Trail to Rainbow Bridge
Red rock trail off Lake Powell Utah to the Rainbow Bridge rock formation
Red rock trail off Lake Powell Utah to the Rainbow Bridge rock formation
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Mar, 2019Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on the trail to the Rainbow Bridge National Monument after a 2 hour boat ride on Lake Powell to get to the trail. The Rainbow Bridge arch (around the corner out of this shot) is the world's highest national arch. It is also a very spiritual sacred place.Time
We arrived at the trail head around 4pm. There was a nice mix of sun and shadow at that time of day.Lighting
The mix of sunlight and shadows provided nice contrast in the red rock cliffs and the green water.Equipment
I used my Canon 5DMIII, handheld, 24mm, ISO 400, f10.Inspiration
We were super excited to see the Rainbow Bridge. We are big animal lovers and the Native Americans named this natural arch (which is just around the corner from this photo) as a sacred place for animals. I took this particular photo to document our journey. I also loved the colors of the rock and water and the scale of the tiny hikers who were ahead of us on the path.Editing
Most of my post processing on this image was done in Photoshop and Lightroom. Just pushing and pulling the light and intensifying the colors so they look like what I saw in person on this magical day.In my camera bag
For this trip, I had my Canon, my small Sony waterproof camera, my lenses for my Canon - wide 11 to 16mm, zoom to 300mm, and my go to 24-105mm. I have extra batteries, charger, extra cards, my remote shutter/intervalometer, lens clothes, business cards, snacks, filters, $20 (my emergency money!), and rain protection for my camera. I had my tripod with me on our trip but I didn't use it on this hike. I carry this all in my padded camera (Brenthaven) backpack as it's easy to hike with and keeps my equipment safe.Feedback
My most important advice, from my own learning experiences, is to capture scale when out in a grand nature setting like this one. I took photos on an earlier trip to Alaska and didn't think about scale. Oh how I regret that!! The people on the trail in this image showcase just how epic this landscape is and I'm glad I learned that lesson back in Alaska. Now I have to go back to Alaska to get better images! Also, don't rely on digital zoom on a point and shoot camera. You will be so disappointed with the images. Nothing beats a real lens even if it's heavy and harder to transport.
