to compress the landscape. I often create some of my favorite images using a telephoto-zoom such as the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS lens. In addition to keeping the big objects looking big in the photo, I also like to use a telephoto-zoom to isolate interesting light and subjects from their surroundings. An important point to know, and remember, when using a telephoto lens for landscape photography is that the slightest movement of the camera and lens (whether it’s by the wind, or you) is exaggerated when viewed through the lens. Proper shooting technique combined with a good stable tripod is an absolute must.