An Adventure to Remember
After exploring Zion National Park (including a stunning night shoot) I woke up with my two girlfriends at 4am to make a drive to a small slot canyon outside of...
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After exploring Zion National Park (including a stunning night shoot) I woke up with my two girlfriends at 4am to make a drive to a small slot canyon outside of Zion. We followed a river for a mile or so, sometimes in the river, sometimes clamoring over giant rocks, and once avoiding an unhappy snake. By 7am we came to the mouth of the canyon, and plunged into the frigid, knee deep waters. Despite the 100+ soaring degree temperatures, our feet were soon numb and light jackets were required. But a short time later we found what we had come for - this waterfall - and handmade ladder to more small falls and narrower canyon above. I cannot wait to return someday!
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Jan, 2014Views
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Winner in Views From The Hiking Trail Photo Challenge
Winner in The Wild West Photo Challenge
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Contest Finalist in Adventure Land Photo Contest Outside Views
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kathyk_abq
September 13, 2016
WOW! How I would love to have been with you! I love Zion and slot canyons!
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billgardam
May 28, 2017
The ladder makes this shot from my perspective. There are so many images of this sort that strain to avoid any man made elements but in this case i think the contrast adds a unique aspect. I LOVE your written description. :)
antbandarez
June 17, 2017
Often it's the adventure leading up prior to even taking the photo that make the final product much more!
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken in a slot canyon in Kanarraville, Utah. It's a short-ish drive from Zion National Park. This is a surprisingly popular little hike, and definitely friendly even for a beginning adventurer despite the beautiful payoff at the end. You follow Kanarra Creek into this slot canyon, and then you find this waterfall. You can climb the ladder and go higher up into the canyon as well.Time
We left Zion around 6 am so that it wouldn't be too hot for the hike, and so we would be done early enough we could drive to Vegas after. We started the hike around 7 am, dawdled and took lots of photos, I'd say it was around 8 am. As we were leaving, more people were coming up the trail, but we were the only ones out there that early. It definitely gets chilly in the canyon, even in late June, because of the water. And it's hot outside of the water, so be prepared for everything!Lighting
I don't mind that the back of the image is "blown out" at all - it was that bright and beautiful and warm in person, too. It's a tricky spot to shoot as the waterfall is still darker than the area above, and a totally different temperature. It's tricky to accurately reproduce the warmth and coolness that share the space.Equipment
This was taken with my old (now long-retired) workhorse, the Nikon D300. I had a Nikon 16mm 2.8 fisheye, and a tripod. Due to the distorted nature of the lens, although my tripod was at the shortest extension (the legs were fully collapsed) this still manages to look like a large space.Inspiration
I wanted to share with others the adventures that await in their own backyards. I love to travel, I love to explore, I love to leave the expected areas and see what I can find. I also wanted to share with others that you don't have to be in the best shape of your life to go and do and experience amazing things and places. This place, while incredibly beautiful and special and while it holds a piece of my heart thanks to the memories I made there, this place is accessible to anyone who wants to make the small effort. It's proof that you don't need to go far to find really moving experiences.Editing
This was a simple case of processing the image once for the warmth of the walls, and again for the coolness of the water. Some light blending of the two, some contrast adjustments, and a slight cropping led to the final image.In my camera bag
I don't leave home without my D800 and Sigma 50mm 1.4 ART, I also love my Sigma 24mm ART lens, and when traveling I make sure to have my Nikon 80-400. I usually have at least one Nikon SB900 flash, too. I always have plenty of back up batteries and memory cards, a lens cloth, an ND filter, a CPL, and usually a Snickers bar and a bottle of water. Also lip balm, nail file, and small scissors.Feedback
Be prepared when you go out to shoot a landscape. This was in a scorching hot part of the world, I have a photo of a thermometer reading 116 degrees. But in the canyon, with your feet in the icy, fast moving, water, it was quite cool, and at one point my teeth were chattering despite wearing a jacket. You have to be ready for extreme temperatures, you need to have safe drinking water and snacks, and you need to have friends who know where you're going and when you're expected back. Even a small adventure can turn into a grand misadventure if you aren't prepared with extra gear (yes, a lightweight jacket and dry socks are great things to roll into your camera bag, even in the desert) and you need to be ready for potential mishaps. Taking an adventure you want to photograph is great, but remember: you aren't at an amusement park. There's no safety nets or employees to help you if you get lost. Nature doesn't mess around!
