For a while now I’ve been meaning to do a series of black and white photographs of the Southwest. I’ve made a few trips to the National Parks of Utah recently with this in mind . This series has photographs from Arches, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Parks, and Valley of the Fire State Park. In particular, I tried to find images that featured trees. Many of the trees in these parks are old or dead. Their twisted and gnarled shapes make for some wonderful compositions. Perhaps my favorite trail was the Navajo Knobs trail in Capitol Reef. This trail has volcanic rock and a plethora of dead junipers that make for perfect black and white compositions.
Black and White Conversion Process
I like to create contrasty black and white images to highlight these features. I start with a color digital file. I use the high contrast red filter in Photoshop to achieve this effect. I start with the presets of the filter and then adjust the individual color levels accordingly. I often lower the yellow percentage just a little and lower the Cyan and Blue levels even more to darken the sky.
Fruita Barn, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Little Finland, Lake Mead, NV
Snow Canyon, UT
Snow Canyon, UT
Arch, Rainbow Vista, Valley of the Fire State Park, NV
I backpacked into Missouri Lakes basin in the Holy Cross Wilderness in Colorado. I intended to complete the loop with Fancy Pass but too much snow at the top of the pass. I got hailed on twice but it was worth the effort. I saw an amazing sunset and the alpenglow on the mountains was stunning this morning. The basin has three large lakes and a number of small tarns that make for great reflection photography. I even caught a couple of brook trout out of the middle Missouri Lake. En route to the lakes, a number of cascades and waterfalls make the hard hike an enjoyable one.
Trail Description
The trail starts at the Missouri Lakes trailhead after an 11 mile drive on Forest Service roads. It begins gently as the trail parallels the creek. After a half a mile it begins to ascend more steeply. At around one mile, you are treated to a beautiful double waterfall. Unofruntately, there is no way to get close to the falls as the area is surrounded by dense undergrowth. Just ahead, a little pond is a good place to stop and grab a snack. From here, the trail begins ascending steeply and the trail becomes rocky. Cascade after cascade can be seen along the creek. At one point, the trail crosses the creek. Here, a the creek cascades through a granite gorge. The trail levels out monetarily as it crosses a boggy meadow. The trees start to thin as you approach Missouri Lakes basin. The first lake soon comes into view around mile 3. A number of small tarns can be found off trail just before the lake. A number of good camping sites can be found in this area. After passing the first lake, the trail makes a hard right turn up the hillside and the second lake can be found about 200 feet higher. The trail passes the second lake and the third lake comes into view on the left. For those wanting to take in the view, the trail climbs very steeply up to the pass. Snow will remain here into August this year it looks like.
Missouri Creek cascade, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Missouri Creek cascade, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Missouri Creek cascade, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
View from Missouri Pass, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Tarn, Missouri Lakes basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Tarn, Missouri Lakes basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Tarn, Missouri Lakes Basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Tarn, Missouri Lakes Basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Tarn, Missouri Lakes Basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Tarn, Missouri Lakes Basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Tarn, Missouri Lakes Basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Tarn, Missouri Lakes Basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
Middle Missouri Lake inlet, Missouri Lakes Basin, Holy Cross Wilderness, CO
The long hike to King Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness is worth the effort. Near the end, you are rewarded with great views, rushing water, and abundant wildflowers. Getting there requires a 6.5 mile hike from the Hessie Trailhead near Nederland, CO. The trail begins steeply as it climbs over a rocky slope before reaching a trail divide after 1.5 miles. Veer left (the right branch goes toward Jasper Lake). The trail crosses the creek and climbs past a beautiful waterfall. You reach a trail divide again at mile marker 2.5. Keep straight. Then the trail enters the forest and climbs only gradually for the next three miles. Not many views are found during this portion of the hike. Finally, the trail joins up with the creek again at around mile 5.5. The next mile is steep as it switch backs up to a meeting with the Betty and Bob Lakes trail. Just past the junction you have to cross the creek to reach King Lake. In high water, the creek can be crossed easier to the right and then skirting back to the trail through some large boulders. Finally, after a long hike, you reach the pretty shores of King Lake.
