Its Been A Year

February 01, 2021

Where to begin… 2020.

Covid.

It’s put a damper on everything.

As a landscape photographer I cancelled trips over and over again, I took less photographs and logged less miles than any previous year. Other things took precedence. I still got outside, created images, and made memories, they were just spread out more than before. I stopped blogging because it felt weird. There were more important things going on.

Below are my images from 2020. Despite humanities state I managed to capture some keepers.

2021 has come around and I’ve made a point to change my mindset. Ive gone out to photograph locally more often. I’ve started paying attention to the weather again, and allowed myself to think “what if I had these conditions?”. I haven’t photographed the grand landscape by any sense of the word, but Ive looked smaller at the more intimate features of our world. Ive looked deeper into myself to find the drive to create and bring a vision to life. Here are the first 3 images (so far) from 2021…

I plan on creating a lot more!

In the upcoming weeks and months I’ll be blogging about my photography adventures and short excursions into the Ohio wilderness and beyond. I hope to tick off a few locations Ive been wanting to photograph for a while now. Keep checking back to find out what they are!

Thanks for reading!

Winter Makes An Early Appearance

November 01, 2019

After I returned from the remote southeast of Utah, we had a cold snap that brought a decent amount of snow to the mountains. I wasn’t ready to start photographing winter yet, as we hadn’t even seen a change in the leaves. Regardless of how I felt about the the seasons, I knew I had to head into the mountains quickly to capture the wintery weather while it lasted.

I made my way up Guardsman Pass ( an opportunity that doesn’t happen often because the road closes after the first signs of winter) to see what winter scenes I could find. After capturing one image from Guardsman, I made my way back down to Silver Lake outside of Brighton Ski Resort and hiked around in search of moose. While there weren’t any moose to be found, I did find a plethora of interesting images waiting to be captured.

The snow fell in batches and it was wet and heavy. Not what you would expect when thinking of Wasatch Mountain Snowfall, but it was early in the year and just a few days before the temps were in the 80s. I circled the lake and found an interesting tree that stood out from the surrounding forest. In the dense snowfall, it stood like an aging sentinel guarding the shrouded forest beyond.

A little further down the path I ventured and came across a nice stream and S-curve. The winter storm was building again on the peak behind and I was afforded a brief moment of subdued light before the weather took a turn for the worse.

I decided it was time to make my way back to the car and get outta dodge before the storm got too intense and forced me to hang out up the canyon for the day. On my way out I couldn’t help but take a few more images of the early weather.

The snow came down so hard it was difficult to focus the camera as I wrestled with the rain cover I had to keep the camera dry. After the above image I made it the rest of the way out of the canyon. I looked back and saw the jagged mountainside peeking around the clouds. I set up my tripod one last time and waited for the right balance between cloud and mountainside before I clicked the shutter.

As I was standing there admiring the clouds moving through the canyon, I noticed the water droplets on these tall grasses at my feet. I lowered the tripod to ground level, changed my aperture, and gently focused on the water droplets on the closest blades. Down at the mouth of the canyon, the rain had yet to turn into snow and everything was completely saturated. About as wet and cold as a dog left out in the rain, I packed up my gear and headed back home with the heat blasting. I managed to get a few good images from the quick trip into the mountains, and was overall pleased and excited to continue photographing the changing seasons.

Next week I chase a storm and get a few epic shots of Mt. Timpanogos and the fall color, and I begin planning for a gallery showing at a new restaurant in town.

The Importance of Photographing With Peers

October 25, 2019

After a few days back in civilization, I received an invite to go photograph sunset with a group of local photographers from the Salt Lake City area. I have been a solo shooter for many years now and haven’t developed lasting relationships with many creative individuals. This recently came to my attention and I decided I needed to do something about it. So, I stepped out of my comfort zone and contacted a few local photographers to see about a weekend trip to a beautiful area earlier this spring. The interest was outstanding, and one of the local photographers took control of planning the details since I was new to the area and hadn’t the slightest clue when the best time was for that area. The weekend went off with great success, and we all decided we wanted to make these trips a regularity. Busy schedules and separate shooting agendas kept us apart as a whole for a few months, and this jaunt into the Wasatch mountains for sunset was the first real gathering we made since the spring. The forecast looked incredible and everyone was in high spirits as we met at the car lot at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon. We loaded into one vehicle after a few hellos and made our way to the trailhead. The hike up is a doozy with camera gear at just over under 3000ft of elevation change in 3.2 miles.

