Techniques, Tips, Trips, and Musings about my Work

This is an image shot inside the Desert View Watch Tower located at the eastern end of the Grand Canyon. The tower was designed by Mary Coulter for the Fred Harvey Company and opened in 1933. The dramatic tower interior is a series of circular balconies accessed by stairways around the perimeter. The interior murals were painted by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie and with indian petrogyphs painted by Fred Greer.

Desert View No. 1 was shot in the upper balcony area and exposed with only the ambient light coming in through windows above.

Desert View No. 2  was achieved with two off camera flash units and a Nikon Flash Controller. The camera was set facing upward with one flash unit placed behind and above the camera illuminating the wall and ceiling. The other flash was fixed with a snoot and aimed towards the ceiling. Several images were shot to get the flash placement correct to light up the space.

Desert View No. 1. Upper Balcony, Desert View Watch Tower, Grand Canyon National Park, Nikon D300, Nikkor 12-24mm lens at 15mm, f14 at 2 seconds.

Desert View No. 2. The Tower Room, Desert View Watch Tower, Grand Canyon National Park. Nikon D300, Nikkor 12-24mm at 15mm, f16 at 1/60 second.