The South Fork of Middle Boulder Creek, King Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
King Lake outlet, King Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
The South Fork of Middle Boulder Creek, King Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
The South Fork of Middle Boulder Creek, King Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
The South Fork of Middle Boulder Creek, King Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
The South Fork of Middle Boulder Creek, King Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
The South Fork of Middle Boulder Creek, King Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
King Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
King Lake outlet, King Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
King Lake outlet, King Lake Trail, Indian Peaks Wilderness, CO
Black Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is a long but rewarding hike in the Glacier Gorge area of the park. The hike features a couple of beautiful lakes (including its namesake) and several waterfalls, including the elegant Ribbon Falls. Ribbon Falls is a thin slip of a waterfall that descends a wide section of granite just below Black Lake. Along the way, hikers are treated to several other cascades along Glacier Creek.
Trail Description
The hike to Black Lake starts at the Glacier Gorge trailhead. The trail climbs steadily to Alberta Falls, about a mile up the trail. The falls thunders over the rocks. Although it’s only a 25 foot drop, the falls is quite a sight. This is the end of the road for many a hiker. But the fun is just beginning. Another small waterfall can be found just a few switchbacks up the trail. The falls is tucked into a little hidden alcove. Continuing up the trail, you reach a trail junction at mile 1.7 and bear right. The left branch heads to the boulder field atop Long’s Peak. Here, the trail cuts across a flat section of trail and approaches the canyon where lakes are located. At mile 2.2, the trail divides again–the left branch heads toward Mills and Black Lakes, the right toward the Loch. The trail climbs a series of steps and crosses the creek just before reaching Mills Lake. Mills Lake is a calm respite and provides a good spot to grab a snack near the half-way point of the hike. Try and spot a trout in its calm, shallow waters.
The trail then goes along the left side of the lake and parallels the creek for the next mile. This section of trail ascends gradually and makes its way through an area of tree blowdown. At mile 4, the trail begins to ascend more steeply. The thunderous sound of Ribbon Falls greets you at mile 4.5. This is a hard waterfall to photograph given its unique structure. Going wide here will help. You can walk off trail and reach the bottom of Ribbon Falls. The next sight is the outlet of Black Lake. The mountains in the background frame the falls beautifully. Amending the steps above the outlet, you finally reach Black Lake.
I have been meaning to hike Picket Wire Canyon near La Junta, CO for some time now, but I kept putting it off. I finally went down there to do a hike to the dinosaur tracks. The wait was worth it. The hike is a long one but the canyon is very green compared to the surrounding landscape. The wildflowers were also blooming in abundance due to some recent spring rains.
The Hike
The trail starts at the Withers trailhead about 45 minutes south of La Junta. The trail quickly descends into the canyon from the parking lot and loses about 250 feet in elevation. Once in the main canyon, wildflowers dot the landscape including prickly primrose, sunflowers, and cholla cactus. An old ranch house is reached after a mile. The next landmark is a cemetery located 3.7 miles from the trailhead. In this stretch of trail, views open up of the canyon and the Purgatory River below. The dinosaur tracks are found another 1.5 miles down the trail. Several Brontosaurus tracks tracks can be seen here. An even bigger collection can be found just across the river, but due to high water, I decided not to wade it. The hike is 11.6 miles round trip. There is very little shade so bring plenty of water.
Directions
Picket Wire Canyon is located south of LaJunta. Take highway 109 from La Junta and turn onto the signed dirt road top the right after 13 miles. The road will turn at mile 8 toward the canyon. Follow this road for 6 miles. One final turn is required and this road goes 3 miles to the trailhead. The way is well-signed.