We arrived at our destination about 10 minutes before the sun set and quickly scouted some photographic locations. I found a wonderful composition on the side of a rock face that still had a flower bloom clinging to the rocky soil. I decided to go for the shot, given the majority of images I’ve seen from the area are at lake level. We sat and waited as the light slowly got better and better. With the fire smoke and amount of cloud cover we were all surprised the light was turning out as good as it was. I captured the following shot before the sun turned the sky into a blaze of glory that encompassed the entire scene around us.

I moved from this location to attempt a shot of a tree on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the valley we had just hiked up. I and one other photographer (Quinn Calder) had spotted this tree on the way up and discussed how it could create a nice composition. The sky in that area was particularly colorful. I took two images in those next moments and couldn’t believe what I was experiencing.

With the light racing across the sky, I thought it best to get back to the original image I had intended for the evening. John Haymore, and Emily Jeppson were in the area photographing a roughly similar composition. John hadn’t moved to chase the clouds as I did and he put together a wonderful time blended image that I thought was pure gold. My image was good, however, it lacked light in the clouds which happened while I was returning to set up my composition. I learned a new technique that evening through John. I’ve known about time blending for some time but had never tried it or seen it put into practice first hand. In a future post I will attempt to show you how to time blend successfully and go through the steps to help you create your own.

The light ended in a much less dramatic fashion than when it started, and we packed up to begin the trek back down the mountain in the dark. We were all super excited about the image potential we had on our cameras and couldn’t wait to process the images. We talked composition, light, location, and all things photo related on the way back down and it was nice to talk to other photographers. Every time you go out and shoot with a group, you will learn something. The collective knowledge in such a group can be astounding and if you know how to listen and pay attention, little snippets of wisdom float past your ears on the evening breeze quite frequently.

Next week winter hits before fall and I scramble to capture it. Be sure to check back in for that read. Its fall here in Utah and my blog posts will soon be filled with aspen photos and fall colors in the mountains.

Unplugging For A Week In Escalante

October 18, 2019

After our trip to Glacier, we had another 7 days off, so we decided to check out some areas we hadn’t managed to explore yet. The biggest location on that list was Coyote Gulch in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We started the trip off in Bryce Canyon National Park so I could capture an image I had planned a few years back but was unable to due to bad weather. It looked like my best chance at getting the image I wanted was on day two, so on our first day, we explored the extremities of the park and found some beautiful locations we had never visited.

This waterfall within the park is not within the main entrance and is often overlooked even though the hike is short. I really enjoyed seeing water flowing during this trip even though it was early September. This waterfall used to dry up in the later months, but now flows year-round and delivers water to farms downstream.

After we had hiked around the extremities, we made our way to one of the viewpoints for sunset. The spires don’t catch any light at sunset because the “canyon” is East facing, but a good sunset still renders the area an incredible scene. The first night we were in Bryce Canyon, the atmosphere was hazy. This was most likely due to the strong winds pulling rain into the area. It created a nice layer of diffused light above the spires of the “canyon'“ as the sun set to the West.

After the sun had set, I quickly made my way to a viewpoint at the opposite end of the park to capture some afterglow that was happening in the sky. The purple hues were incredible and bats were zooming past my head at an alarmingly close proximity. Thanks to those little guys though, I didn’t get a single bug bite that evening.

That night it drizzled off and on and I was worried my morning image would once again be ruined. I grumbly arose at 4 am to the sound of rain, and made my way out to the location I had selected the previous day. The sky was covered in cloud, but there was a chance I would get what I sought. A small break in the clouds was letting the light from the rising sun peak through, and it happened to be exactly where it was going to rise.

The sun rose and peaked through the smallest of breaks in the clouds, and filled the valley with warm reddish light for a few seconds before it disappeared behind the cloud layer.

