Old Paria isn’t far from Kanab and made a great side trip.  The old movie set that used to be there is long gone.  Initially it was destroyed in a flood.  The rebuilt version was a victim of arson.  I can understand why it was a desirable place for movie making.  It wasn’t too shabby for still photography either.  I loved the color and textures, especially in the low angled sunlight.

Old Paria

Old Paria

A road trip around the Vermillion Cliffs was a treat.

Vermillion Cliffs in the background. Colorado River carving through the middle ground.

Morning Color of the Vermillion Cliffs

Stone House, Vermillion Cliffs

Inside Looking Out-Stone House, Vermillion Cliffs

Along The Banks of the Colorado River

The only disappointment of the trip was a visit to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.  It’s a unique habitat that’s being destroyed by ORVs.  Less than 20% of the park is conservation area.  The rest is open to ORVs.  I didn’t do much shooting.  It was just too depressing.

David, Coral Pink Sand Dunes-Near Kanab

Me-Coral Pink Sand Dunes

ORV tracks Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Utah

On the last day of our trip, on our way back to Las Vegas, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit Valley of Fire State Park.

Petroglyphs, Valley of Fire

Mouse's Tank, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Approaching the Fire Wave, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Fire Wave, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Fire Wave-Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

We got an early start. The light was dim.  The air temperature was a chilly 44 degrees (F).  There was a light mist rising off the surface of the water.  Within the first few minutes on the river, we came across this trio, looking for breakfast along the bank of the river.  I knew right away, it was going to be a good day for photos!

Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, White Ibis

Great Egret

As the sun rose a little higher, it started “spotlighting” birds beautifully.  I was fortunate to come across several very cooperative models.

One of many Roseate Spoonbills on the river this day

Limpkin

Limpkin Preening

Snowy Egret

This Spoonbill was practically posing for me.

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill

Paddling through a very narrow section of the river where the sun has to fight to make it’s way through.

It’s a bit tougher in this section to isolate birds from the background. Time for a different tactic…

Detail, Green Heron Plummage

Towards the end of our time on the river, we headed up Trout Creek, a tributary of the river.  The water is is practically still.  The river is very narrow and the banks are relatively steep in some areas.

Paddling Trout Creek

Trout Creek

We have been told Trout Creek is home to some of the largest gators on the river.  We paddled this section previously but it was too early in the day for the gators to be out basking.  This time, by the time we paddled this section, the sun was up and it was getting warm.  It didn’t take long for me to see the Alligators were stirring.

American Alligator

We came across this 10 footer basking on a steep bank.  On the Hillsborough, the Alligators are fairly habituated to human activity.  They typically just keep basking as you pass by in a canoe or kayak.  I’m guessing there isn’t nearly as much human activity on Trout Creek. The alligators here, were easily “spooked” hitting the water as we came near.  This one created an impressive wake when he slid down the bank, into the water.

American Alligator

In addition to the birds pictured here, we also saw, Great Blue Heron, Bard Owl, Osprey, Black and Turkey Vultures, Yellow Crowned Night Heron, Black Crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, White Phase Little Blue, Tri-Color Heron, Anhinga, Swallow Tail Kite, Red Tailed Hawk, Red Shouldered Hawk, and numerous song birds.  We also heard a Bald Eagle.  There were at least two species of basking turtles.

I feel like the fisherman telling stories about the one that got away.  For instance, I had never before seen an Everglades Mink (threatened species whose range is limited to the Everglades, Big Cypress, and Fakahatchee Strand).  On this trip, I was fortunate enough to see two (a pair?).  It was nearing dusk and the little buggers move fast.  I would have loved to get a decent photo but this is the best I could do.  See that reddish brown furry looking blob in the middle of the frame?  That’s a camera shy Everglades Mink ducking for cover.  I may never have another chance to photograph one.

Everglades Mink (small furry thing in the middle of the frame, ducking behind the log)

Not long after seeing the Everglades Mink, we came across a Black Bear crossing a limestone road.  It was dark so I had already put my camera away.  I did manage to get it out of the backpack in time to fire off one frame before the bear disappeared into the brush.  The photo is basically a dark mess with an even darker blurry blob (the bear) so I won’t even bother posting it.

