When we began visiting Capitol Reef National Park early in the second decade of the current century, I was amazed that it had taken us so long to discover the magic of this awesome place. We had previously played along Notom Road and the Burr Trail; and our adventures, for who knows what reason, had kept us in the southernmost part of the Park. In fact, we weren’t always sure whether we were in Capitol Reef or in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The Reef is the least well known of Utah’s Big Five, but it is no less wonderful for its relative anonymity
It is not uncommon in late summer and early autumn that early-morning atmospherics stream in from the northwest, behind and over the capitol formation, punctuating the cerulean skies with cirrus cotton balls of puffy whiteness. The red rock lifts its hands in delighted applause.
A focal length of 36mm, barely beyond the technical boundaries of wide-angleland, gave me the angle-of-view I wanted. An aperture of f/20 provided depth-of-field; and a shutter speed of 1/10 second at ISO 100 gave me an overall slightly-lighter-than-medium exposure.
In some ways I see Capitol Reef National Park as a test of our effective stewardship of our sacred public lands. Visitation will surely grow here; it has already become almost exponential. Can we accommodate this increased human presence while preserving the integrity of this holy land? Can we learn to be here lightly and respectfully while enjoying the awesome beauty the nature has bestowed?
Another beautiful image. The contrast between the blue sky, red rock and white clouds really brings out the beauty of the land. Thank you for sharing Don. I am really looking forward to getting back out to that region on the U.S. again.
Hey Chris. It’s is always good to have you join me. I’m with you: I’m excited already. We’ve begun working on the logistics of the adventure and things are falling into place. I’m wishing we had a month, but alas…. The tonal contrasts you have pointed out for us – warm, cool, and bright/neutral, are so much a part of working on the Colorado Plateau that eventually you come to notice them everywhere, not to take them for granted, but because they become part of your creative process. Be well and stay safe.
“The City on the Hill” —- nature’s construction crew outdid itself. This is now on a bucket list!
Hey Robin. We’re looking forward to visiting with you and the Boss next week. Been too long. Indeed, nature’s construction crew set a very high bar at Capitol Reef. This is Red Rock geology at its very finest. When you get ready to plan your trip, I’m more than happy to help. Walk in Beauty.
I am convinced the magic light does follow you around. That is indeed some serious cirrus. The clouds offer beautiful patterns, textures, and contrast to the blue sky; all the while they are casting a magical light below which is creating the gold and blue. I like how you sandwiched the golden peaks in the background between the tall tree on the left and it’s younger look-alike tree on the right. I see a big smile on your face as you were capturing this because there is so much to work with.
This has been added to my favorites list.
Hi Nancy T. Your stories always bring a smile to my face; and early light on the Capitol monument brings the same reaction. To be such a fairly enclosed space the Capitol and its attendant red rock offer almost endless possibilities for creative imagery. The two anchoring cottonwoods you point out were important exactly for the reasons you suggest. What took time was moving back and forth to find the right balance between the trees and the rock and the relationships between the three that really expressed what I was feeling. Doing this, along with finding the amount of sky that seemed appropriate, was also determinative of the foreground. Since there was a river just over the road, and I was already standing on the highway, there was a limitation as to how much closer, or further away, I could get and a limitation as to how much focal length change I could make. But then, such is the nature of composition everywhere, and isn’t it always about the light? Take good care, Dear One.
A marvelous textured 3D effect. What a truly amazing one of nature’s masterpieces! You’ve outdone yourself once again!
Hey Win. It’s great to hear from you! I trust you are staying safe and well. When the clouds began streaming in from behind the Capitol, we initially were uncertain as to what effect they might bring. And when the whole sky began to fill with popcorn, we knew it would be something special. The only way for any of it to work is to show up, and even showing up doesn’t guarantee success; but not showing up does guarantee failure. Hope to see you soon, my Friend. Walk in Beauty.
Beautiful! Is that Waterpocket Fold going through the uplift?
