PFTA: Reflections

In the Fall of 2016, I went to Kolob Reservoir which is just outside of Zion National Park to look at the fall colors.  The lake is surrounded by Quaking Aspen and pine trees.  This was taken from the dam.

It is my wish that everyone can take a few minutes or more every day during this time of stress and uncertainty, and reflect on the blessings, the positive things and have hope for a quick return of some normalcy in life.

If we really think about it, do we want more of the same rat race we had before the shutdown?  Or do we want to remember the things we’ve learned during this quarantine to become better people, better family and neighbors, and cherish that human contact we are all craving in this time of separation?

Enjoy

 

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April 23, 2020 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, landscape, nature, Photography, solitude, wildernessTags: fall colors, Kolob Reservoir, nature, peace, photography, reflections, solitude, water, Zion National park Leave a comment

PFTA: Watcher in the Brush

On a beautiful fall day in 2014, it seemed like a good idea (at the time) to go into the mountains to chase elk.  It was a beautiful day, and the weather was perfect for such an activity.  Up on the Kolob Terrace section of Zion National Park, it was easy to go off into the wilderness to go look for elk.  Something to remember, this is the fall, and during the fall is rutting season for the elk.   Coming into a clearing with beautiful vistas of lower Zion and the plateaus in Arizona off in the distance, I decided to stand on this boulder to look over the scrub oak and photograph this view.

If you look closer, there is a watcher in the brush.  He was looking at me very intently and I was starting to get a bit nervous, because he’s only about 30 feet away and the only thing between us is the brush.  I spoke to him and told him I was only taking his photograph, and he settled down.  I got a little higher up on the boulder and realized he had a lady friend there on the ground and I was interrupting him.  Oops…

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, landscape, nature, Photography, solitude, wilderness, WildlifeTags: Arizona, elk, hiking, Kolob Terrace, nature, peace, photography, scrub oak, solitude, Utah, vista, Zion Canyon, Zion National park Leave a comment

PFTA: Not Social Distancing

Every once in a while I get a hankering to hike in the deserts of Southern Utah.  This image comes from one such adventure in 2014.  I was taking macro shots of this yellow desert flower when I had a couple of unexpected visitors.  I guess they didn’t mind each other’s company, and I enjoyed the moments of (not so) close interaction.  These two are not social distancing, but I’m glad I kept my distance.

Enjoy

April 8, 2020 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: flowers, insects, landscape, nature, Photography, solitude, WildlifeTags: bees, desert southwest, insect, macro, solitude, southern utah, wild flower, yellow Leave a comment

PFTA: Half Dome

Going through my archives tonight, I asked myself-where was I in late March, and early April a decade ago?  In doing so, it hit me like a ton of bricks that it has been 10 years since I was a tour guide for a company in Las Vegas, NV.  This trip to Yosemite National Park was actually my very first solo tour with this company (it will remain nameless), and my first time visiting Yosemite National Park.  It was a five day whirlwind tour of Grand Canyon South Rim, Monument Valley, Zion, Bryce, Death Valley, Yosemite and ending in San Francisco.    It was still early spring, so the only way into Yosemite was the north entrance.  It was a beautiful drive.  During this tour of Yosemite, I was able to do some photography and took this image of Half Dome.

Enjoy

April 6, 2020 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: landscape, nature, Photography, snow, solitudeTags: California, Half Dome, National Parks and Monuments, nature, photography, snow, spring, Yosemite 4 Comments

PFTA: Underground City?

This is an interesting photo.  I took it while traveling near Las Vegas, Nevada back in 2006.  I showed it to a friend, and she asked me where I found this underground city.  I was confused for a minute, and she repeated the question.  So I asked her to elaborate on where it could be, and she had no idea.

I’ll let you in on a little secret:  it’s not an underground city, but Hoover Dam at night.  This was before the new bridge was completed, they had just started working on it actually, so all traffic had to go across the dam.

I was traveling to the Grand Canyon after spending my days off in Las Vegas, it was late at night, and I saw the dam, and was blown away at how amazing it is at night.  It’s not often I’ve seen anyone photograph it at night, so I made several attempts before I came away with this gem.

Enjoy,

Kelly

April 1, 2020 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: landscape, PhotographyTags: Arizona, Colorado river, hoover dam, Las Vegas, lights, night photography Leave a comment