I noticed another fairly large break in the clouds behind me and waited for another fifteen minutes to see if anything came from that break as I had yet to get the image I came for. I waited, practically dancing as the sun peeked back out of that break and cast the light I was seeking. I couldn’t imagine the intensity with which the sun lit the scene before me. Because of the previous night’s rain and the narrow window of light that streamed through the clouds, the colors of the park sprang to life as if on fire! I remember feeling giddy as I snapped the following image.

It was one of the most intense sunrises I’d experienced and I frantically composed a few more images as the sun began to melt off the cloud cover and the light started fading back to normal.

I stuck around for a while just basking in the moment and chuckled at how small of a chance it actually was that the clouds would have been in the perfect position for the series of events that had unfolded. We left Bryce later that morning and headed out of cell service into one of the neatest and most remote places in the United States; Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Our first stop was at a slot canyon that despite being only 1/4 mile long really packs the beauty punch. It is difficult to weave through the narrow canyon which can be filled with water as deep as your waist sometimes. The first 100 feet are usually the deepest and you have to grope with trekking poles so you don’t twist an ankle on the submerged stoned. The walls are less than shoulder-width apart in some parts, which forces you to lift your pack above your head and squeeze through sideways.

Composing an image in this environment is difficult. Setting up a tripod is almost impossible, but manageable if you oppose pressure on opposite walls as seen in the image below.

Once you have the shot set up you just have to protect yourself and your camera from sand being blown into the canyon from above, and wait for the light to reach its best. I shot two compositions while in this canyon before the light became too harsh.

Once we had scraped and clawed our way back out of the canyon and back to our car, we turned our attention to finding a proper campsite to set up shop for the night. We found a wonderfully secluded spot near the following morning’s location and retired early for the night.

We woke early around 4:30 am and headed into Devils Garden, ( an eery place when all you have to light your surroundings is a headlamp) and waited for the sun to rise. The composition I photographed here is by no means new, but I attempted to make it unique. Without a single cloud in the sky, the purple/ pink hues of pre-dawn light illuminated the sky to the south. With nothing to hinder the light as it crested the horizon, there were a few moments when I could capture ambient sidelight on the pillars whilst still getting the nice glow of pre-dawn in the sky behind.

Because there were no clouds in the sky, the light quickly became harsh and unmanageable, so we packed up our camping gear and headed for Coyote Gulch.

Our entry point to Coyote Gulch was Hurricane Wash, and our goal was Jacob Hamblin Arch which was 7.1 miles down the gulch. The trail started out nicely as we wound our way down the dry wash and into the deeper sections of Hurricane Wash. As we descended, the walls rose up around us and began to narrow. What was dry desert and scrub became seeping water and dense reeds. At times the trail became indecipherable, and I am 100% positive my wife and I crossed paths with a mountain lion on opposite sides of the wash 20 ft apart. We never saw it, but we heard it, and moments later we saw its prints in the wet sand leading to where we heard the rustling. It was an eery, but exhilarating feeling.

We made our way deeper into the wash until it opened up into Coyote Gulch. When we stepped out of the wash and looked around we were amazed at the towering walls above us and the river flowing at our feet.

We ended up hiking past Jacob Hamblin Arch to Coyote Natural Bridge before we returned to the arch and set up camp. Our total mileage for the day was 14.6, which was a pretty solid feat in this terrain while carrying camera gear and enough for 3 days in the wilderness. Our campsite was quite possibly one of the neatest places we’ve ever camped. Underneath the towering walls and massive arch, the sense of calm was almost overwhelming.

Anna arose before dawn to the sound of thunder and flashes of lightning. This was a very bad sign as Coyote Gulch is prone to flash floods and fast-moving water when storms are around. The weather forecast had said clear up until the moment we left the vehicle behind, so it was a bit of a shock to hear thunder. We were relatively safe in the location we were so we waited until sunrise knowing we could scramble to high ground if the need arose. It never did, but with storms lingering around the area, we decided it was best to hike on out so we didn’t get stuck for a few days. I managed to capture two hurried shots before we practically jogged the 7.1 miles back to the car.

