You might think that the tile of this posting has something to do with the arrival of the New Year, but you wouldn't be completely correct. It's more like, "man, I've had these pictures forever, i should really get them posted." Also, I'd like to note that normally i would have posted some cute pictures of my nephews next, but my sister was mean to me, so you get these instead. Aren't they so pretty?
Photography in the Moab area is kind of a catch-22 for me. While these places (Canyonlands, Arches, Dead Horse Point) are all pretty all the time, they're at their
most photogenic at sunrise or sunset. But in the summer, when it's pleasant weather, sunrise is just too early! Especially when you factor in about an hour's drive and some hiking to get to the destination, plus you want to be there about an hour
before sunrise!
Of course, you could always go in winter. Sunrise and sunset are at much more reasonable hours and it's rarely crowded. But of course you'll also be freezing! This isn't always true though. I've been to Arches in late Winter and it was surprisingly pleasant. So i guess Winter is the best season. Plus if you get lucky you can have snow in your picture, which is a really nice contrast with the red rock. I guess that means i need to start getting used to riding Slickrock in the winter. Oh, and in case you're wondering, these first three pictures are Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park in the Island in the Sky district at sunrise. It's a very short hike (under 1 mile round trip i think) and i think less than an hour's drive from Moab.
This is another one of my favorite places; Dead Horse Point State Park at sunrise, although it's just as pretty at sunset too. I've been there countless times, and i never tire of the view. As a matter-of-fact, for the longest time i always wanted to get down to that road you can see below because i thought the view would be better. It's not; it's much better from the top. This is actually (kinda) on the way to Island in the Sky. Also under an hour's drive from Moab.
Also Dead Horse Point... I'm all motivated to get another winter trip in to Moab now! And actually, this trip in particular was pretty sweet because i was actually working! i tried and tried to talk my youngest sister into shooting her bridals in the Moab area, but she didn't want to. But she must have mentioned it to her future sister-in-law, Misty, because when she found out i was willing to go down there she hired me to shoot her wedding, bridals, and engagements. Since i had never shot any real portraits down there, i went down a couple of days early to scout out some good locations. She put me up in a hotel and even covered my other expenses! She was great! And as if that wasn't enough, she referred one of her friends to me later for another wedding package (this time at Lake Powell)! I know, i know, i should probably post those pictures too. They are on my website though at
www.alanjphoto.com.
Back to Island in the Sky. This is now the Green River Overlook at sunset. Since i really only had a couple of days to scout things out i was running and driving all over the place to get to these destinations at either sunrise or sunset. The first evening i drove in i was running a little late but i wanted to do Delicate Arch first. I got to the parking lot and booked it up the trail. I still got there too late, but it was cloudy and overcast anyway, so it didn't matter (thus no pictures). But i still scouted the area out for the bridals (you should have seen us hiking up there with a tux and wedding dress!). I think i actually got here early enough that i sat around and read a book for an hour.
I'm actually impressed that these pictures turned out at all since it was so cloudy and overcast that whole week. But it ended up working out pretty well with the portraits. i guess part of the problem with getting to these places and taking cool pictures also lies in family. i don't like leaving my family to go on "vacation," but i never take any good sunrise or sunset pictures when I'm with them. Number one, nobody wants to hang around and be bored while i take pictures for two or three hours at sunrise and sunset. Plus, when I'm cuddling with my sweet wife, it's too hard to get up at sunrise. In effect, another catch-22: i can't take pictures if i take the fam, but i don't want to go at all if i have to leave them. Doh!
These pictures were all taken the week before Thanksgiving while we were staying in St. George.
I think my entire immediate family stopped by for a pre-Thanksgiving Feast. On one of the evenings we managed to head out to Snow Canyon State Park.
Of course, thanks to a variety of circumstances, some of them undoubtedly my fault, we tried to go a couple of times, but it always ended up being too late. This was the case here too, it was really much too late for any good pictures, and rather expsensive for the short amount of time we spent there (stupid Utah state parks only give you one day admission at a time - i love how National Parks are better, yet cheaper, makes tons of sense).
But i managed to get some shots of the kids playing in the dunes, they, of course, had a blast.
Even though, if i recall correctly some of them started to whine about it being "cold." I tell ya, live in Vegas for a few years and suddenly 60 degrees is cold - and this after they lived in Colorado for a winter! Oh well.
Anyway, in case you didn't know, i love St. George. Oh, and i also love the various subjects of these photographs; ya know, my wife, my kids, my nephews...
