Geoloeometry 2012

Geoloeometry 2012, a photo by McF Studios on Flickr.

It took me five years to make this photograph.
In 2007, I meandered with the crowds carrying a camera store on my back and plopped the tripod down to begin scatter-gunning through exposures. Three shots looking up, one with a hint of the sun, which became a very good print. Staring at the print one day, I realized, I was not feeling the same thing as when standing under the formation. Good as the photograph was, something was very wrong.
A few years later, I returned with less gear, to make another version of the photo. My motivation was to get a better quality image of the same photo I shot before. However, the weather does what it wants, and that year a windstorm blew for three days leaving clouds of dust in a ruffled sky. I don't brave the crowds of our National Parks very often, so when I muster the courage make a plan I just push on ahead. The photograph from that year became about the texture of the rock and sky. A fun juxtaposition of rock and cloud seeming made of the same crunchy material, just a quirky fleeting thought.
Something nagged me back to this location again this year. A niggling urge to do a little better. I was very methodic, knew the season, time of day and even where to put my tripod feet. All I had to do was wait. This year I armed myself with the best piece of gear a photographer can have: a good friend with a deck of cards. We stayed for over two hours, enjoying the shade, watching the ebb and flow of crowds, listening to the wind. When the moment came, I made a few exposures. In the studio, I worked on making a good print. First in colour, as was the case with all the others. Then this one in monochrome. I don't do much black and white, so I've been "living with it" for several months to be sure.
So much of the area demands you look up. The scale of the canyons and arches can be overpowering, but the swirling wind and infinite hollow above are on a different scale. The sky in the desert is a vast and open wonder. It affects your hearing, knocking you off balance, and offers comfort in it's immensity. Under this formation I was greeted by playfulness, wonderment, and patience; they have been asking that I make their portrait.

Hematite Lake

Hematite Lake, a photo by McF Studios on Flickr.

Nope, not worth a step of the hike. Nothing to do up here. No cellular signal, no antiques shops, no salty fatty-food stands. Just a mineral leaden lake and the ever present alpine wind. It was about 80 degrees where I parked and still warm in the sun up here. Then the storm moved overhead and the temp dropped to about 50 in 12 seconds just before everything got very wet. You can see the effects of the wind on the lake surface, these mountain bowls are notorious for swirling winds. After playing around for a short while, I began the long and tedious walk back down to the land where shirt and shoes are always required.

More Steep Than Most

More Steep Than Most, a photo by McF Studios on Flickr.

I love being in the mountains. Unless you're new around here, this doesn't surprise you. I also prefer taking photos of places that aren't over photographed and this leads me to finding trails that most people avoid, for whatever reason. The reason this trail is underused is that it gains 2300 feet of elevation in 2 miles, roughly 8 inches up for every step forward. YIKES! This is another reason not to carry much gear. The entire day was filled with short bursts of rain, in this photo you can see the shadow of the next approaching shower falling over the distant valley.
Was it worth the effort...? I'll post that tomorrow.
Happy Walking!