Weekly Photo’s Challenge: Hiking

I’m participating in LetsBeWild.com’s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge. This week’s Challenge is: Hiking! 

Hiking.  It’s what I do!   It’s my favorite thing to do when I’m not working or sleeping.  Of course, it gives me the reason to go out photo shooting.  Recently I went hiking in the Kolob Canyon section of Zion National Park.  I went on the Taylor Creek Trail and believe me, there are some spectacular views in the canyon!

This is Taylor Creek:

During the hike, it’s fun to look for things that are unusual or interesting.  Take  this lizard for instance, he’s enjoying the sun and warm rock.

 

 

Along the way, there are a couple of pioneer cabins from the homesteading days.  Here is one of them.

 

The ultimate goal of hiking of course is the journey and the adventure that goes with it, but sometimes there is a reward at the end of the trail.  In this case, it was a combination of all of these that prompted me to hike this trail.  At the end there is the world famous Double Arch Alcove.

 

After the hike, it’s always fun to go up to the view point and look at the Kolob Fingers of Zion National Park.  This section of the park doesn’t get as much publicity or appreciation as the lower canyons.  But it is just as spectacular or more so.

 

My philosophy with hiking is this: the journey is the reward, not the destination, although that helps.

 

 

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May 27, 2013May 27, 2013 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, PhotographyTags: cabin, canyon, Double Arch Alcove, hiking, homesteading, Kolob Canyon, lizard, pioneer, Taylor Creek, Taylor Creek Trail, United States, Utah, water, Zion National park 4 Comments

Weekly’s Photo Challenge: Movement

I’m participating in LetsBeWild.com’s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge. This week’s Challenge is: Movement!

 

THE biggest mover and shaker in the Desert Southwest is: Wind!  Wind is accountable for a lot of damage and destruction.  However, that being said, it also gives opportunity for interesting photography.  Take this image for example:

These are the famous dirt devils that are actually miniature tornados.  I found this while exploring the desert in Arizona.

 

Here is another dust storm in Arizona.

Of course, wind is responsible for creating sand dunes and shaping them.  At the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah, which by the way are the only sand dunes located on the Colorado Plateau.

 If you look close at the top of the sand dune, you will see dust and sand being blown around by the wind.  Incidentally, every time I have been here, it has always been windy!  Here is a close up of the dune.

 

 

Wind isn’t the only destructive force in nature.  Water also falls into that category.   Here is the Virgin River in  an extreme flood stage, well over 3000 cubic feet per second; which has the ability to rip grown cottonwood trees right out of the ground and also carry boulders the size of SUV’s down stream.

 

Water can also be lots of fun.  Here for example are a couple of swimmers in the Caribbean in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

 

 

In the ocean, you will find all kinds of creatures that call those watery depths home.  Here are a couple of dolphins having some fun.

 

 

And here:

 

 

 

Now for some real fun!  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to stand on Yavapai Point in the Grand Canyon, at 11:00pm, in January, during a full moon, and take really long exposures?  Well, from personal experience, it’s a blast!  What’s really fun is taking 15 second exposures and jumping around in front of the camera.  This is the end result:

 

I was with a friend while taking these images, and yes, I’m in the photo.  Can you see me?  This is probably how ghost images are taken.  I had so much fun that night!

 

 

May 2, 2013May 2, 2013 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, PhotographyTags: Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Dune, grand canyon, Montego Bay, Virgin River, Wind 4 Comments