It was weird seeing the sun as it rose and while simultaneously hearing thunder. As we made our way back out of Coyote Gulch and through Hurricane Wash, we turned around to allow ourselves a glimpse of the gnar that was behind us…

The storm was building fast and stayed on our tail the whole way out. We had blue skies in front of us and doom and destruction behind us. Somehow we made it to the car in 2 hours and 15 minutes. I managed to get a quick shot of Anna as we made our way up the final 3 miles of Hurricane Wash.

Next Friday I’ll take you up into the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City where I and a few fellow photographers spent the evening photographing one epic sunset.

Photography During Family Vacation In Glacier

October 11, 2019

Going on family vacations can be one of the best experiences in the world. You get to spend time with people you love in incredible places. Being a photographer while on vacations can sometimes be a difficult task.

As many of you know the best light happens before anyone really wants to be out of bed, and around dinner time when everyones stomachs are grumbling for food. This makes for some interesting and unique challenges when wanting to photograph locations during your trip.

I recently spent a week in Glacier National Park with my wife, parents, sister and brother-in-law, and ran into some of these challenges. I had planned to visit a lot of spots while everyone else was still waking up for the morning, then return (1+ hrs) to pick them up for the days adventures. I did a pretty good job planning and balancing the overall shooting and family time, but for the first half of our trip I was stuck in Canada for sunrises because the border didn’t open until 7AM. Because of this I spent a good amount of time at Waterton Lakes National Park instead of within Glacier.

I started off the adventure at a place called Driftwood Bay, and I soon learned the nickname “Windy Waterton” was well coined. Sustained 20-30 mph winds greeted me on that first day and it was hard to stand let alone get an image. My wife and my father tagged along for the 4am journey and their company was much appreciated in grizzly country. I managed to capture a few images I was happy with as the sun began to rise.

My favorite image from this first morning came when I inserted myself into the image. My wife had to hold the tripod steady while I got into position because the wind had already attempted to throw it from the cliff twice.

With the sun well risen, it was time to go get the family and head into Glacier for the day.

Even though it was middle of the day , there were pocket of good light that I was able to take advantage of during our hike.

I was surprised to find wildflowers still in bloom and it made the hike for me! The views along this hike were incredible, but seeing the delicate flowers, glacial waters and sheer cliffs in this rugged basin was was the icing on the cake.

The following day we hiked around Waterton Lakes and rested our legs a bit. We made the hike to this small waterfall and I got creative to capture this shot.

Sometimes you find yourself twisted like a pretzel just to find the right composition. I had to use my shirt to screen the lens between shots so water didn’t splash onto the glass. Its a good thing I didn’t skip leg day!

On our way back to the rental apartment, we spotted a deer drinking from one of the lakes with the perfect backdrop. I couldn’t resist getting the shot.

Day 3 was a productive day. We finally saw mountain goats along the cliffs of Glacier National Park, got great light at St. Mary’s Falls, and ended the day at the Wild Goose Island Overlook for sunset. I had pre made chili to eat so we could stay out for sunset as a family.

On day four I returned to a composition I had seen a few days before and hoped for a sunrise. I usually check the weather and cloud cover at the locations I visit, however my phone had decided to putz out on me while in Glacier. So, I went in blind so to say and hoped for the right conditions. Instead I got some serious cloud cover and very chilly temps, so I decided to work with what I had and produced a moody long exposure thanks to my Lee 6 stop ND Filter.

Despite the weather being cold and miserable in Waterton, by midday in Glacier we had blue skies and beautiful mountain views.

The place I was most surprised by was Avalanche Gorge. A short hike in along a boardwalk makes this spot an easy venture for anyone. When I first arrived the light was not very good and by waiting about 4 hours I found myself looking into one of the prettiest places I have ever seen!

The last stop was Lake McDonald and I thought it was going to be a wash. We made sure to eat near the lake so we could make it to sunset. the amount of cloud cover made for a nerve racking hour and a half, but right as the sun set some very red light filtered through to the peaks. It was a great way to end our stay in Glacier. We got to see many new and incredible places, and it is a location I would definitely love to return to.

Its Been A Year

Winter Makes An Early Appearance

The Importance of Photographing With Peers

Unplugging For A Week In Escalante

Photography During Family Vacation In Glacier

Light and Landscapes

A landscape photography blog by Andrew Lockwood

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