LOOKING BACK

Blackwater Canyon, West Virginia, 2017

Fall is here with all its beauty. Leaves fall down by the thousands, finally some much needed rain arrived, cooler temperatures kicked in , and last not least colors unfold in the trees. I just don’t find the time this week to go out during day light and capture the beauty with the camera. However, exactly five years ago we spent some time in Blackwater Canyon State Park in West Virginia, at the peak time of fall colors. And of course, I still have some images I can share with you. Hopefully next weekend the camera comes out again here in the Upper Mississippi Valley. I can’t wait…

NATURAL CARVINGS

Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico protects Ancestral Pueblo archeological sites and a diverse and scenic landscape. Much of the area was covered with volcanic ash (the Bandelier Tuff) from an eruption of the Valles Caldera volcano 1.14 million years ago. Ancestral Puebloans broke up the firmer materials to use as bricks, while they carved out dwellings from the softer material. (source: Wikipedia) I was also intrigued by the natural carvings from wind and weather and with a little fantasy you can find interesting sculptures, like this tree shape, in the walls of Cañon de los Frijoles.

GUADALUPITA MESA

Guadalupita Mesa, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

From our camp at Bandelier National Monument we explored other areas nearby. One of them was Jemez National Recreation Area in the Jemez Mountains with its valleys and canyons. As we drove back from Gilman Tunnels through the box canyon and along the Guadalupe River, the canyon suddenly widened and we had a grandios view at Guadalupita Mesa. I saw the swirling cloud above the mesa and knew immediately that this would work for a black and white photo. Sure, the colors in my RAW file are brilliant too, but the deep shadows and bright vertical rock bands made for a nice contrasting image.

BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT

The village of Tyuonyi on the floor of Frijoles Canyon.

Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of rugged but beautiful canyon and mesa country as well as evidence of a human presence here going back over 11,000 years.  Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities. (source: park website).

We camped in the park for three nights but trails are open only from dawn to dusk. Beside history and culture the park offers also much for any nature lover. As we wanted to see as much as possible we couldn’t be choosy about the times and some of the photography had to be done, well, at the height of the day. I hope these five photos give you still an idea about the beauty of this place.

COLORS IN THE CANYON

Cimarron Canyon, New Mexico

While traveling in the fall the eyes are always open for some fall colors. One of the places we found them was Cimarron Canyon in the northern part of New Mexico. The light has a different quality in high altitude environments and although we have experienced it before, I’m still amazed about how deep the blue in the sky is rendered in certain situations.

These cliffs are cut by the Cimarron River and are formed from fine-grained porphyritic dacite sill, called Palisades Sill. A spectacular canyon!

THE BISON BELOW

American Bison, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, September 2020

You can tell, this bison has fought a few battles during the mating season, which takes place from late July to August. I was actually looking for some Mule Deer near a trailhead in Roosevelt National Park when suddenly this bull showed up. He disappeared into a small canyon and this allowed me to place the tripod near the edge and make a few clicks from above of the grazing bison. Keeping a safe distance to these large animals is important, not just during the mating season, and no photo is worth risking the life of an animal or your own.

A CATBIRD AT APPLE RIVER CANYON

Gray Catbird, Apple River Canyon, Illinois

I admit, we have neglected one part of the TriState-Area (Iowa / Wisconsin / Illinois) more than the two others. After more than fifteen years of living here, Joan and I finally made it to Apple River Canyon State Park in the northwest corner of Illinois today. People were fishing for trout in the river at the bottom of the canyon, a sure sign that water quality is decent, and several short hiking trails allow to explore the canyon and enjoy birds and wildflowers.

At the end of a hike we sat down in our camping chairs right at the banks of the Apple River. Our dog Cooper took a short bath and we enjoyed just watching a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers bringing food to their offspring in a dead tree on the other side of the river. As we were about to leave and go home, this Gray Catbird hopped along the river banks and tried to catch some insects by jumping up into the ferns that hung down. 

I had the Nikon D750 with the Sigma 150-600 in my lap and realized after a test shot that the exposure is around 1/40-1/50s at ISO 400. Optical stabilization of the lens (Sigma calls it OS) helped to make this image. It is not tack sharp, not even close, but I love the light and the gesture of the catbird as it looks for insects and gets ready for the next jump up into the ferns.

The canyon? Well, I thought I will wait for a landscape picture until another time. Light was really harsh in the canyon and I’m sure this was not our last visit.

Nikon D750, Sigma 150-600mm / f5-6.3 DG OS HSM S, @ 600 mm, 1/50 s, f/6.3, ISO400

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

Prairie near Whitewater Canyon, Iowa -------    

I think photographers know better than a lot of other people how to take the song of the Rolling Stones, “You can’t always get what you want!”. Sunday afternoon I hiked down to the bottom of Whitewater Canyon, one of only three true canyons in Iowa, and highly interesting for people interested in geology, wildlife watching, and nature in general. (for location and more detailed description please feel free to use this link: http://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Dubuque/Park/Whitewater-Canyon-Wildlife-Area.aspx ) It is surrounded by prairie land, rolling hills, and fields. 

So why don’t I show pictures from the canyon? As said, you can’t always get what you want! The truth is, the light really sucked. A big field of gray clouds started covering the sky while me and our dog Cooper were on our way down to the canyon. With the dull light of an overcast, well photography in a canyon can suck too! Back on the way to the parking lot and up on the prairie I saw the edge of the clouds moving east and towards me. And here is the point I’m trying to make. The next opportunity for a decent photo is just around the corner.

I sat down on a big boulder that marks the border of the parking lot, let our dog Cooper do what he wanted to do, and watched the development of the weather for about 45 minutes. As soon the edge of the gray clouds passed the sun, the camera was out of the bag and the shutter was clicking. All the blossoms of the wildflowers in the prairie are gone, but the prairie grass in the fore- and middle ground adds texture to the image, and the “crying” clouds are just lovely in my books. Well, no canyon pictures today, but next time I may get what I want… 😊

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANYON

White Pine Hollow State Preserve, Iowa -----

After a week in Chicago I was longing for a real nature experience, away from urban areas, and I don’t know any better place around here than White Pine Hollow State Preserve near Luxemburg, Iowa. This is rugged terrain and getting down to the bottom of this canyon took some hiking efforts and requires solid boots and an outfit that can withstand thorns and stinging nettles. If you make it, you will be rewarded by solitude and a beautiful nature. The recent flash flood has changed the canyon, rocks have been moved and some of the gullies are a lot deeper. The leaves have started falling off the trees, although we don’t have really fall colors here yet.

Contrast becomes very high if the sun is out and exposure can be a problem. Starting the hike in the afternoon, when the light became softer but still reached the bottom of the canyon, was the way to go today.