Bryce Canyon, Utah

Hello from Bryce Canyon, Utah! I'm posting this image as a teaser, and to let my family and friends know I'm safe, sound and having a great time. I'll be back tonight to write after another day of shooting. Happy trails.....

....Well, I'm back. After a couple of long shooting days at Bryce Canyon National Park, I'm ready to reflect on some of what I've seen. Bryce is located between 8000 and 9000 feet. The air is cooler and thinner up here! Yesterday we got up before sunrise and headed out in the dark to Sunset Point. Having arrived after dark the night before, I had only other photographers' images to help me imagine what might appear before my eyes.

The first morning, Beth and I were the first to arrive, and we successfully staked out the best vantage point at Sunset Point. The canyon at sunrise did not disappoint. As the sun edged its way up due east, it gradually illuminated the canyon, revealing it in all its splendour. All around the bowl of the rim were the hundreds, if not thousands, of hoodoos that form The Silent City, carved in the rock over thousands of years. It is truly spectacular.

The mornings were cold, but it was well worth getting up early. This morning we chose Inspiration Point, and enjoyed a short hike along the Rim Trail wearing headlights to guide us in the dark. It was quite a sensation, knowing the canyon was just a few steps to the right. Once settled for sunrise, I realized we were walking along the top of the hoodoos of the future.

Bryce Canyon is not easy to photograph! At least not without feeling like an imitator. There are images of Bryce Canyon everywhere. Regardless of wanting to "make it my own", these hoodoos are a magnet for the camera. After getting this out of my system, some of my favourite images don't show the canyon at all!