PFTA: Stuck in Stone

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the world famous Antelope Canyon in Arizona. It is just outside of Page, Arizona, and it’s managed by the Navajo Tribe as a Tribal Park. There is a fee to enter the canyon and you are required to have a guide to go into the canyon. Tripods are not allowed, and it’s always full of people. Sometimes you get lucky and find an angle that doesn’t have people in it, and maybe enough light that the photo you’re taking isn’t blurry. It’s a wonderful place, but it is getting a bit too popular and the number of people that can go in at a time is getting restricted.

In the image below, I was amazed to see what looks like a face in the stone that looks like its yearning to leave the canyon and look over the top. There is a look of frustration and sadness on the face that realizes it will never be able to get out of the canyon.

This image is available for purchase at ArtPal.

Enjoy

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March 13, 2023March 11, 2023 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, landscape, nature, Photography, solitude, wildernessTags: antelope canyon, Arizona, Colorado Plateau, desert, face, hiking, lake powell, Navajo, peace, photography, slot canyon, solitude, Tribal Park Leave a comment

Winter Sunrise

Driving to work this morning, I knew I would not get another chance of capturing a sunrise of the Towers and Temples of the Virgin covered with snow. I pulled off of the road and grabbed my cellphone to get this shot. Luckily, I still made it on time for work, barely…

Enjoy…

March 2, 2023 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: landscape, Photography, snow, solitude, wilderness, winterTags: nature, photography, snow, solitude, sunrise, Utah, winter, Zion Canyon, Zion National park 6 Comments

Rising Up Together

A couple of weeks ago, I took the opportunity to attend a hot air balloon festival at Sand Hollow Resort in Hurricane, Utah. The balloons were amazing. It was the first time I’ve been able to attend such an event since 1999. I had forgotten how amazing the balloons are. I love how this image shows most of the balloons rising up together. A few balloons ascended earlier than the main group. I do have many more images of these balloons, so stay tuned…

This image is available for purchase at ArtPal.

Enjoy

March 1, 2023February 28, 2023 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: landscape, PhotographyTags: colors, desert, hot air balloon, hurricane utah, peace, photography, sand hollow resort, serenity, solitude, Utah 2 Comments

When Seasons Collide

The weather has been a rollercoaster the past few weeks. Moving from summer to first fall, then first winter and then to second fall . Yes, if you don’t like the weather, wait a few hours…

The past few days have been cold and raining, with snow in the higher elevations. All of this culminated in the photos I took yesterday with my phone as I was going to lunch. Enjoy!

November 10, 2022November 10, 2022 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: landscape, Photography, solitude, wildernessTags: canyon, clouds, Colorado Plateau, desert southwest, employee falls, Fall, fall colors, fog, Images, Lady Mountain, leaves, nature, peace, photography, rocks, snow, solitude, storm, trees, Utah, waterfall, winter, Zion Canyon, Zion Lodge, Zion National park Leave a comment

PFTA: Alpine Pond

There is a nice, moderate two mile trail, just north of the visitor center at Cedar Breaks National Monument that leads to an alpine pond. It’s a beautiful trail, with many interesting trees, flowers (especially in mid-summer), and of course the pond.

It is very peaceful there and one could meditate for hours in the beauty and solitude it provides. Just be aware that oxygen may be hard to acquire for some people, because Cedar Breaks is approximately 10,000 feet above sea level.

It is a special place to enjoy with friends and family.

This image is available for prints on my ArtPal store.

Enjoy,

Kelly

March 28, 2022 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, insects, landscape, nature, Photography, solitude, wildernessTags: alpine, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Colorado Plateau, forest, nature, peace, photography, pond, solitude, trees, Utah, water 2 Comments

PFTA: Cedar Breaks National Monument

Cedar Breaks National Monument is a spectacular place to visit, but it is only accessable in the summer months. It sits on Cedar Mountain at an elevation of 10,000 feet above sea level. It’s about 30 miles east of Cedar City Utah, home of the world famous Utah Shakespeare Festival.

I have always enjoyed my visits to Cedar Breaks over the years. The views are amazing and the air is always fresh. In mid-summer there is a wild flower festival there, and it’s also designated a Dark Sky location. The views of the stars at night are out of this world. I have many photos of this amazing place and hope to share some more soon. This image is available for purchase at my ArtPal store.

Enjoy,

Kelly

March 16, 2022 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, landscape, nature, Photography, solitude, wildernessTags: Cedar Breaks National Monument, Colorado Plateau, desert, hoodoos, nature, peace, photography, sandstone, solitude, Utah Leave a comment

PFTA: Old Faithful Lodge

I had the unique opportunity to visit Yellowstone National Park during the winter a few years ago. I won a trip for two for two nights at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. I booked the trip the previous summer for mid-January the following year. I timed the trip perfectly. The week before I got there, the high was -15F and the lows were sub-zero. When I was there, the high was 15F and the lows were about -15. The day after I left, it snowed several feet. It was an amazing trip, and I was able to walk around the Old Faithful Basin as long as I could feel my toes-then it was inside to warm up. The morning of my second day, I looked out the hotel window and watched the Old Faithful Geyser erupt, so I grabbed my camera and took this photo of the eruption. In the foreground is the Old Faithful Lodge and some snow cats.

This image is available on my ArtPal store for prints and other items.

Enjoy,

Kelly

December 22, 2021 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, landscape, nature, Photography, snow, solitude, wilderness, winterTags: old faithful geyser, old faithful lodge, photography, snow, solitude, winter, Wyoming, yellowstone 3 Comments

Zion Sunrise

I took this on my way to work last week. These are the Towers and Temples of the Virgin.

November 15, 2021 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: landscape, nature, Photography, solitude, wildernessTags: Colorado Plateau, desert, desert southwest, Fall, nature, photography, rocks, solitude, sunrise, Utah, zion, Zion Canyon, Zion National park Leave a comment

PFTA: John Ford’s Point

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on the border of Utah and Arizona. At the time, I was a tour guide and brought two wonderful couples from Germany here and was able to join them as translator. During the tour, we stopped at John Ford’s Point overlook. There was a Navajo gentleman who rode his horse out to John Ford’s Point and waved his hat for the tour groups that visited the Valley.

John Ford’s Point got its name from the movie director John Ford as a tribute to him for bringing Monument Valley to life on the Big Screen. Mr. Ford filmed several movies in Monument Valley, including John Wayne’s famous She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. The ending of The Code Talkers was also filmed on this point.

The history of this valley and area is vast and deep, and there is no way I could ever do it justice. I will just say that it is an amazing place that should be visited and hallowed as sacred ground.

Enjoy,

Kelly

October 29, 2021October 28, 2021 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, landscape, nature, PhotographyTags: Code Talkers, Colorado Plateau, desert, John Ford, john ford's point, john wayne, monument valley, Native American, Navajo, photography, solitude, Utah, westerns Leave a comment

Virgin River

Last week, I hiked along the Middle Emerald Pools Trail. This trail has been closed since the trail head was washed out in a flood in 2010. It was reopened last September after years of repairs and stabilization work in the trailhead area. It was close to sunset when I captured this image of the Virgin River looking towards The Great White Throne. This is also part of the Weekend Sky challenge .

This image is available as a print on Art Pal: Virgin River

Enjoy!

April 24, 2021April 24, 2021 by Kelly Guymon Photography Categories: hiking, landscape, nature, Photography, solitude, wildernessTags: #WeekendSky, Colorado Plateau, desert, emerald pools, Great White Throne, nature, peace, photography, Recreation, solitude, sunset, Travel and Tourism, Utah, Virgin River, water, Zion Canyon, Zion National park 3 Comments