Have you ever noticed that the sunset is usually significantly more exciting and colorful on an evening after a storm?  I suppose I could just be making that up or dreaming it, but I think that it is true.  When the clouds break up and the sun gets low in the sky the golden color really shows through.  Summer evenings here in Maine are almost always pretty spectacular, but on a night like tonight, after two days of bad weather, it seems like there is nothing better.

Here at camp the light streams through over the mountains in the distance and the river, then through the tall pine trees that line the high bank, and across the field.  I don’t think you could ask for a better backdrop and lighting when we walk out of dinner and then as it gets later in the evening and taps get played.  The silence and stillness during those moments when everyone in camp stops to listen to the bugle is quite magical.  If you have never had the opportunity to stop each evening, reflect on the day and listen to the floating melody of taps on the bugle (especially when played by a great camper) then you should.  I suppose it is kind of an American thing, but I would imagine that anyone from anywhere would appreciate it.

The evening after a day or more of rain is also special because kinds want to be out and enjoy the remnants of the day.  We take advantage of every moment of daylight that we can get, but the games and activities that get played are much more interesting than those during the course of a regular day.  Little pickup games of anything as long as the equipment is out and available.  It is a tim when everyone is actually in camp together and there are enough people around to get a decent game going.

Evenings are always a peaceful time.  Sure, sometimes we get a little hyper, or we have a dance night, but for the most part, it is one of the best times of day.  The world cools off (most of the time), people relax, and this is when the bonds of great friendships show.  Everyone has a friend and everyone hangs out together.  It is a beautiful time that hopefully everyone stops to appreciate sometimes.  You don’t have to be in a special place like camp to stop and appreciate the summer evenings.  It might have a slightly different effect if you live in a city, but I would imaging that if you stop and reflect, it is pretty similar.

Thankfully today didn’t start wicked early, we got to sleep until about 0600 so that we could be ready for an 0730 departure.  On the other hand, we are doing another early morning tomorrow with an 0445 departure, so I m going to try to be brief so that I can get to bed.

We spent all of today shooting in Arches National Park with a break for some classroom time and lunch mid-day.  The morning we spent shooting in the “Windows” section of the park around Turret Arch and Double Arch.  Lots of fun opportunities there.  After the classroom time we headed back to the park to the other vantage point of Delicate Arch.  Certainly and interesting and different view, and much less of a hike to get there.  This was the first time all week that I pulled out my long lens!

I finally think, after four trips to Arches, that I have got shots of Balanced Rock that do it justice.  We got there just before sunset and the light was spectacular.  Then as the sun sank lower We saw some amazing reds and purples show up on the rocks and mountains.  This is the kind of like that allows you to see the “Purple Mountain Majesties!”  I would love to share on of those images tonight, but I have not even looked at them yet.  One of the other crazy things about the sunset was the line up of photographers all waiting for the magic moment.  There were probably over 40 people there with cameras on tripods.

After the sun went down, as we started to pack up, this Japanese woman asked us to pose for a photo of us in silhouette against the sunset.  So we did.  Then of course more of the Japanese tourists came over to take our picture.  This morphed into them asking us to do a jumping photo at which point almost 20 of them were trying to take our photo.  After they spaced us out and counted us off a couple times, we felt like we were done, when one man said to us: “More higher!” we just quit.  Of course we left them a card so maybe we will get a photo in email!

On that note, I shall leave you with an image for today as I hit the sack.  This is Turret Arch:

Turret Arch at Arches National Park ©2010 Alex Weisman

As always, comments and critiques are welcome!

Today began at the ungodly hour of 4AM.  Photographers are a rare breed like that, we think that it is cool to get up BEFORE the ass-crack of dawn so that we can catch the best light of the day.  Sure, there are other people who get up or stay up for bizarre times (like astronomers), but we photographers think that not only do you have to be out when the sun comes up, but also when it goes back down!  Why take only one when you get two for free!?

By 0430 we were rolling down the road towards Canyonlands National Park.  Mesa Arch in the “Island in the Sky” district was the destination.  With headlamps and flashlights and packs full of camera gear we made our way to the arch in the twilight.  Amazingly, we were the fist people to arrive there, so we got prime pickings for spots to shoot from.  It was also a very ominous  start to a day that would turn out to be fantastic.  The only downside was that one of the members of our group had fallen ill due to food poisoning and didn’t feel well enough to make the hike.

We wrapped up shooting at the arch around 0730 after one of the best light shows you could ever hope for.  Only the photos will really describe it, and I have one for you a little later on.  Once we piled back into the cars and headed out to the Grand View Point.  From here you can look out into the two other districts of Canyonlands, “The Needles” district and “The Maze” District.  Both of those districts I have yet to visit, but the drive is a lot longer and they are a lot more wild.  probably a trip to be done with my brother at some point.

We got to breakfast (finally) at around 0945 and then off to the classroom for  some photo editing and some lecture time.  I was so tired it was hard to pay attention, but I did and I have the notes to prove it!  From there we had time for a much needed nap before we were to head out again for the evening shoot.

For the evening shoot we hiked up to Delicate Arch, the iconic symbol of both Arches National Park and the State of Utah.  We got up with plenty of time before we got to the golden hour so we shot some fun stuff like a jumping photo under the arch.  I managed to have a guy yell at me for being under the arch on account of the “dozen photographers waiting to take a picture without you [me] in it!”  The irony being that: A) This man was not of of those photographers, in fact he left almost immediately after the incident, and B) Nine of those photogs were in our group.  Whatever, I paid the same amount of taxes as anyone there and I have every right to take my time!  So, bite-me crazy-man-who-I-will-never-see-again!

After capturing some great sunset images we hiked back to the cars in the dwindling light with a family from Israel who realized the stayed a little too long and didn’t have flashlights.  They were good company on the walk, fun to talk to.  We hit up Zax for some pizza and beer and now it is basically bed time.  Tomorrow will be another long day.

With that, I suppose it is time for the photo of the day.  This is tough because there are so many great ones.  I haven’t even had time to got through them all.  So I picked this one because it was kind of the iconic shot for the day.  So here it is, Mesa Arch:

Mesa Arch at SunriseCanyonlands National Park©2010 Alex Weisman

As always, comments and critiques are welcome!  I will post more images over at IceWolf Photography as I get through them (I know I am way behind already!).

So, I missed posting a photo last week, I was pretty busy that I totally forgot what day of the week was.  I won’t forget this week though.  So, here is my photo for the week:

Sunset at Arches

Every year since I moved to Utah I have managed to get in a trip to visit at least one of the national parks here in Utah and the surrounding region.  The year before last I was invited on a trip with my cousins to tour a bunch of parks.  We started in Moab, UT at Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.  We pulled into Moab late in the day and after we checked into the hotel the light was beautiful so we raced out to Arches to shoot some photos.  This is probably the best of the lot from that night.

I totally forget what the name of this feature is, but it is right off the park road and not too far into the park.  I am looking forward to going back this summer for a photo workshop.  I find these places to be so beautiful and amazing and I love visiting them.

As always, comments and critiques are encouraged and welcome!

As the week draws to a close and i am about to go into a crazy busy week, it is time to post up another photo.  Here is one that anyone who has been visiting my blog has been looking at, but may have never seen the full image.  This one is the header image that I use.

Sunset over the Atlantic from the yard of house that we rented while my uncle's house was under construction.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend and as always, comments and critiques on the photography is always welcome!