J. Warren, it’s always good to hear from you. I hope you and Freda are doing well. Thanks for your kind comment. It’s close, but the Waterpocket Fold runs down the eastern edge of Capitol Reef, parallel to and just west of Notom Road. These strata would be somewhat younger than the rocks of the Waterpocket. Sometimes I look at the layers of a place like Capitol Reef and the notion of geological time makes my head hurt. Take good care; June is coming.
Don, this is a deeply satisfying image that let’s me ‘travel’ there with you. I love the little burst of energy pushing up out of the left top corner. And the framing is just super. Thanks for this and your continued voice for protections for public lands!
Hi Ray. Thanks for all of your kind words. As you know, there is no greater compliment to be made of an image than to say to the photographer, ” This image makes me feel like I was standing there with you. Thank you for drawing our attention to the top left corner and the little swoosh of wind up there pulling apart the cirrus as they reach that corner of the sky. I felt like including that small area added a bit of implicit motion to the rest for the cloudforms, and perhaps a wee bit of depth, as well. It we all insist that our public lands are sacred and not to be sacrificed, I believe we will find a way to protect and preserve them. Have a great week.
One of my favorite areas near my second home state. Your gorgeous image reminds me why!
Hi Donald. Thanks for your very kind words. I love the way you created the joinder between Arizona and Utah. As long as the Colorado Plateau remains in place, you have nothing to be worried about; the connection will continue without interruption. I hope you are finding more than ample opportunity to explore that connection and I’d love to hear what you’ve found. Be very well and Walk in Beauty.
Sure wish I could have been there with you to capture that image. The small puffy clouds really add to it. Nice!
Hey Ron. It’s great to hear from you. We talked at length with Judy and Bill this morning. I would have loved for you to have been there with us. What a good adventure. I think that popcorn cirrus and horsetail cirrus are my two favorite cloudforms. They add so much fun to a composition. Be safe and well, my Friend.
Don, Thanks for he wonderful image of Capitol Reef. For me he early morning light and the cirrus cloud display made the image. Nicely done. Took me back a number of years when I was here with you and the wonderful cloud formation that made the icing on the cake that day, even though we didn’t have the early light. Memories are so wonderful!
Hey Chuck. It’s always great to have you with me. Memories are, indeed, more than wonderful. And we have shared many with you, my Friend, and more to come. I think of the wonderful display you created for the library in Macon County and the fun it was to see your work so appreciated by others. Popcorn cirrus clouds are an interesting addition to any composition, and when they can be added to red rock, the outcome is typically worthwhile. Stay safe, be well and take good care.
Wow! I wish we had those clouds when we were there. Maybe in 2021. Love the way you balanced the sky with the rest of the image. Really enjoying the textures throughout the picture, the lines leading you through the mountains (for me, right to left), and the patterns in the clouds. I think having the tree on the left in the scene was crucial. At first, I thought the scene was not level, but by having the tree there, you answered that question for me, and anyone else having that thought enter their mind..
Hey Kev. It’s great to have you with me! Good cloudforms above the Capitol are not uncommon, but as you and I discovered in 2017, nor are they everyday assurances. I’m surely hoping that 2021 will be the charm. I started out using the cottonwood on the left as part of a framing device for the Capitol, but you’re right, it does come in handy as a leveling element for the layers of rock. The focal length of the image is so wide that it’s a challenge to draw texture from the elements of the composition. I think the clouds go a long way toward aiding in that effort. We are really looking forward to being there in 2021 with you and Elizabeth and everyone else on this adventure. Walk in Beauty and stay safe.
Very good afternoon, Everyone. Thank you all for joining me for this conversation. It is a pleasure to see the many diverse thoughts and observations that are evoked by the red rock country of Capitol Reef. As Ray Foote reminded us, these public lands are for all of us, and it is our solemn right to enjoy them, as well as our solemn obligation to preserve and protect them. As a 73-year-old traveler, there are places in these sacred lands I will never see, never touch, never feel their winds, never revel in their clouds. I am all right with that, but it does not mean that I will wish any more to have them developed for whatever they may contain. I would rather do without than to see them destroyed for a single rock or tree. May we all be safe and Walk in Beauty.