Sometimes you just have to go that “extra mile” for that photograph you want. JB and I have made numerous trips to Zion National Park over the years. Each time we’ve found a new spot to explore. Even the usual “haunts” can be different depending upon what has happened since the last time we were there.
This part of Utah can have flash floods during the summer and fall and the landscape can change.
Trees can wash away and even big boulders can move with the force of rushing water. We had found this particular area on the last day of our visit the previous year and made a mental note. . . we need to come back to this spot.
I can’t stress enough the importance of having the right equipment for what you want to do. There is no substitute for a good pair of hiking boots. You never know what you’re going to find when you start out. This particular trail had lots of climbing and big rocks to climb over and around. My fully loaded 4×10 Canham backpack is around 40 pounds and I use my Ries J-100-2 tripod a lot to steady myself when I’m climbing. If I don’t have far to walk, I’ll use the 8×20 horizontal camera. I can set-up the 8×20 on my A-100 Ries tripod and carry two film holders in my case but this hike was more suitable for the 4×10 horizontal in a backpack.
The last few years, I’ve been photographing more trees. There are so many different types and depending upon the climate, they can become twisted and mis-shapen. This particular day, we got an early start. Winter was beginning to settle into the park. The sun was out with only a few high clouds and 28 degrees. Perfect weather for photographing with only one exception. . . the wind. The wind was blowing close to 20 mph so we would be limited as to where we could photograph. We decided this would be a perfect day to go hike our trail.
This time of year the park can still have a lot of tourists so we like to find those non-traditional, “set your tripod here. . . click,” secluded spots. We followed our trail along the winding stream. At the end of the trail, the quiet stream flowed gently beside the rocks and trees. This is what I wanted to photograph with my horizontal camera.
One of the advantages of photographing in the winter is the low sun angle and if you find the right spot, you can shoot even during midday. This photograph was made in December 2011 at 12:14 pm on Ilford HP5+ film and developed in Pyrocat HD.
JB and I returned to Zion in December 2012. Once again, we hiked our trail. This time access was cut-off about halfway down the trail. Our trail was now blocked by big boulders and fallen trees as a result of the heavy rain and flash floods during the preceding summer. Maybe on our next trip, we’ll be able to hike our trail once more and see what Mother Nature has left for us to capture.
Susan Harlin
This time of year the park can still have a lot of tourists so we like to find those non-traditional, “set your tripod here. . . click,” secluded spots. We followed our trail along the winding stream. At the end of the trail, the quiet stream flowed gently beside the rocks and trees. This is what I wanted to photograph with my horizontal camera. JB and I returned to Zion in December 2012. Once again, we hiked our trail. This time access was cut-off about halfway down the trail. Our trail was now blocked by big boulders and fallen trees as a result of the heavy rain and flash floods during the preceding summer. Maybe on our next trip, we’ll be able to hike our trail once more and see what Mother Nature has left for us to capture.
