Photography in Bryce Canyon
Patience and Determination Pay Off
Last October, I made my way across Utah on my way home from the North Cascades in the state of Washington.
After a week or so in the San Rafael Swell area, I meandered my way along the Dixie National Highway.
A drive down Highway 24 took me through Capitol Reef National Park for a stop in Torrey. Of course, I just had to visit my friends at Dark Sky Coffee. A couple who Joelle and I met a few years back when we spent a few days in Capitol Reef. They run a cute little coffee drive through (something I dreamed about for a long time) right outside the park. Great Coffee should you ever stop. If you do, be sure to mention that you read about them from Rob, the drone guy from Florida.
From there, I decided I would drive the 80 plus mile Dixie Highway; highway 12 all the way up and through the mountains, down through Escalante, and into Bryce.
Given the weather pattern, it was a safe bet that I could possibly and finally gather the sunrise shot I had been hoping to nab for a number of years.
Happily, I was able to.
I set up the van inside the National Forest near where Ed and I stayed the last time I drove through. I made dinner and planned out where I would attempt to do some early morning photography.
Up the next morning at around 5am, I made coffee and oatmeal, took down the van, and headed into the National Park for sunrise.
Bryce Canyon National Park, like Zion National Park, runs a bus system. The public is forced to use it during the daytime hours. In an effort to reduce traffic inside the park, they run busses to move people around all day. I hate the bus system, but understand how it benefits the park. If, however, you are like me, and you enter the park before the sun is even up, you bypass the bus system and can drive your vehicle inside the park.
Happily, I head up to the location I would be photographing.
I photographed for the morning from 2 locations. Inspiration Point and then, after capturing the sunrise over the Amphitheater view I headed over to the Navajo Loop Trail to make my way down to do some fun photography of what is known as Thor’s Hammer. Perhaps the most iconic Hoodoo inside the park boundaries.
If you wish to follow the adventure, I’ve created a Youtube Video (attached below) which, in it’s description, does actually give you exact map and GPS coordinates where I was standing when I took the respective shots.
HDR Capture
For the shot over the Amphitheater I chose to use a technique called Bracketing. This is when you take a series of shots in varying exposures without moving the camera to later put every shot together into one in order to get a High Dynamic Range photo. This option was chosen because there would be a vast disparity in the exposure settings required for the sky and the canyon, one much brighter than the other.
In order to do this, one must use a tripod. The camera cannot be moved at all in order to accomplish this bracketed set of photos.
I use my Nikon D500 auto bracketing settings to get the camera to do this. So, say, for example, I set it to take 7 shots in total. One in the center, or what the camera thinks is “perfect” and then 3 in varying degrees of over exposed and then 3 in varying degrees in under exposed.
I then set my camera “continuous” shooting to take exactly 7 shots in a row from the push of the shutter button.
The machine does the rest.
From there, it’s simply coming home, merging them together to get the shot you see here.
Once this shot was fully completed, I packed up (and tried to warm up…it was 22 degrees) and headed to Thor’s Hammer.
Starburst and a Hammer
I am quite fond of the scene in Avengers Infinity War when Thor shows up in Wakanda. Thanos’ army is wreaking havoc. The entire population needs desperate help. They are getting their asses kicked. In a rather dramatic form in the scene He lands and just cleans house with his new Axe.
I decided it might be kinda’ fun to see if I could get a starburst shot near the hammer itself in the canyon. Giving the appearance that Thor has breached the atmosphere and is coming to pick it up.
I was able to get this shot and it was a lot of fun.
In order to obtain the starburst shot like this you must remember to do two things.
The camera aperture needs to be as high as you can manage. If your lens hits f 22, set it at 22. Highest is best.
You cannot fully expose the sun. The sun can only be barely visible either on the horizon (as in the shot of the canyon) or peeking around an object, say, a tree, a persons shoulder (like in the shot of Levi below) or as it is behind this giant rock to the right of the hammer.
Ultimately I had to maneuver around the rock formations to put the sun in the right spot, but in this case, it really worked. I like this shot.
Once I obtained the shots…sadly, I needed to move on. I was in somewhat of a hurry because of some Flower Shop drama that required me to get back to Florida.
This was not before, however, I would make my way to get the shot at Valley Of Fire I have also longed to get for some time.
Subscribe and stay tuned. That journey journal is around the corner.
Until next time
rob out
