The Great Salt Lake

They are saying that the Great Salt Lake is at almost is historic lowest level. Every time the Lake recedes because of a drought or whatever, the scientists start wringing their hands over the fact the Lake may dry up. Then the weather turns around and the Lake comes back to flood subdivisions built while the Lake was low. Since what we see today is merely a remnant of Lake Bonneville that covered most of what is now Utah, if scientists had been there thousands of years ago, they really would have had something to wring their hands over.

Provo City Center Temple at Night

The Provo City Center Temple, a reconstruction of the original Provo Tabernacle, has already become a magnificent addition to the older, downtown section of Provo. At the time this photo was taken, it is estimated that over 180,000 people had already viewed the interior of the Temple during the open house period before the structure is dedicated and closed to all but worthy members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is expected that more than 500,000 people will view the Temple before its March 20, 2016 dedication.

Heavy Snowfall

This is actually our front yard. We live right on the edge of a forested area and about 50 yards from the National Forest. We have deer, weasels, rabbits, birds, squirrels and mountain lions nearby. We also have a canyon about three blocks up the hill with mountain goats and big horn sheep. We like the snow. Having the hillside right outside my window gives me the impression that I am out of civilization.

Little Colorado River

This is the Little Colorado River in the northeast part of Arizona. This river begins in the White Mountains and runs north and west until it joins the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. My Great-grandparents settled along this river in the late 1800s. At that time, this was almost their only supply of water. They had to put the water in barrels and let the red mud settle out until top portion of the water was drinkable. Normally, the stream is almost dry. In this image, there is a "flood" or there is actually water running down the river. When there is water it is called a flood since the river is usually almost dry. You can see how desolate the land is in this area. It is typical for this part of the country. By the way, the wind blows about 360 days a year.

Classic Grand Canyon

With the Colorado River visible in this view of the Grand Canyon, this is classic. It is impossible to tell that the weather was freezing and the wind was blowing snow only a few hours earlier. I like to go back to these images of past travels when the snow is deep and it is cold outside to remind me that I may yet live to see the Canyon again.

Grand Falls of the Little Colorado River

Who would believe that a huge waterfall exists out in the middle of the vast Colorado Plateau? The key is that it is dry most of the year. Only when there is enough rainfall to make the river flood is there runoff that makes a huge waterfall. Of course, the water is not sparkling blue and white, it is the color of the sandstone and mud. When you are standing next to the waterfall the spray leaves mud spots on your clothes and skin. It is had to get a perspective of size anywhere on the Plateau, but this waterfall is taller than Niagara Falls in New York state.

Provo City Center Temple

On a cold and stormy day in January, my wife and I got up early to visit the open house of the new Provo Utah City Center Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is expected that there will be over 500,000 visitors to the Temple before its dedication on 20 March 2016. During the past year or so, we have been privileged to visit the open houses held for four other Temples and my impression is that this is the best organized such event we have attended.

The new Provo City Center Temple is a reconstruction of the historic Provo Tabernacle that was destroyed by a fire on 17 December 2010. The exterior of the building was salvaged and used as the basis for the reconstruction. The interior of the building as completed is exquisite. It is clearly the highest quality and most impressively beautiful handiwork I have ever seen, including the previously visited Temples. The finish is unbelievable down to the door handles and hinges.

Dramatic Light in Antelope Canyon

Every few feet as you walk through Antelope Canyon, the view, the light and the shape of the canyon changes. This canyon is distinctive in that the sandstone has eroded into swirls and other fantastic shapes. The narrow top of the canyon only allows some light and even that light has to make its way down to the canyon floor.

Sunlight in Antelope Canyon

If it were not a sunny day, being in Antelope Canyon would be like being in a cave. But with sunlight, the canyon comes alive. To some extent, these images are "staged" in that the ray of sunlight is highlighted by throwing sand and dust into the air and then running out of the way so photos can be taken. The light changes in the canyon almost constantly and it is quite a trick to get a good photograph.

Return to Antelope Canyon

My photo archive has tens of thousands of photos and only a small percentage will ever be shared by this blog. From time to time, I think it a good idea to revisit some of the places I have been in the past ten years. Antelope Canyon in Arizona is one of the places I intend to revisit. But I also know that there are several other slot canyons in the area and I will likely visit a few of them also. This is one of the most photographed slot canyons in the world because of its easy access and fantastic light and shapes.

A Little Snow at the Grand Canyon

The day we were here at the Grand Canyon, it was snowing and blowing sideways. We ate at the Bright Angel Lodge restaurant and drove home to Mesa, Arizona the same day. Unfortunately, where we live now is more than twice as far as it was to drive to Mesa from the South Rim, but it is closer to the North Rim. There are always trade offs in life.

Grass against the snow

The patterns in Winter are more subtle than those of the summer. This shot of wind blown grass does not have a high color contrast, but the detail is terrific. This is the kind of shot that needs to be blown up on a large print.

First Light

I am often asked if I ever sleep. I guess I get up early and go to bed late because I might miss something. This was a very cold day and I opened the shade just in time. I ran out without a coat and took a few quick shots. The temperature was down in the teens. I didn't stay long, but I can't resist the light and color.

