Bryce Canyon National Park | Northern California Landscape Photographer
As I set off on a road trip to Wyoming, a friend messaged me that there was smoke blowing into the Jackson area. I kept watch on the air quality and sadly, it wasn’t looking good. I finally decided that landscape photography and smoke don’t always play well together, so I changed course and headed for Bryce Canyon National Park; a park I had yet to visit. Keeping with my goal of visiting as many of the national parks as I can, this was a perfect pivot! I stopped overnight, and then in the morning headed south to Bryce Canyon NP.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Located in southern Utah, Bryce Canyon National Park stands as a testament to the remarkable forces of nature that have shaped its iconic landscape. Known for its spectacular hoodoos—tall, thin spires of rock that seem to defy gravity - the park offers photographers a dreamlike setting filled with endless opportunities for capturing stunning images. There are so many photography possibilities at Bryce Canyon, along with the challenges of making order from chaos.
There are several iconic viewpoints, but my favorite area is Sunset Point. When I first arrived, I drove along the rim road, stopping at each of the viewpoints along the way just to get a feel for the park views. The weather was remarkably beautiful while I was there, but I took notice of the many warning signs throughout the park about lightening, sudden weather changes, and safety while in the park. The unpredictable, sudden storms are not to be ignored.
Photographer’s Dream
The following morning, I went to Sunset Point for sunrise. It was amazing yet challenging to photograph. As the sun rose in front of me, the hoodoos were backlit. But, the light reflected off the backs of the other hoodoos creating the most beautiful reflective light. I set up my tripod, found my first composition, and then noticed that my battery was about to die. I had not brought my camera bag to the rim so I had no spare batteries with me. Ugh! Rookie mistake! I took as many shots as I dared. Once the sun was up a bit higher, I raced to the car for a new battery. Despite this poor planning on my part, I came away with some beautiful photographs. It was fun working with such an unusual lighting situation, too.
Close-up views.
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I was especially enthused about this visit to Death Valley because of the appearance of Lake Manly which is in some years a dried lake bed full of mud cracks and salt patterns. Beautiful in their own right. But, the occurrence of a hurricane last fall created a wealth of water in the Valley, and so Lake Manly came to life once again as it does so periodically.
When my friend asked if I’d like to join her and several other women photographers on a trip to North Cascades National Park, of course, I said yes. She graciously did all the planning and made all the arrangements for the stay, food, and transportation. All I (we) had to do was get ourselves there with gear and appropriate clothing. How nice is that?
Last October, I held my annual one-day Waterfalls Workshop in Northern California. It’s a day of photographing waterfalls, learning techniques, meeting new friends, and enjoying just being in the mountains. It’s a gorgeous time of year with the color change. Several of the workshop members decided to stay to photograph and enjoy the area for another day. Thinking this was a fabulous idea, I decided to stay as well to enjoy the autumn views in nearby Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Day 4 of our Glacier Bay NP trip was again full of wildlife and landscapes, and a most amazing glacier. The David B traveled along the Muir Inlet to the Reid Inlet passing mountains, icebergs, whales, assorted birds, sea otters, and arriving at Reid Glacier. We photographed from the boat, the skiff, and on land. There was beautiful scenery every direction we looked!
Day 3 of our Glacier Bay NP trip was again full of wildlife and landscapes, and our first view of a most amazing glacier. The David B traveled along the Muir Inlet passing mountains, icebergs, the Reid Glacier, whales, assorted birds, and seals until we rounded the corner to see the magnificent McBride Glacier. Seriously, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life!
Icy Straits and South Sandy Cove were the locations of our Day 2 trip in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Full of beautiful landscapes, wildlife, and abundant nature in every direction, this trip was a photographer’s dream.
For more years than I can remember, I have wanted to visit Alaska. Seems like a reasonable desire, yet over the years different events prevented that from happening. And, there is always the planning - what area to visit, when can I squeeze it in, how will I travel there, and the questions go on. Finally, this summer, everything aligned and I was able to not only visit part of Alaska, I did it with a photography workshop aboard a vintage 1929 boat/ship, the David B.
The roads and trails close during the winter in Mount Lassen Volcanic National Park. But, if you'd like to snowshoe, cross-country ski, or walk the trails, you are welcome to do so. When I arrived at Manzanita Lake during the first week in January, the small parking lot contained two other cars. I knew it would be a great day to enjoy the snow and sun at the lake while being surrounded in nature.
One of the very best things about Lassen is that it is not at all crowded. It's bittersweet, really. We were happy to have few fellow visitors. The trails and viewing areas were not crowded. Yet, it is such a beautiful place, it's a shame more people are not there to enjoy it. It's not a particularly large park as far as national parks go. Certainly not as big as Yellowstone, but it has some of the bubbling mud, sulfur springs, and other features similar to Yellowstone.
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As a published, featured northern California fine art photographer living in the greater Sacramento area, I specialize in fine art landscape, nature, and still life photography. My style is authentic, fresh and personality-driven. I offer several educational opportunities including workshops and photography mentoring. You can learn about them by going to SERVICES and WORKSHOPS. While currently living in rural northern California with my husband and a couple thousand walnut trees, I post regularly to Instagram.
Please CONTACT ME with any questions or to schedule your learning session.
Serving Yuba City/Marysville, East Nicolaus, Wheatland, Lincoln, Woodland, Davis, Roseville, Rocklin, and the greater Sacramento area.
(530) 633-7575
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As I set off on a road trip to Wyoming, a friend messaged me that there was smoke blowing into the Jackson area. I finally decided that landscape photography and smoke don’t always play well together, so I changed course and headed for Bryce Canyon National Park; a park I had yet to visit.