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The Grand Canyon is definitely both "Mighty" and "Grand"! Not only is it one of the most photographed locations in the world but it's also one of the most visited too. This photo was taken from the Desert View Point area (which is located near the eastern entrance to the Grand Canyon). I spent hours here, meandering the trails and taking photos as I did (I watched my step!). I had so much fun looking for a perfect shot, and when I came across this scene, I knew that this was it! It was mid-day however and the canyon was filled with sunlight, and as a result the canyon looked flat; lacked vibrancy, contrast and texture. Hmmm.... who wants to see a flat Grand Canyon!? (lol). So, I decided to return when the sun was about to set; I was determined to get the shot I envisioned! With the sun lower in the sky and some contrasting shadows, this image now has depth, and with the inclusion of the foreground, it it has perspective too. Notice too how the warm light from the setting sun make the colors of the canyon walls pop, and come alive. Now the Grand Canyon looks “grand” and the Colorado River below, looks “mighty”, as it should be! I’d like to give thanks to my many Arizonian professional artist friends whom have so openly shared their artistic principles with me over the years; including composition, visual flow and perspective; all of which I’ve applied to this photograph. Thank you all, for being such a huge part of my artistic journey.
Our mornings at the Art Expo (in Scottsdale, Arizona), often start with a bike ride through the desert; it’s such an awesome and privileged way to start a winter day. The sandy trail is narrow, undulating and curves around a myriad of saguaro trees and desert plants; it's an entertainingly delightful ride! While cycling, I’ve noticed many great compositions, and have pledged to return with my camera, but only when the lighting was right. On this particular day, as the sun rose and the blue sky was awakening, the dark grey clouds were highlighted in yellow, the contrast was striking. I remembered a grouping of chollas that were not far from our RV so I gathered up my camera gear and hightailed it to that very spot; my timing was perfect!
Antelope Canyon is a slot Canyon situated on Navajo land; slightly south-east of Page Arizona. There are actually two canyons; the upper and lower Antelope canyons. The southern upper canyon is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, which (at certain times of the year), produces beautiful beams of light inside the canyon. Lower Antelope on the other hand, is much smaller at the bottom, and wider at the top. On this day, we chose to enter the upper canyon. To view the canyon, we had to purchase a tour. The tour took us on a 2-3 mile open jeep ride through a sandy wash and to the entrance of the Canyon. Once there, we were split into groups; luckily for us we were in a tiny group. We were assigned a vern informative guide who explained that the sandstone canyon was created by years of erosion and flash floods. These flash floods he said, can be deadly so they watch the weather forecast closely. It was a sunny day in February when we visited, and it had been nice for days so we didn’t have anything to worry about. That said however, although we thought we’d see the beams of light that enter from above, we didn’t. Unaware of the sun and canyon’s orientation, we discovered they are only visible from the end of March to early October. Oh well, regardless it was amazing! We left feeling blessed with the intimate experience of this, one of Mother Earth’s greatest treasures. In reflection, I remember how thrilled we were to have shared our day and how pleased we were with our photographic memories too; including this photo. We had a blast!
