Sunrise - Sedona Day 3

This morning I rose early to greet the sun. Sedona is usually known for sunset images.

I call this image "Fire on the Horizon"

35mm, f/8, 1/125s, -1.0 EV

The Old Man of the River

Yes, this is Sedona. And no it isn't a red rock at sunset. However, it was a striking image when I saw it through the viewfinder:

The Old Man of the River

I love sycamore trees. Their light colored bark often provides a highlight to an image. Here in Arizona the local variety is very attractive.

This morning we drove up Oak Creek Canyon above the red rock country. Sedona sets at the base of a plateau that separates northern and southern Arizona. Oak Creek has cut a deep canyon, and we went looking for images of moving water.

We found the moving water in abundance (hint, more to come) but while scrambling around the boulders in search of an angle I saw this tree. The tenacity shown by the tree's exposed roots for the claim to it's space on the bank was inspiring.

For you LOTR fans: Tom Bombadil Lives !!

Cathedral Rock - Sedona

We are spring breaking in Arizona this week. We are starting off with several days in Sedona. Of course, that means sunsets and red rocks! But there is much more than that. Stay tuned

One of the iconic images from Sedona is Cathedral Rocks from the edge of Oak Creek. Here is my image:

I'm pleased with the way the image came out. I would call this the 75-cent version. The $1 version is the famous image with the pinnacles reflected in Oak Creek. However, this time of year the spring runoff is still in progress so the river is rough and muddy (no reflections, boo...) I guess that is a reason to return in the fall when the creek is low :-))

The light was great, but you could ask for a little more cloud action behind the peak, but the rich blue sky is a plus.

Photo geek info: Nikon D7000, 35-70mm, f/8 @ 1/750s. Conversion in ACR

A Secret Smile

When we were in Sedona earlier this year I found this statue setting in a corner of a courtyard. The artist provided the young lady with a special smile. Enjoy the image!

Courthouse Rock Sunset

This image is of Courthouse Rock. This butte formation is found south of Sedona, AZ on Highway 179. The light, clouds and formation came together to produce one of my favorite images of our trip.

Bell Rock (one of the famous vortex and photographic sites of Sedona) is about 45 degrees to the left of where this photo was taken. But by this time only the tip of the rock was left exposed to the setting sun.

Shot with a Nikon D90 and Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens. PP in Capture NX2 and Photoshop CS4

Cathedral Rock at Sunset

One of our outings while in Sedona was a hike to Cathedral Rock. The westerly view of this formation is probably one of the most iconic views for Sedona. I'm still deciding which image from that view I will post ;-))

As we were driving back towards Oak Creek clouds moved in and started masking the sunlight, making wonderful bands of brightness and shadows on the rock formations.

This is Cathedral Rock from the south. We waited for what seemed a long time and finally got this image with the foreground and the top of the rock in the bright sunshine and the base of the rock in shadow.

Shot with D90/18-105mm VR. Post processed in Capture NX2 and PS4

A Quiet Corner

Here is another image from Arizona. This trip came after some involuntary downtime from photography. I went with a plan to practice some new things and break some old habits. The desert light provides many opportunities, especially to get re-inspired following the dreary midwestern winter. I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do.

This quiet corner appeared in an art plaza near downtown Sedona. It was a very enjoyable place for a few minutes of mid-morning sun. The walls kept away the sounds of the street, as did the murmuring of the sycamore leaves.

As you can tell, there is a lot of range of light in this scene. Yes, this is an HDR-processed image. Three images, with a bracket of +/- 1EV. Tone mapping was done in Photomatix Pro and final finishing in PS CS4

Montezuma's Castle - Arizona

One of our stops while on vacation was at Montezuma Castle National Monument. This is a well preserved Sinagua Indian cliff dwelling. The Sinagua people lived in various types of structures throughout the Verde valley.



The Montezuma Castle site was originally settled about 1000 years ago, and abandoned about 400 years later.

These photos were shot in Raw and post-processed in Capture NX2.

Sedona - The Chapel

This image was taken in Sedona, AZ during our recent trip. I enjoyed the shape of dome and crucifix against the blue sky with the wispy clouds.

Image taken with a Nikon D90, 35-70mm F/2.8 lens. PP in CaptureNX2 and Photoshop CS4

Spring Break - Arizona

We are in Arizona for a spring break get-away. There have been many photo opportunities and images taken. Just no time to post any!

As an appetizer here are three images from our time in Phoenix and Sedona.



There will be more images to come, including baseball from the Cactus League.

I've been shooting with nearly all my gear. Very little PP on these first images except to re-size and sharpen.