This was our camp spot up on Smith Mesa and my view was a few yards from my trailer. It’s one of my favorite places, overlooking the entire Zion Valley. I come here every year or so to relax and get images that due it justice. This year I took home two, this one, and a spectacular panorama that we’ve not finished yet. I’m ecstatic since this not an easy area to get the right conditions in. This is a unique combination of sunset light and visible stars. It’s the real thing, exposed for around 30 minutes just after sunset.
We hiked miles and miles over rocks and boulders up towards the Subway in Zion National Park to get this one. It was a long trek with all the gear, but when we rounded the bend and I saw the most stunning of terraces I ever had seen, I knew it was worth it. The endless cascading water and fall color made a view that took my breath away. I cannot adequately convey the awe that I felt. But this print on the wall will help me.
The most amazing part is there was more up ahead. I also photographed Autumns Secret in this same hike. Two images in a day is rare for me. But if any location could pull it off, this would be it. It was the most remarkable trek I’ve hoked and we’ll look at it more closely in the new PHOTOGRAPHICS film that’s about to release.
Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.
Released prints….
58 inch Master Original on Metal – Limited edition of, 1 (contact the gallery)
44 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 50 (contact the gallery)
36 inch Signature Metal – Limited Edition of, 100 (contact the gallery)
I’m excited to finally announce this new release and it has quite a story behind it.
It was the first time we hiked the Subway, a rather legendary, if hard-to-reach spot in Zion NP. Nathan and I started that morning with packs full of gear, three cameras (including our cinema rig) first aid, water purifier and flashlights. It’s around 9 miles round trip and the first three-quarters of a mile takes you down the side of a cliff into the valley.
Now when they say this is a strenuous hike, that is the rating of the terrain. The distance is not considered in that classification. There were no groomed National Park trails or picnic tables. Most the time you were finding a route around (and over) boulders and across creeks. It was a long hike with all the gear and between that and the stops we made to film for PHOTOGRAPHICS, we did not reach this grand destination until about 4PM.
I knew we would be walking back in the dark, but it also put us in this carved channel of rock when the light was at it’s most glorious. The other hikers were headed back and we were utterly alone as the creek moved across the slippery rock and the leaves fell down from the cliffs above. I did not make many exposures. I just took a breath of awe and took my time considering the shape, line and color and how to best to do it justice. In fact, Nathan was filming the making of this image and and I hope to include it in the new PHOTOGRAPHICS series.
The result is just what I wanted. This place is truly incredible and well worth the effort. We made it back mostly in the dark and while we had lights, it was a challenge. I never thought I would be so happy to find that final trail that lead up the side of the cliff. We were in fact so late, that the park ranger was waiting for us when we reached the top wondering if something had gone wrong. But we got the image and much more.
Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition mounted prints above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.
Released prints….
60 inch Master Original on Canvas – Limited edition of, 1 (contact the gallery)
50 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 50 (contact the gallery)
40 inch Signature Metal – Limited Edition of, 100 (contact the gallery)
Final Embers – Pastel clouds drift by mount Nebo in Utah reflecting light on to the snow capped peaks.
We camped for a few days up on the Nebo Loop, enjoying the late Fall color and the crisp sunny weather. On this particular night I had a plan for the mountain, but the sun did not do what I expected. I was about to give it up when I realized the clouds were reflecting the fading light back down onto the mountain from above.
I remember looking behind me, seeing the glow and thinking. That’s Ansel light! Backing up the truck, I hopped out and quickly set up, prepped and made a long second exposure that would convey the pastel clouds whisking over the mountain tops. I got this one frame that conveyed just what I wanted, but that was all I needed. Soon after I made tthis image, the light faded away and the mountain slipped into night.
Gav
Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.
Released prints….
60 inch Master Original on Canvas – Limited edition of, 1 (contact the gallery)
50 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 35 (contact the gallery)
41 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 100 (contact the gallery)
This was a great free camping area right here and we stopped for the night just before sunset, hopped in the car and went out filming for our new PHOTOGRAPHICS film and looking for landscapes. I had not done enough pre-scouting and did not find anything. After sunset I did further scouting for morning and found this little spot tucked down a steep trail.
Nathan and I both walked in early the next morning after a cool fall night and a bit of sleep The light cam over the trees and gave us a beautiful illumination of the Fall color before quickly becoming too harsh. But that’s the things about stunning light. You just need to be there at the right time.
Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.
Released prints….
55 inch Master Original on Canvas – Limited edition of, 1 (contact the gallery)
44 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 50 (contact the gallery)
36 inch Signature Metal – Limited Edition of, 100 (contact the gallery)
I processed with a quick application of the Super Simple preset from Power Workflow (https://seimeffects.com/pw). The finishing was mostly tonal in nature using careful burns and dodges like what talk about in the EXposed Workshop (https://seimeffects.com/exposed).
Controlling the values to keep the brilliant color of the trees at around Zone 7+ and the shadows in the 2-r range helped bring out the depth and line.
The skit while not filled with clouds as we often look for is smooth and brilliant, resonating the feel of a a crisp fall morning. I composed so that not too much sky showed however to prevent the space from becoming a distcation.
.
