Light and Landscapes

John Caplis Photography

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Sunset at Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon National Recreational Area

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Horseshoe Bend is a breathtaking turn in the Colorado River that is shaped like a horseshoe.  It is part of the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, and is easily accessible via a short 3/4 mile hike.   When I visited this site in 2013, it was simply a small gravel lot and a dusty path that led down to the canyon rim where you had to muster the courage to venture out to the edge with its sheer 1000 foot dropoff.   I remember crawling on my hands and knees, and then my belly, with camera in hand, to get to the edge for an unobstructed view of the river bend below.   Today is much different, with a gated entry to a pay parking lot ($10 per vehicle), restrooms, shade areas built along the path, and fenced railings installed along parts of the overlook.   I think these are all good improvements, for both convenience and safety, but there are also many more people.  1.5 million people visited the bend in 2023.  Another reminder of how visiting the West is quickly changing.  In 2013, my images of the bend were in unflattering light during the late afternoon, and I set a goal of trying to capture this amazing place in more pleasing light this time.  I had one sunset opportunity during my visit, so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best!  

The view overlooking the bend faces directly to the west.  This makes shooting sunset here a bit challenging unless you have some clouds to filter the brightness of the setting sun.  You can see the orientation of the sunset over the bend in this screenshot from TPE (as noted by the orange line).

 

I arrived at the overlook about an 45 minutes before sunset, and there was a heavy layer of storm clouds with a little bit of clearing sky on the horizon.  I was loving the atmospheric moodiness!

 

It always amazes me how some people have no qualms about standing or sitting on the edge of a 1000 foot sheer drop in high winds.

 

As sunset approached, the sun started to peek through a gap in the clouds!   It’s hard to convey the vastness of this scene.   These images were all shot with a Canon RF 10-20 mm super wide lens.   Even at 10 mm, I could not get the all the canyon walls leading up to my vantage point in a single image.

 

As the sun finally hit a gap in the clouds at the horizon, the walls lit up on both sides of the canyon. I took three shots that I could piece together to capture the entire scene in one panoramic image.

 

I stepped back from my perch along the railing for this fun shot of the sunset. It had the best view of the river below, and I periodically shared it with others. Surprisingly, I think I was the only person I saw with an actual camera and not a smartphone.   I was thankful to have the railing that I could lean out over.  

 

There was a bit of color in the clouds to end an awesome sunset.

 

Smartphone evidence that I was actually there (as is the custom these days), and that it was windy as hell!

 

Related Images:

IMG_5912_tonemapped Canyon-X--watermarked-web Canyon-X-watermark-2-web Canyon-X-watermark-4-web IMG_0073-web Canyon-X--watermarked-web Canyon-X-watermark-2-web

The Otherworldly Landscapes of White Pocket, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

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White Pocket, in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, has long been on my bucket list of places to hike and photograph.   It gets its name from the white “brain” or “cauliflower” rock and the many small pockets in the sandstone that collect and pool water after passing rainstorms.   White Pocket has become a popular location for photographers and hikers, but its relative inaccessibility keeps the number of visitors to a reasonable number on most days.   The site can only be reached by driving nearly a half hour on washboard-ridden gravel roads, followed by another half an hour on a deep sandy two track road (a high clearance all-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive vehicle is a must).    Thanks to Action Photo Tours and our guide Kevin Dobo, Rhonda and I recently enjoyed the otherworldly landscapes of White Pocket without having to worry about getting stuck in deep sand out in the wilderness.   I chose Action Photo Tours because they cater specifically to photographers, and the timing of their White Pocket Sunset Tour is focused on the late afternoon, sunset, and blue hour timeframe.   

 

We were treated to some great atmospheric conditions during our visit, with a mix of sunlight, moody clouds, and passing rainstorms. 

 

The walk to White Pocket is only a ten minute hike once you reach the designated parking area.   It is a small, concentrated area, with geologic features oriented north to south in an area a half mile wide and three-quarters of a mile long.  There are a number of popular photo hotspots such as The Tree, the Citadel, the Swirl, and the Sentinel, however, there are interesting areas of brain rock and red, yellow and white sandstone throughout the White Pocket area.

 

One the first photo spots you will see as you walk from the parking area to toward the White Pocket brain rock is “The Tree”.

 

Another prominent landmark is The Swirl, with its amazing mix of sandstone colors.

 

Understanding the orientation of the landscape and the direction of the lighting is important at White Pocket.   As most are oriented in a north-south direction, one side will be well lit while the other side will be in shadow during the morning or afternoon golden hours.  

 

White Pocket looks incredible when it is directly illuminated with sunlight. The western face of the sandstone formations catch the warm sun as it gets low in the sky before sunset.  This image was taken from The Swirl looking back toward the Citadel (upper land hand corner).

 

 

Water pockets are most common during the monsoon season during late July and August. However, we did manage to find a few, which started reflecting nicely once the wind died down just before sunset.

 

Shadow selfies at another water pocket. Notice the hiker in orange standing near the top of the brain rock formation (you can also see him if you look closely in the water’s reflection too)!

 

As sunset approached, I focused on some intimate details creating leading lines on the slopes of the Citadel.  The red sandstone in this area just glowed!

 

Great shadows and colors on the slopes of the Citadel.

 

 

 

Some intense clouds moved in for sunset.

 

Some surprising last minute twilight glow.

 

The last bit of glow from the sun on some brain rock during our blue hour trek back toward the parking area.

 

Click Here to see more images from my visit to White Pocket.

Related Images:

IMG_5912_tonemapped Canyon-X--watermarked-web Canyon-X-watermark-2-web Canyon-X-watermark-4-web IMG_0073-web Canyon-X--watermarked-web Canyon-X-watermark-2-web