My last four posts have shared a selection of photographs from the recent tour I completed with friend and fellow photographer, Bob Bear. As I re-looked at the many pictures I had taken, a few emerged that I particularly like. I’m presenting three of those today, beginning with this first shot taken on our visit to the The Wave.
This scene was captured from the perimeter of the Wave, looking along one of its outer flanks. I term it the “blanket” because it makes me think of a colourful, striped quilt on an unmade bed. I like the smooth texture, rumpled shapes, variety of colours and the fine lines exposed by millennia of polishing by the winds. A comparison with the terrain in the background, typical of the area highlights the uniqueness of this very small patch of desert.
My second choice truly emerged from a re-visit to the files. It’s the more typical, all-inclusive view of the Horseshoe Bend. In an earlier post about our tour, I expressed a preference for the partial views of this gorge. But on second thought I can’t deny the majesty of this great scene. Of course, the colours, the rugged features of the terrain and the sweeping curve of the river are all elements that contribute to the interest of this picture. What distinguishes it for me is its sheer grandeur and the sense of awe I experience each time I visit this area.
My final picture for today and favourite from my recent travels also portrays a scene from The Wave. It’s a view eastward contrasting the fine detail of The Wave’s polished sandstone with the rugged beauty of the Coyote Buttes wilderness. I like this picture as well for the finely stratified sandstone on the right. It’s delicate texture is a real anomaly amid the surrounding terrain. I was fortunate to get this short break in a cloudy day, exposing the background so clearly.
That concludes the series of posts on our photo trip to northern Arizona and southern Utah. Many thanks to Bob Bear for sharing the experience.
Great pics of amazing formations!