I didn’t know that I was about to stumble into a photographic “goldmine.” I think I read a reference to this overlook in a book that I was carrying around with me. I was driving the back roads of the area, following some suggestions from this book. I pulled over a few times and did some exploration for photo compositions. At one of these stops, I met another photographer. Among other things he suggested I check out this locations. I did that afternoon as it was already in my mind. BUT I had no idea what I would find.

This first photo was take on that afternoon. The sky was mostly overcast, so there were no strong shadow and contrasts in the badlands.

I returned the following morning, well before sunrise to watch as the landscape caught the morning light.

Above is the expansive view, still well before sunrise. I returned to this location one last time a few days later, hoping for more clouds and color in the sky. I didn’t get it, but the scene was fantastic anyway. I decided to put some of the cliffs which I was standing on in the foreground to give a bit more perspective.

There was another photographer on the cliffs close by that I chatted with. I include the photo below to give some perspective of the cliffs on which we stood. The drop-off was sharp and dramatic!

iI based myself near Capitol Reef National Park in Utah for about a week at the end of October, exploring the park and areas around it for fall color. Cottonwoods are the most common tree and tends to grow along river plains. There was often a stark contrast between the lush river plain and the badlands or cliffs directly beyond.

I found the tree below while driving around, looking for interesting trees and scenes. I came back to it during the blue-hour a few days later.

Near the town of Escalante, I explored some along the creeks and rivers. To get to the natural bridge in the photo below and had to walk along the river, crossing it several times.

Calf Creek Falls is a popular destination. I was lucky to be able to start my hike early and have the falls all to myself. When I was ready to leave, a group of 10 or more arrived at the falls.