Techniques, Tips, Trips, and Musings about my Work

Serrated slabs of sandstone covered in lichen, Zion National Park, Utah. Shot with a Nikon D300 and Nikkor 12-24mm lens at 24mm. The image was shot a f14 at ISO 100 for 1/25 of a second.

We have all heard the expression that at times “we cannot see the forest for the trees.” Well in photography sometimes it pays to take a moment to look at the trees. We can get so fixated on the grand vista or recording a scenic wonder that we fail to look more intimately at what lies before our feet. This image is a case in point. I was struggling with a shot of the Watchman in Zion National Park when I just took a breather to clear my thoughts. It was a that point that I saw this incredible layered rock covered in multi-colored lichen. Beautiful light allowed the rock fins to glow. If I had not taken that moment to just be in the landscape I would have missed this wonderful composition.

For more information on Zion National Park go to http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm