Early morning, looking across the grand canyon from the North Rim at Point Royal.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Unfortunately, I have not had the time to post to this blog in quite a while.  Earlier this year I moved to Albuquerque and started a new job.  These new challenges as well as my boys have kept me very busy.  I'm still shooting photos occasionally however, and I hope to bring my blog up to data sometime soon.  This image was captured from my backyard in Rio Rancho.  Enjoy.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Today's post is somewhat out of format for this blog, but I thought this was so cool I couldn't resist the urge to share.

The above image was painted by Rachael Thomas of Lancaster, PA.  Rachael had contacted me and asked to use the following image as inspiration for the above painting.  I agreed under the provision that she send me a photo of the finished painting so I could post it on this blog.

The story of the day I shot that photo is somewhat interesting.  The link below will take you to that entry in the blog.  It had rained a good deal and even today I can clearly remember the extraordinary amount of mud I found one rainy morning in Shiprock, NM.

The end of a warm summer day.  The Henry Mountains can be seen in the distance from the Gooseneck overlook inside Capitol Reef National Park.  The haze in the sky is from nearby fires burning near Bryce Canyon.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This image was captured in July of 2005 near Voyagers National Park in Northern Minnesota.  This Bear Cub is just hangin' out.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This is an unusual image of Delicate Arch.  Having been there several dozen times, this was the first time I ever saw this pot-hole of standing water.  Anyway, I use whatever features are available, and this feature produced a unique photo given the location.  This was shot earlier this year, late September.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

The Windows in Arches are such a dynamic location.  Because the windows are essentially a north-south running wall there are good images in both the AM and PM rising and setting sun.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Mid afternoon, flying over southwest Utah a thunderstorm dropping rain on the Grand Staircase, Escalante.  Henry mountains in the distance; Torrey, Utah to the left.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Early one summer morning looking west into Crystal Springs canyon from a beach on the eastern end of the canyon.  Before the first boat disturbed the water.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This is lower Calf Creek Falls seen through the trees early one fall morning.  Calf Creek is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Utah aside from the waterfalls of Zion.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Monument Valley at sunset during wild fire season.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

The Grand Canyon as seen from the North Rim, Point Royale. Shot on a Nikon Coolpix 5000.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This image is Lake Powell, Cathedral of the Desert when the lake level was significantly higer during 2001. Shot with a Nikon Coolpix 5000.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This image was taken from the air while flying over the Zion National Park and the Grand Staircase Escalante. Shot on a Nikon Coolpix 5000.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright. Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

I'm back posting again after a little break.  Today's image was taken after sunset from the Goose Necks overlook in Capitol Reef National Park near Torrey, Utah.  Colorful sunsets and sunrises are very typical for the desert southwest.  Shot on a Nikon D100 with a 24-120 Nikkor Lens at 42mm.  No filters were used, metering was based on open sky, 1.6 sec, f/25.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This image was taken from the rim of Marble Canyon, just north of Lee's Ferry.  Navajo Mountain is in the distance, and Page Arizona is on the left.

Nikon D100, 24-120 Nikkor Lens at 82MM, 1/4th, F/29, 200ISO, RAW.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

It's amazing how many odd rock formations are scattered throughout the desert southwest.  One such formation is Church Rock, located south of Moab, Utah.  Powell spoke of how the landscape of the southwest was a book of revelation in the bible of geology.  These formation do tell stories about the formation of the land.

Shot on a Nikon D100, Nikkor 24-120 at 84MM, 1/640th, F/13, 200 ISO to RAW.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

The easiest places to visit are always those places located along the route between something and something.  The harder locations to visit are those locations located between something and nothing.  The hardest and sometimes most rewarding locations are located between nothing and nothing.

That's sort of the case with Hovenweep.  Definately worth the visit, but the location is so obscure that few people will ever visit this remote location on the sothern border of Colorado and Utah, just north of four-corners.

Shot on a Nikon D100, 70-300mm Sigma at 300MM, 1/1000th, F/6, 200ISO to RAW.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

"Man cannot change the great laws of nature; but he can take advantage of them, and use them for his purposes."

- John Wesley Powell

This is the Glen Canyon Dam as seen from overhead at 10,000 feet.  This dam creates Lake Powell by blocking the mouth of Marble Canyon.  It's quite amazing to imagine John Powell and his crew navigating this gorge before the dam was there.

Image was taken on a Nikon N65, 400 Speed Kodak Color Print Film.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

"Man cannot change the great laws of nature; but he can take advantage of them, and use them for his purposes."

- John Wesley Powell

Tucked away in an obscure corner of the Lake that is named after Powell is a little gem called The Cathedral in the Desert.  The sanstone walls have been carved by the water in a manner to create an enormus ampitheater with a very small opening to the outside.  Several hundread yards up the canyon exists another lake and a lush pocket of vegitation resulting for a spring or small stream.  It's very possible that Powell visited this site during his voyage down the Colorado as the location is near the confluence of the Colorado and Escalante.  Powell often favored such camp sites and was known to hike and explore several hours of each day, generally following watersources upstream.

The image was taken on a Nikon Coolpix 5000 with the native lens and no filters.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

These unique sandstone formations are located along the eastern rim of Marble Canyon.  Marble Canyon was given its name by Powell during his first trip down the colorado.  The name was chosen due to the staining on the walls.

About this image...

Taken on a Nikon D100 with a Sigma 70-300 mm lens at 135mm.  1/15th, F/4.5, 200 ISO to raw.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

It's been a couple days since my last post.  I had my external hard disk fail due to a controller issue and I couldn't access any of the images.  It's all fixed now!

This is one of my favorite images, I love the colors and the way the composition came together.  It's intesting, for the longest time I had thought I had taken this on a Nikon N-80 using Velvia.  When I pulled the image up today I was shocked, it was actually a Nikon D100 image taken with my ultra-cheap Sigma 70-300 lens.  I think there was a polarizer and a Tiffen Enhancing Filter on at the time, not sure though.  I say that because in my camera bag I usually leave those two on that lens all the time.

This was taken along the road in Arches National Park, Utah.  Depending upon atmospheric conditions this purple light appears just after the sun has set.  The specifics of the image are as follows: 1/60th, F/4.2, 112 MM, 200ISO to RAW.

As I was typing this it reminded me that I don't have any filters for my new lenses.  I recently replaced all my lenses with Sigma EX 12-24, 24-70 F/2.8, an 70-200 F/2.8.  Everything is like 86MM, so I have to get a polarizer that size and an enhancing filter.  Those are really the only two filters I use.

I'm getting ready to get a new camera.  Looking at the Nikon D2X, but also seriously considering the Kodak 14 SLR/n.  Any thoughts?

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

I've said  before, unusual weather brings about unusual photo opportunities; that was the case with this image.  The night before this image was taken, heavy rainfall covered much of the southwest.  Becuase much of the ground is covered in sandstone, this prevents absorption of the rain and creates flooding.  This storm carved 6 feet out of the bottom of Antelope Canyon, and left it's mark on Monument Valley with washed out roads and standing water everywhere.  That being said, this is an unusual image of Monument Valley, as you don't normally see East Mitten Butte reflected in water.

The image was captured on a Nikon D100 to Raw using a Nikkon 24-120 at 120 MM on a tripod, 1.8 Seconds, F/5.6, 200 ISO, no filters.  Post processing for contrast was done using Nikon Capture.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

When John Wesley Powell presented his report on the Arid Lands he suggested that the United States Government secure ideal sites for water storage.  Powell suggested that water be stored along side the river, rather than inline with it as most water storage reserviors are built.  Lake Powell is named after John Wesley Powell, and is one of the largest reserviors on the planet, stretching from the bottom of Cataract Canyon on the northern end to the beginning of Marble Canyon, over 150 miles away on the southern end.

About this photo:

This is Good Hope Bay, in the northern section of Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area.  This image was taken just before sunrise from the back of a boat.  The camera was a Nikon Coolpix 5000.   The file isn't tagged with camera data, but I do know it was a several second exposure shot to tiff format using a tripod, and only the native lens, no filters.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

The small chain of mountains on the left side is the Henries.  They were the last mountains in the United States to be named, and their name was given by Explorer John Wesley Powell to honor a friend.

This image was shot from the road over Hell's backbone between Boulder and Escalante Utah.  That route is a very scenic road that travels through several state and national parks and rec areas.  It's along the route I travel during the desert photo tour.  This image had no filters, all natural color.  Image was taken on a Nikon D100, 1/2.5th, F/5.3, ISO 200, Nikkon 24-120mm at 70MM.  Shot to RAW, no post processing changes.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

"These forest regions are made such by inexorable climatic conditions.  They are high among the summer frosts.  The plateaus are scored by canyons, and the mountains are broken with crags and peaks."

- John Wesley Powell

About this photo...

Photographed somewhere along the Monarch Crest Trail. Nikon D100, Sigma 15-30MM at 15MM, 1/20th, F/22, to JPG, no post processing.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

"The thought grew into my mind that the canyons of this region would be a book of revelations in the rock-leavened Bible of geology.  The thought fructified, and I determined to read the book."

- John Wesley Powell

About this Photo...

Early one morning I drove in a rain storm from Cortez to Shiprock hoping to see Shiprock Peak.  I had almost decided to stay in bed.  Just before sunrise I setup and was ready to shoot photos.  There was a mostly overcast layer in all directions, and it looked like a wash.  As sunrise came there was just enough of a gap between the overcast and the horizon for a couple seconds of good light.  When I say seconds, that's no joke.  From when the first light appeared to when the sun disappeared above the overcast was exactly 48 seconds.  I managed to shoot 7 photos, this was one of them.  Nikon D100, 200 ISO, to RAW, 1/2.5th @ F/5.6, 70-300 MM Sigma at 70mm.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This image was taken on Good Hope Bay, on Lake Powell.  Lake Powell is part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.  The image was shot on a Nikon D100 with a 50-500mm Sigma at 500mm, 1/1000th, F/6.3.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

I took this image yesterday from my back yard around dusk.  It seems I live in an area that is a frequent traffic route for Mule Deer.  This guy was grazing so I figured I would shoot a couple photos from the deck while making dinner.  As I've said before, photographing wildlife doesn't have to be a huge production.  Use whatever subjects are around to refine your skills, then when yor ready make the trip to Yellowstone.

This was photographed on a Nikon D100 with a Sigma 50-500 at 500mm, F/6.3, 1/80th, 400 ISO and post processed in Nikon Capture to lighten the image and adjust the white balance.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Another field of photography that can be difficult to master is wildlife photography.  A big part of this for many people is the trouble they encounter trying to find animals, once they do find an animal they are so nervous they usually scare away the creature or end up with no photos because they failed to concentrate on the tasks of taking off the lens cover, metering, exposure, focus, and all those other things that help make good photos.

It's my belief that a good strategy is like learning anything else, is to start with baby steps, then work your way up.  Instead of setting out to find a moose (which is often an elusive animal) start with something easier.  A good first subject might be a squirrel, chipmunk or bird, these animals are usually predictable and have patterns that are easy to observe.  Spend some time watching the animal, think about lighting, where you want to be positioned, move around the area.  As you watch the animal learn it's pattern, once you know where the squirrel is going next have the camera focused and pointed on that place and take some photos.  The nice thing about squirrels and chipmunks is they usually don't run away for good, so you'll have many hours of opportunity with the subject.  Once you think you've created an excellent portrait of a chipmunk move on up larger things.

This image is an Alpine Marmot, taken near Vail, Colorado.  Camera - Nikon D100, Lens - Sigma 50-500 at 500mm on a tripod.  1/40th, F/6.3, 200ISO - No filters, and no post processing changes.  I really like this image the way the depth of field is large enough to have the Marmot and the rock in focus and everything else out of focus.  That setup is the result of being well inside the infinite focus distance.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Today it seems adventure sports photography is a very marketable product.  One of the problems for the photographyer trying to break into the business is finding, hiring, paying and managing models.  Instead of models, consider using people actually engaged in the activity as your subject.  I sometimes wait along a stretch of the river waiting for that really good kayaker to go by, or photograph hikers, bikers, or anyone else that just happened to be in the image.  The key is to pick out those people that look like they know what they are doing and have all the newest and coolest gear.

These hikers were descending Wall Street as I was sitting there taking photos of the canyon, seemed like a good usable image so I took it.  Shot on a Nikon D100 to Raw, 200 ISO, 15-30 MM Sigma at 15mm.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This image was taken from the far side of the north window looking south through the north and south window.  This windows are an easily accessible area, only a 10 minute walk from the parking lot.  This is one area I sometimes take my workshop students to when I conduct the workshop in Moab.

The photo was taken on a Nikon D100, 200ISO, Sigma 15-30MM at 15mm, 1/180th, F/7.1.  Post processing adjustments were done in Nikon Capture for white balance, exposure, and contrast.  Overall I like this image, but I wish it were more dramatic.  I think if the sky had some colorful clouds in it then the composition could be more interesting.  I will definately plan to revisit this location and use these amazing rock formations to create a better image in the future.  The reality of this type of photography is that often it is necessary to return to the same place over and over to capture different conditions, refine compositions, or to reinvent prior images.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This is tree grows along a stretch of the Mesa Trail known as Wall Street.  The Mesa Trail starts at Sunset Point and descends into the rock formations and then returns to it's same starting point about 3 miles later.

The image was shot using a 15-30 Sigma on a Nikon D100 to RAW.  Post processing for color and exposure was performed in Nikon View.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Late one autumn afternoon along the East Vail bike path.  I like the way the dense forest causes the background behind the aspens to fade to darkness. Photographed using a Nikon D100 with a 70-300 Tamron at 130MM, 1/20th, F/3.5, 200 ISO to RAW.  Processed for white balance and contrast using Nikon Capture.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This image was taken in the late afternoon in Rocky Mountain National Park.  The camera was a Nikon D100, lens was a Sigma 50-500 at 370 mm, F/6.3, 1/20th.  The image was shot to raw at 200 iso and lightened and warmed using Nikon Capture white balance setting.  To capture this image I had positioned myself further up the meadow in the direction the herd was moving.  As a result the elk came to me, I was sitting in the grass with the camera on the tripod waiting.  This is one of several good strategies for photographing wildlife.

Today I broke the normal routine of posting a nature/landscape photo.  Instead I posted an aerial of Las Vegas.  I posted this because it hangs on the wall in my office and so many people who see it find it to be facinating. 

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

There is no arguing that digital photography is a different game than film photography.  Some aspects of digital photography make it superior to film, some aspects of film make it superior to digital.   The pros and cons are not absolutes but rather a matter of opinion and importance to yourself.  I personally embrace both film and digital for different purposes.

In my own struggle to learn digital photography I spent many hours experimenting and sometimes getting poor results.  This image was taken early one spring morning at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park using a Nikon Coolpix 5000.  This was shortly after I bought the CP5000.  While the CP5000 was my 3rd digital camera, what it proved was that digital was finally able to produce something meaningful.  My prior digital cameras were not useful, the CP5000 finally was.

This image was the first I took with a digital camera that was the level of quality I desired.  I don't know the specifics, but I will tell you I employed only natural light and the native CP5000 lens.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This image was captured In Canyonlands National Park early one January morning right at sunrise while standing at the southern most point on the plateau that makes up the Island in the Sky district.  This is looking east into the rising sun, the LaSal mountains in the background.  The camera, a Nikon D100, lens Nikkor 24-120 at 26MM, 1/15th , F/5.

I like this image because of all the colors in it.  It seems that a greater variety of color many times enhances the image.  In this one there are reds, yellows, blues, pinks, oranges.  A split neutral density filter was used to knock down the exposure of the sky.  If you're interested in photographing Canyonlands consider joining one of my workshops that tour canyonlands.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This image was captured In Canyonlands National Park early one January morning right before or right at sunrise while standing at the southern most point on the plateau that makes up the Island in the Sky district.  The camera, a Nikon D100, lens Nikkor 24-120, 1.5 seconds, F/4.

My experience has been that the very first/last dim rays of morning and afternoon light can produce unusual images.  In a previous post I talked about how our eyes may perceive light without color, but if you reduce the intensity of the light color can usually always be found.  That same principal is true here.  My eyes were telling me the light was dim, flat and colorless, however by using a long exposure I was able to create an unusual image.  If you're interested in photographing Canyonlands consider joining one of my workshops that tour canyonlands.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

This was taken inside Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.  A tribal park is sort of like a National Park, except the land belongs to the Navajo Indians, so they manage the park and charge admission.  This park is right on the border between Arizona and Utah, near the four corners area.  Incidently, this is a must see stop on our desert photography workshop.

This image was captured several summers ago during a period of time when there was significant forest fire activity in Arizona.  The trip had become sort of a drag because the smoke in the sky was causing a thick haze.  Having made it all the way to Monument Valley I felt I needed to walk away with something good, so I tried shooting the valley as a sillouette.  It worked, I metered on the sky and then reduced the exposure another stop.  The result was this dramatic image.  Shot on a Nikon D100, ISO200, Nikkor 24-120, 1/250th, F/10 at 42MM.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Photographers love to talk about their tools - lenses , cameras, filters, tripods, etc.  To some extent these tools allow you to capture images that you would not otherwise be able to.  At some point in this game technical capability and know-how do become a factor.  Off topic... anyway, I was going to say that two of the most important tools are a good alarm clock and a capable vehicle.  Early on spring morning my alarm clock went off at 4:30, I looked out the window and saw overcast and pouring rain.  I almost went back to bed, but I didn't.  Instead I drove an hour to get to point royale on the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

My reward was a rainbow and clearing skies!  That day I learned an important lesson.  Don't cancel a photo opportunity because conditions have changed in such a way that you don't believe you can get the photo you're after.  Instead keep your plan to go take pictures and instead look for the images that were not what you were looking for.

This image was taken on a Nikon D100 with a Sigma 15-30MM in the 15MM position on a tripod.  180th, F/7.1, 200 ISO.

I really like this image, I liked it so much I printed and framed a 24x36 over my fireplace!  If you like the image, you could order one to.

As with all images appearing on this site, they are the property of Loren French, and they are protected by copyright.  Any images can be purchased as prints, or right to use can be purchased for any use.

Today's image is another panorama that has been assembled from four seperate horizontal images.  I shot the photos for this last summer, just a couple days ago I completed the painstaking work of assembling the image and blending the sky.  For that process I use Photoshop CS and the healing brush primarily.  I believe this will be an image I take again because in my eyes it could be better.  If I took the image in the winter rather than the summer the sun would rise further south and as a result the large rock formation on the right which is very much in shadow would be in more light at sunrise when this image was captured.

The location is the LaSal Overlook in Arches National Park, Utah.  Arches and Canyonlands are two of my favorite parks to photograph.  Something about red rock and blue sky!  The image was taken using a Nikon D100 to NEF Raw format.  The lens was a Nikkor 24-120 at 24MM, tripod (obviously), 160th F/6.3 for all 4 images.  I'm looking forward to shooting this image again in the winter and using my new toys.  Until recently my lens collection was a hodge-podge of low