Niwot and Erie High Schools met in the First Round of the CHSAA 4A Girl’s Soccer playoffs yesterday. Niwot capped a crazy comeback with a goal in the 2nd overtime to advance to the 2nd Round. Erie led 3-2 with :25 left in regulation but failed to properly throw in the ball deep in Niwot’s end. Niwot took advantage of the miscue going the length of the field to score the tying goal with 17 seconds left. It was a fun game to photograph as the girls were playing hard as any number of players dove for balls or took hard hits. A light rain also was falling throughout the game. Kudos to both teams for a hard fought, action-packed game.
I decided to hike to Calf Creek Falls in the Escalante National Monument near Escalante, Utah this past weekend. Cloudy weather had put a damper on my plans to do some hiking along the Hole-in-the-Rock Road, so I stopped at the trailhead for the falls. Calf Creek Falls is a beautiful reward after a somewhat easy 3-mile hike through a pretty, riparian canyon. The trail follows Calf Creek as it meanders through a deep canyon. Along the way, many species of trees and birds can be spotted. A number of Claret Cup cacti were blooming with their scarlet flowers as well. The only drawback to the hike is that is features walking though deep sand the land mile or so. The falls is tucked away at the end of the canyon.
The trailhead for Calf Creek Falls is located about 15 miles form Escalante or 13 miles south of Boulder Town along Highway 12.
Claret cup cactus in bloom along the Calf Creek Falls trail, UT
Claret cup cactus in bloom along the Calf Creek Falls trail, UT
Calf Creek Falls, UT
Calf Creek Falls, UT
Calf Creek Falls, UT
Claret cup cactus in bloom along the Calf Creek Falls trail, UT
Claret cup cactus in bloom along the Calf Creek Falls trail, UT
I made a short trip to Capitol Reef National Park this past weekend. The cottonwoods were just leafing out so it was a great time to be there. I explored some new places and went to an old standby. Overall, it was a fun trip but I wish the weather had been better so I could have explored Escalante National Monument. Coyote Gulch will have to wait.
Sheets Canyon
This is a short hike to a pretty slot canyon on the east side of the park. Sheets Canyon is located off the Notom Road. The trailhead is located just before the pavement ends, about 12 miles down the road. The hike wanders through the Sheets Canyon wash for about a mile before the walls narrow. There are some very interesting rock formation in the canyon. The narrows stretches for about 1/2 mile and then the canyon widens. The walls are quite high in this area so it is still an interesting through this part of the canyon. There are a few chokcsotnes you have to scramble over in the narrows section but nothing too difficult.
Cohab Canyon
The trail to Cohab Canyon is located near the Fruita barn just before the main campground in Capitol Reef. It climbs steeply up a series of switchbacks before leveling off at the entrance to Cohab Canyon. Just before the entrance there are some interesting rock formations and trees that make great photography subjects. The canyon itself, has pink or orange walls, and is quite pretty. The walls are pockmarked with holes, alcoves, and other cool features. In about 1/2 mile, the trail veers to the left and ascends to a view of Fruita and the campground below. The one way total is just under 2 miles.
Navajo Knobs Trail
The Navajo Knobs trail leads to a panoramic overlook after a hard 4.7 mile hike. Luckily, the views are pretty spectacular most of the way so making the top isn’t a requirement to get a great view. The trail starts about a mile from the visitor’s center along the main park road. It climbs steeply and intersects with the Hickman Bridge trail in about half a mile. Veer right at the junction and continue to climb up to a great view of Pectol’s Pyramid across the valley. At mile 2.5, the trail comes to a view of the Fremont River and you are looking back across at the visitor’s center. From here, the trail descends for about 3/4 of a mile which of course leaves a steep ascent back up a long ramp. At this point, the views are amazing. One last side canyon has to be routed around before reaching the top. This is a steep and long hike but the effort is worth it. Views can be had in any direction from here.
Sulfur Creek
Sulfur Creek features a neat waterfall after a short 1 mile hike. Take the trail to the right of the visitor’s center and veer around to the back of it. When you come to the creek, head toward a power line straight across the creek. You can also head left down stream but the walk is much longer and wetter this way. After climbing a short rise you will come to a lime kiln on the right and then the trail cuts back down to Sulfur Creek. The waterfall is about .75 of a mile from the visitor’s center. It isn’t particularly large but the scene is pretty with the read rock of Sulfur Canyon framing the shot.
