Wotan's Throne at Sunset, Grand Canyon

Sunset at the North Rim of Grand Canyon means being at Cape Royal if at all possible.

[Photo: Wotan's Throne at Sunset, Grand Canyon North Rim].

It's the southern tip of the Walhalla Plateau, the end of the scenic drive at the North Rim. It's the climax of the show: the most dramatic view of all (which is saying something!), looking out at the massive sky butte named Wotan's Throne.

At sunset time, unless the clouds on the western horizon cut it off, the low angle of the sun's rays reflect off the cliffs, making them glow yellow to gold.

Copyright © Stephen J. Krieg | Stephen Krieg Photography

Canyons Sunset Color Palette, Yavapai County

Cruising the back roads of northern Yavapai County, north of Prescott, Arizona. It’s early spring in the mile-high desert, that time of year between intermittent winter snows and the first plant growth of the season. 

East from Chino Valley on Perkinsville Road. A stop at the Verde River near the ghost town of Perkinsville (inaccessible to the public except by riding the Verde Canyon Railroad), then more wandering on the public National Forest roads. Lots of open country. Dry and dusty, but high and wide, too.
 
The photographers’ Golden Hour has arrived. I find a turnout on a ridge along the Perkinsville-Jerome Road. Clear views all around, but especially to the northeast, where the red rock cliffs west of Sedona are prominent. In the far distance the snow-capped San Francisco Peaks, about 80 miles away up at Flagstaff.

As the sun nears the horizon behind me, the color temperature warms the light on the scenery. The reds and pinks of the various rock layers, the dark greens of the juniper and pinon pine trees, the hazy blues and purples of the distant hills and mountains.

All is well. Sun below the horizon, warm colors extinguished. Cool dusk.

A bit more lingering, then the return drive home.

[Click on the photo to see a much larger, more detailed version]

Frozen Tracks, Winter Sunrise, Pittman Valley, Arizona

[Photo: Sunrise snowscape and Sitgreaves Mountain, Arizona.
Click on image for larger version.]

Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in a winter landscape and never need a house, clothing, or money? Everything is available to the coyote and the other residents of wildlife. 

A frozen January sunrise brings blue shadows, bright snow shapes, and ethereal ground fog to a mountain meadow traversed by a few tracks during the night.
Pittman Valley, Coconino Plateau, west of Flagstaff, Arizona. At upper right is Sitgreaves Mountain.

Sunrise Colors, Pittman Valley

Intense dawn colors in the east over the San Francisco Peaks, from Pittman Valley between Parks and Williams, Arizona.

As usual, it's the positioning of the clouds above the horizon that determines how the colors will be. The clouds reflect the rays of the yet-unrisen sun. If there are no clouds, the colors will be greatly subdued. Too many clouds and the colors will be cut off. 

In this image, some ponds in the foreground added a powerful reflection accent.

Also see my Grand Canyon Photography Blog, and my YouTube channel. 

Forest Fern, Evening Light

Fern, evening light, Coconino National Forest, Arizona [click on photo for larger version]

Nature is my cathedral, my church. Appreciation, respect, and humility are my religion.

This is from my campsite last evening on the Coconino National Forest and the Coconino Plateau, at about 7,500 feet in northern Arizona. A fern lit up by the low afternoon sunlight slipping between the Ponderosa pine trees. 


No neighbors except the birds and whatever four legged animals were around but did not make themselves apparent. 


No visitors except two Forest Service guys making sure I was not going to violate the ban on campfires, because the springtime woods have been so typically dry. "And don't leave any food outside the vehicle. There are bears here, and they're always hungry." That much I knew, but I appreciated the reminder. 


Followed by a peaceful night of the breeze whispering in the pines and aspens, then the rising half moon and the stars. Peaceful, soothing night. In the cathedral.

Almost Ready to Launch, Lees Ferry

[Photo: River rafters and morning light, Lees Ferry, Colorado River, Arizona]

A private river rafting party finishes breakfast and whatever other last minute preparations at its camp on the banks of the Colorado River at Lees Ferry in northern Arizona. 

Historic Lees Ferry is the put-in point for all boats that are going to run Grand Canyon.

In the background are the Vermilion Cliffs, glowing orange in the morning sunlight, and reflected off the river's surface.

You might also be interested in my Grand Canyon Photography blog.

Photographing Fall Foliage Close Up

[Photo: Gambel Oak fall foliage colors, Arizona]

Gambel Oak Leaf, Coconino National Forest, Arizona

To make an outstanding photo of tree leaves, especially in the fall, you don't need a really expensive camera and lens, or special filters or techniques. All you really need is your eyes, your brain, and your feet. 

Granted, this photograph was made with a fairly expensive DSLR camera, but all it did was to give me more control. I would have gone about this shot the same with with a point-and-shoot camera. 

This photo is engaging primarily because of its rainbow like range of colors. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue. But it also gives the feeling of depth,  of being there, even though you're looking at it on a flat screen. 

Why? Contrast. The leaf is in focus, while the background is blurry. Feeling of depth. The colors in the background contrast with the colors in the leaf. Also, I walked around until the sun lit up the leaf from behind. But in a position that it was not only backlit, but had the dark green of the conifer trees and the deep blue of the clear Arizona sky as the background.

I was close enough to the leaf, and the pine trees were far enough away, for them to be blurry no matter what lens aperture was used. All I needed was a lens aperture deep enough to have the entire leaf in focus. Or nearly all of it. 

You might also be interested in my Grand Canyon Photography blog.

See more of my photography at www.naturalmoment.com. 

San Francisco Peaks Early Snow Panorama

[Photo: San Francisco Peaks panorama, Flagstaff, Arizona. Click on picture for larger version.]

Early October in northern Arizona. It's fall, and high elevation, so anything can happen, weather wise.

The weather had been Indian Summer perfect, if a bit warm during the day. No problem for us fall colors afictionados, because the nights had been chilly without a hard freeze. Plus plenty of sunshine during the day; after all, this is Arizona. Aspen trees are good with that as they feel their way toward winter. Leaves remain on, chlorophyll (the green stuff) going away to reveal the yellow stuff.

Then an early winter storm arrived. The snow in the high elevations was beautiful, as always. But it was weeks early, probably killing the aspen colors. They will probably just drop and call it a winter. We will see.

You might also be interested in my Grand Canyon Photography blog.