On the off chance the bear would be in the same spot at the same time, we traveled the same road the next evening.  Sure enough, the bear was there, same exact time and location, chowing down on Brazilian Pepper berries.  This time, I had my camera ready.  Sadly, it was so dark the photo still sucks.  At least you can tell it’s a bear.

Black Bear

Even though I wasn’t able to get great photos of these animals, it was still a thrill to see them.  At least I have “proof”, even if the photos are awful.

Thankfully, Alligators are abundant, still, and like to hang out in sunlight.  They’re always an easy target.

American Alligator

American Alligator

I even came across a few cooperative snakes.  I’m not sure what kind of snake this is.  I’m pretty sure it’s some sort of water snake.   It’s pattern was obscured by the dust from the limestone road.  It also looked like it was getting ready to shed (cloudy eyes).

There’s no mistaking this snake.  It’s a beautiful Water Moccasin.  For anyone who has heard stories about how these snakes will chase you down and attack, this is one more instance disproving that tired old story.  This snake never attempted to strike.  I was disappointed it wouldn’t even show it’s “cotton mouth”.  It just hung out while I photographed it, even giving me time to change to a macro lens (yes, a macro lens).

Water Moccasin

I had a little fun playing with the shadow of it’s tongue.  When I was done making photos, we “encouraged” the snake off the road so it wouldn’t be run over.

Water Moccasin

For the most part, the light and sky wasn’t ideal for shooting.  One evening, driving out of Fakahatchee Strand, I was treated to a lovely sky.  I thought it made for a nice contrast to the recently burned landscape and leafless Cypress trees(prescribed burn).

Fakahatchee Strand

And of course…there’s always the swamp…a little dry this time of year.

Corkscrew Swamp

I had to include a photo of the iconic "Thor's Hammer"

A view into the amphitheater

There was something about this particular area of the amphitheater that commanded my attention.  As I was editing my images, I found I had photographed it three different days from different vantage points.

The way the light bounces around, giving both direct and reflected light on the formations was truly magical.

A short drive from Bryce Canyon is Kodachrome State Park.  How could I, as a photographer, not go there?  While less spectacular than Bryce, the area is still very much worth visiting.

As if it wasn’t enough to have beautiful sweeping landscapes to appreciate, the view at my feet was quite nice too!

I loved the blue Juniper berries against the orange/red soil.

Kodachrome adjoins Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.  This vast area is home to spectacular landscapes, including a number of slot canyons.

Detail inside a narrow slot canyon

Looking up from the trail in Willis Creek Slot Canyon

Willis Creek Slot Canyon, Grand Staircase Escalante NM

Hah...Note the book title Cats-and How I Photograph Them.

Typically when photographing kittens, I take advantage of the control I have in a studio setting, with both lighting and kitten wrangling.  This time, we selected various locations in the client’s home.  It was a fun change from the studio.  Of course, my assistant, Knicki, had to work her tail off hauling the gear from room to room, crawling under furniture to catch kittens, and trying to read my mind regarding light placement as we followed the kitties around the house.

Luckily, it was a very inviting and attractive home with very friendly and welcoming occupants, both two legged and four legged.

The Virgin River is responsible for carving the steep cliffs and narrow canyons of Zion.

The colors and textures on the cliffs are like an artist's palette, especially in the fall.

Looking down at my feet, I found threads of blue sky reflecting in a thin sheet of water flowing over my path...every square inch of this place is beautiful.

I was treated to this wonderful view on an early morning hike.

Up on the Kolob Plateau, the colors were incredibly rich.

At the upper end of Zion Canyon, the Virgin River has carved an incredible gorge called the Narrows.  With sheer cliffs, 100 feet high in areas, sandstone grottos, and hanging gardens, this hike was one of the highlights of our trip.  Hiking the Narrows is basically hiking IN  the Virgin River.   In many places, the water spans the full (narrow) width of the gorge.  We were fortunate the water level was low enough we didn’t have to swim any sections.  The water was never higher than my waist.  We were thankful we rented dry pants and boots from a local outfitter.  It was a chilly day and the water was ice cold.  With the right gear, we we stayed warm and dry.  I was quite pleased that in eight hours of hiking this canyon, I managed to stay on my feet, despite the swift current and slippery footing.

In addition to Zion, we also visited Bryce Canyon and spent time exploring Grand Staircase/Escalante.  More blog entries to come!