An Old Saguaro

A saguaro cactus can grow for about a hundred years before it sprouts its first "arm" or branch. This particular plant is probably several hundred years old. There is something innately impressive about age. We instinctively admire the ability of any organism to survive. Unfortunately, old saguaros are not usually much different than those that are far younger because for some unexplained reason, not all of the cactus grow arms. There is no real way to tell how long these plants live, but we know they live more than 150 years.

A Rare Spring Treat

From the photos I put here on WalkingArizona, you probably cannot tell the overall story. For example, the Claret Cup flowers in this photo are actually very rare in the wild. Unless you go to a cactus garden such as the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona, you very unlikely to ever see this particular cactus, much less when it is in bloom. I have been fortunate to find them blooming out in the desert. Here is a photo of a plant growing in Northern Arizona at the end of a very rough, dirt road.

If I had been there one week before or after, I would have missed the flowers and may not have noticed the cactus at all.

Yucca and Saguaro

I am not sure that snow and mountains completely substitute for flowers in the desert. I love the flowers that bloom here along the Wasatch Front, but I have a special affinity for the desert and its flowers. The scenery here in Provo is certainly a lot more dramatic than the more subtle beauty of the Arizona-Sonora Desert but the desert is still a large part of my soul. I guess I live in three worlds; the low deserts of Arizona, the sandstone of the Colorado Plateau and the high mountains of Northern Utah. Each of these has had a special place in my life of walking in Arizona and Utah.

A Colorful Butterfly

Looking at piles of snow on the ground outside of my window, I decided to spread some butterfly photos around. You don't see many butterflies in Provo, Utah in the Winter. In fact, you don't see many flying insects at all. Winter doesn't seem to deter the spiders however. We still see them crawling around but mostly inside. But soon Spring will be here and we will be worrying about the heat of Summer before we know it.

The Liberty Torch

Inside the base of the Statue of Liberty in the New York Harbor, there is duplicate of the Liberty Torch. The Torch has been changed and replaced at least three times over the years. This version is preserved but no longer used. Apparently, the glass panel leaked and the leaks were causing damage to the statue and so the current torch was made and put in place.

Ellis Island from the boat

Some time ago, I had the chance to visit Ellis Island. In my years of doing genealogical research, I have often referred to the list of the immigrants who came through this particular point of debarkation near New York City, New York. It seems that none of my ancestors came through this particular port of entry, mainly because they all arrived from Europe before Ellis Island came into existence, but millions of other immigrants came to America through this facility.

Evening at the Grand Canyon

When you are visiting the Grand Canyon, you miss a wonderful opportunity if you don't go to a viewpoint and sit there and watch the sun set or rise. During the day, the light may be intense and the Canyon can become 2 dimensional. But when the sun is at an angle, you can see the layers of cliffs and buttes. It is a dramatic process and you might also find yourself surrounded by others with the same idea.

Ice Lace

I caught this image of the snow on a fence as it was slowly melting with temperatures just over freezing. These are not large formations, no more than an inch or so across, but they are very unusual. If it were any warmer, the snow would have melted directly and any colder and they would not have formed at all.

Storm at the Grand Canyon

I thought it was time to get back to photos of the Grand Canyon. Some photographers fall in love with the Canyon and concentrate on photos of just the Grand Canyon, but I like almost all of the Colorado Plateau and I am happy taking photos from Capital Reef in Utah all the way down into Arizona. Too many photos of the Southwest show iconic good weather and light conditions. The reality is that many days are cloudy and have either rain or snow. The South Rim is at over 7000 feet above sea level and you are not going to have the same weather for even an entire day except on rare occasions.

Oil Lamp from Israel

Oil lamp replicas are a common tourist purchase in Israel. There are hundreds (thousands) of designs. They are commonly used in Sunday School lessons referring to the Biblical story of the 10 virgins. They are even sold on Amazon.com and many cost less than $10. There are some for as little as $3.

Gypsum Crystals

Most of us think of gypsum as a white powdery substance, if we think of it al all. It is the main component of dry wall and many other products. But it also forms fabulous crystals. They are very delicate and have a tendency to shed, but if protected, they are quite a collectors item. I have decided that taking macro shots of crystals involves a lot of pre- and post-production work with Photoshop and Lightroom. This another photo using the Shotbox from Shotbox.me.

Canyon Contrasts

One of the most difficult times to photograph is when there is a huge contrast between the background and the foreground. In this case, both the foreground and the background are interesting, but the main subject is the light on the distant cliff. This photo could have been cropped like this to eliminate any of the foreground.

But I decided I liked to show how it looked when I was standing there take the photo.

Quartz in Sphalerite and Pyrite

For some time now, I have been wanting to expand my photographic experience to include making photos of objects in a light box environment. A light box allows the photographer to make detailed images of objects with a very controlled lighting thereby eliminating harsh shadows and at the same time creating a uniform background. I recently purchased a light box from a new startup, Shotbox.me, that exactly fits my needs. In the future, I will be including photos of everything from soup to nuts and from a to z. This is a specimen of the minerals quartz in sphalerite with pyrite. I hope you see the potential of presenting minerals and other objects in this fashion as I experiment with different backgrounds and lighting.