Cohab Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Cohab Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Cohab Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Cohab Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Cohab Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Cohab Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Cohab Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Sunset, Fruita Barn, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Panoramic view, Navajo Knobs trail, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Panoramic view, Navajo Knobs trail, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Navajo Knobs trail in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Sunrise, Waterpocket Fold, Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Sheets Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Sheets Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Sheets Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Sheets Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Star trails above Chimney Rock in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Claret Cup cactus blooms in Capitol Reef National Park, UT
I drove out to the Carrizo Plain National Monument on a recent trip to California in hopes of seeing the superbloom there. Other than fickle weather, I was not disappointed. The flowers were everywhere. The most abundant places to see wildflowers in Carrizo Plain were near Soda Lake and up in the foothills of the Temblor Range, along the Elkhorn Road, just past the Wallace Creek marker. The south side of Soda Lake had some of the densest patches of flowers I’ve seen. I drove along the Simmler raid to the ELkhorn Road and this seemed to have the densest flowers. The park rangers had said people had gotten stuck on the Simmler Road but this would be quite difficult. It was a little sandy in a couple of spots but otherwise was drivable in a car. Unfortunately, the wind was howling the day I was there so it was hard to capture the wildflowers’ beauty without a little motion blur.
I camped in dispersed camping along the south end of the Elkhart Road. I froze overnight in my tent in the park. It got down to 34 degrees and I was only prepared to camp in the much warmer desert areas.
If you’re planning to visit Carrizo Plain National Monument, it is about a 45 minute drive from San Luis Obispo or a two hour drive from Gorman, near the Antelope Poppy Reserve. I drove in 5to the park from the south on highway 58. It was a beautiful drive as even the hills along the road were filled with flowers.
I recently tried out a Sigma 85mm 1.4 for sports photography. Sigma’s new Art series lens has certainly been getting some positive press in other areas so I’d thought I’d try it out for sports photography. I shot some high school basketball games with it to test the autofocus, sharpness, and vignetting. All-in-all, the Sigma performed very well. I tested the lens on a Canon 1DX Mark II at the Denver Coliseum, a moderately well-lit venue.
Autofocus
Perhaps the most important element for sports photography is autofocus. A lens has to be capable of fast and consistent autofocus. The Sigma definitely has one of these 2 traits and isn’t too bad on the other front. Its autofocus is very fast. In fact, it is faster than a Canon 70-200 2.8 L! The the lens isn’t quite as accurate as I’d like, but consistency wasn’t a major factor either. For example, out of 30 shots I might have 3 that are out of focus with the 70-200 2.8 L but the Sigma would get more like 7-8 out of focus over that same stretch. While 75% is still a good hit rate, it’s not in the league of the top Canon lenses for sure.
Sharpness
As far as sharpness goes, the Sigma 85 1.4 is stunning. I would say the lens is razor sharp at most apertures except for under f2.0. This is truly extraordinary performance from an 85mm lens.
Drawbacks
Well, everything good in life has a price and weight is the price you will pay for the high performance of this lens. The Sigma weighs in at 40 oz. If you think of it as a replacement for a 70-200 2.8, the weight won’t bother you so much. But if you’re used to lightweight primes, the size of this lens will probably bug you a lot. The narrow depth of field at wide apertures is also a drawback. I am not one to drool over shots taken at f1.4 with completely blurred backgrounds. In addition to the background being blurred, so is much of the subject at this aperture. This was no different for sports. The extremely narrow depth of field combined with some issues of autofocus inaccuracy makes this lens virtually unusable for moving subjects below f2.0 unless you’re willing to put up with a lot of images going in the trash bin.
Recommendation
At apertures like f2.5 and 2.8, I really loved this lens for basketball. Having an extra stop of light when you need it like in poorly lit high school gyms is one reason to highly recommend this lens for some types of sports photography. And of course, this lens just cannot be beat for portraits. If you are in need of an 85mm lens, look no further than the Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art.
