April 25, 2013

0

4x5, art study, beauty, color, f164, Fine Art, journal, National Park, Nature, signature

Sunset at the Celestial City – Grosvenor Arch, Utah

Grosvenor Arch - Utah - Gavin Seim_4
Sunset at the Celestial City – Grand Staircase National Monument Utah, Grosvenor Arch. Spring 2013, Gavin Seim

Grand Staircase is a secret hideaway of Utah – A grand place beyond most National Parks in beauty, in remoteness and in a wild hauntingly beautiful atmosphere. There is another wonder to behold with each new curve of it’s bumpy roads.

It’s not one of those parks you simply drive into on paved thoroughfares, hot dog carts lining the byways. We came in off HWY 89 and camped two nights within the park before we exited the other side. It was a slow winding gravel road with lots of hikes, pullouts and things to see, but no civilization except perhaps a bathroom here and there.

We made it up to the Arch late on our second day and waited for the sunset. The feature here was the double arch, but what struck me about this place was the way the entire structure stands alone out here. Columns of colorful rock sprouting from the ground in stunning display, set in a minimal non-dictating scene. It was a beautiful thing. It made me think of the distant view of the Celestial City from the classic novel, Pilgrim’s Progress.

As the sun set and the light danced on the rocks I knew I needed a panorama of this one. This was the last image I made as the light softened and fell behind the hill. It peeked from the clouds just before disappearing fully behind the horizon and left me in awe of creation.

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:

For Photographers. How it was made…

Read More

April 29, 2012

2

beauty, color, f164, Fine Art, journal, musings, signature, technique

King of the Valley – Utah.

King of the Valley – Valley of the gods Utah, Spring 2012

We drove out of Colorado and into Utah, planning to see Monument Valley. And we did, but what was better than that was Valley of the gods Utah. A place created in the same magnificent beauty as Monument, but open and spacious. Where you camp below giant spires of red rock and stay up late into the silent night looking at the stars streaking overhead.

Sometimes I think God used more colorful paint in Utah. We stayed three days here in the valley on this little used public land. Exploring the area and enjoying the sweeping colorful views. The sunset brought some of those great early spring clouds and that radiant color of light that only Utah seems to have. It was a memorable place in our 2012 trip and a colorful image for my collection.

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.. Learn about Limited Edition values here.

Released prints….

For Photographers. How it was made…

Read More

May 7, 2011

2

color, f164, Fine Art, journal, National Park, Nature, technique

Canyon Dance – Grand Canyon National Park

Canyon Dance. Grand Canyon National Park. Gavin Seim, Spring 2011

The final rays of glistening sunset are often the most remarkable. Their golden glow flaring for a mere moment before dying into memory and waiting for another sunrise.

Next to the unimaginable vastness of the sky itself, the Grand Canyon is one of the largest most beautiful things I’ve seen. It’s views take the breath away and make me wonder at God’s creation. But as magnificent as it is, it’s a challenge to convey, as it seems that landscapes of this scale often fight against being pulled into the single, two dimensional frame.

Knowing the crowds would come, I set up at Yavapai Point nearly two hours early. I went to the overlook and set up my digital, along with my 4×5, claiming the space as my own and not moving. By the time the sun set, I was crowded in on every side. It was hazy, as often seems with the great distances across the canyon.

The walls that I planned to photograph did not respond quite as I had hoped. But just as the sun set, this side of the canyon walls came alive with color. I had been crowded in so much that I could not move the tripod even the two feet I needed. Frantically, I leaned over and rested the camera on the handle of my second tripod where the 4×5 sat. Then I made the frame that would become this image and preserve that fleeting light. In all my planning, I was still not fully prepared for the moment, but I made the best of it. This frame does not do it’s beauty justice, but it gives a tiny taste of my awe.

For Photographers. How it was made…

Read More