Southeast of Moab the La Sal Loop Road pauses above the deep gash of Mill Creek Canyon before descending to cross the narrow chasm. From that vantage, the broad, flat shoulder of ridge between Horse Creek and Brumley Creek watersheds leads the eye slowly upward toward the rise of Mt. Mellenthin before curving south into the deeply incised Brumley headwaters drainage that eventually ascends to the heights of Mt. Peale, at 12, 721′ often, as here, shrouded in cloud. Across the lower reaches of that forested shoulder, Gamble oaks and small junipers spray an autumn palette of color, while higher up thick groves of aspen, some leaf-bare and others still in golden splendor, cover the mountain. Still higher the great conifers reign, but crowning them all beyond the tree line the high peaks of the La Sals stand tall and shining in the season’s first dressings of snow. I was far enough removed from even the nearest foreground that a focal length of 150mm took in a fairly wide angle of view. An aperture of f/20 gave depth-of-field (f/11 would have been sufficient here), and a shutter speed of 1/10 second at ISO 100 gave me an overall medium exposure. This, too, is the glory of the Colorado Plateau.
Geography, Photography and Place Names- lovely image and prose- thank you for the lesson- love that plateau.
Oh, wow. This image (and last week’s) captured the way I used to feel when I lived out there: the color, the scope, the variety, the distance, the light. Thanks!
The shift from yellow/orange to blue/green in the distance is splendid.
Another epic view that looks untouched by man. How do you find all these places? I love the contrasts in the colors, seasons, soft slopes to jagged ridges.
I just arrived in Orlando for the holiday and it feels and looks like the other side of the world from that image. Thanks for sharing this special place.
Don, I really love this one. Not much I can add to the excellent observations of your other guests. The juxtaposition of warm and cool colors is always a good recipe and the fact that colors cool as they recede give this image enormous depth without regard to the actual depth geographically. The comment on the varying textures is right on as well. Sometimes I think, “If I had my life to live over”, but then I can’t so I continue to try to live in the moment. I lost a good friend unexpectedly yesterday so I guess I am a little melancholy today. I doubt that I will ever see this in person but there is beauty as close as my backyard so I will enjoy that while I can and try not to worry about what might have been.
Good evening Everyone. What a pleasure to have you all join me for this Image. Bonnie and I arrived home from Seattle about an hour ago, so the past eight days have been somewhat hectic. Neither emotionally nor philosophically do I have a problem with air travel; I just don’t prefer to fly, so it’s great to be home. Marie, thank you for those lovely comments. I do have a deeply-seated philosophical and spiritual belief that part of my creative joy comes from the connections I make with all of the places I visit. In my own mind, it is those connections that enable me to “see” images in the first place; and I do not believe I could make the connections if I did not know how those places came to be and how they are known to us. Wanting those connections is what compels me to learn what I learn, but the joy comes from sharing them. Hi Nancy Y., I’m really glad that my images can evoke such pleasant memories for you, especially for the reasons you mentioned. I have those same responses when I am there. Perhaps you could consider joining us in 2016, and, if not, please continue to reminisce through what I share from these special places. Joel, thanks for your kind comment about the presentation of tonal contrast here. This part of the Southwest is one of the areas of our beautiful world where tonal shifts and contrasts are so prominent; and it is truly fun to play with those possibilities. I appreciate your bringing it forward for us to consider in this image. I am always thrilled when my guests notice and point out the contrasts that an image may offer. Hi Nancy T., thank you for joining us and, as always, for your thoughtful insights: so many contrasts to consider. Contrast is, in my mind, one of the most powerful of graphic design principles. Have a wonderful visit with your family in the Sunshine State, and a joy-filled Christmas and New Year, too. Dorsey, I know that my own reflections on beauty in the context of my daily life can produce deep melancholy and equally deep joy. Perhaps that is why beauty is such a powerful force in our lives. If an image reinforces a melancholy, there must be some good reason for you to recognize its presence within you – not to dwell on it but to use it as a pathway to yourself and from there back to a connection with the joy. Since I did not become a professional photographer until I was 46, I sometimes ponder the same “what if…” question you have mentioned; but it does me no good. Being grateful for the “now” seems to be the only way to make sense of it. I am sad to hear of your loss. I agree, too: the beauty at our fingertips will always more than compensate for the beauty we may never see. It is all the same beauty. Thank you for sharing your feelings with us. May we all walk in the light you offer for us to see. Thanks, again, to Everyone. Your comments and observations certainly add to the beauty around us.