Fall Color in Zion National Park

Zion National Park is a photographer's delight in the fall. Early November is the best time to catch the peak of color, when the canyon foliage explodes with vibrant yellows, oranges, reds, and greens. I spent a week in the park, trying to capture the majestic beauty and magnificent fall color. An inspirational and extremely rewarding experience, Zion produced a change in my photographic approach and style.

The park is made up of two major geological areas, the plateaus and the canyon. The plateaus are a harshly beautiful, wind-sculpted terrain where pinyon pines and juniper struggle to survive. The Great Arch, Checkerboard Mesa, and Upper Mesa Areas are spectacular and offer many photographic opportunities.

Water flow from the Virgin River has carved a spectacular canyon into the sandstone creating deep gorges and massive cliffs. The beautiful river and the steep rock facings of red, white, and earthy yellow provide wonderful backdrops to the exciting colors of the cottonwood, box elder, and velvet ash leaves. When it rains, water gathers on Zion's expansive plateaus and pours over the precipices, descending hundreds of feet in awe-inspiring, fleeting waterfalls.

I went to Zion to photograph the fall color, so I spent most of my time along the eight-mile Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. The most popular scenic locations and trailheads are along this route including The Towers of the Virgin, The Watchman, The Temple of Sinawava, Weeping Rock, The Emerald Pools, Angels Landing, and The Narrows. To protect the canyon environment, the park service recently introduced a shuttle service. The canyon is accessible only by shuttle from April through October and by private vehicle the rest of the year.

The canyon is a colorful playground that, at first, overwhelms with its splendor and absolute beauty. Although they've been done many times before, I like to photograph the popular grand vistas and the iconic subjects when I first arrive at a new place. It is a great way to find my way around the area, get comfortable, and relax. As these majestic sights became more familiar, I asked myself, "How can I improve my photographs?" In my search for an answer, I began to see amazing beauty in Nature's detail and I found a deep fulfillment in photographing the intimacy of the park.

The Towers of the Virgin

Perhaps the most-photographed sunrise location in the park is behind the Museum. It was visitor's center before the shuttle operation began. The Towers of the Virgin loom over the valley, creating a wonderfully natural composition. As twilight approaches, approximately 30 minutes before sunrise, the sky, the Towers, and the surrounding landscape glow in splendid, even-lit pastels. Just before sunrise, the cliffs of the Towers blush with incredibly warm light. As the sun rises from behind the opposite cliffs, a strong shadow line from the rim makes an appearance and travels down the face of the Towers. Finally, the sun rises above the cliffs, bathing the whole scene in warm, angled light, revealing the colors and textures of The Towers and creating another opportunity for magnificent photographs.

The Towers of the Virgin are striking at sunrise, but I have learned to check back later in the day as light changes. Around noon one day as I drove past the Museum, I glanced over at The Towers. A storm had just passed and the display of light and clouds was incredible. I made an abrupt U-turn, waving an apology to the wide-eyed driver behind me, and headed to the museum. I grabbed my gear and raced to the back of the building to photograph "Storm Clearing over the Towers of the Virgin." I used a 45mm Tilt/Shift lens, shifted slightly down to enhance the feeling of looking up at the Towers. I used a polarizer to cut the noontime glare and enhance the tower cliffs. The clouds and light lasted only minutes, but my excitement at catching such a spectacular scene lasted the rest of the day.

The Watchman

As with sunrise, there is a "most-photographed" sunset scene in the park. A bridge over the Virgin River provides an excellent view of The Watchman, framed by the river and Cottonwood trees. Most evenings you'll see dozens of photographers jockeying for position and composition along the bridge. I scouted this location earlier in the day and decided that, while it is indeed a nice scene, I would try for something a little different. That evening, before sunset, I parked at the bridge and headed down the walking trail, crisscrossing the river and working my way closer to the mountain. Fields of grasses, dried from the summer heat, gave off a golden glow, in contrast to the looming, brooding clouds overhead. The Watchman, rising majestically over the valley, created a wonderful subject opportunity. As the sun disappeared behind the approaching storm clouds, I positioned myself in an open field. Using a 24mm wide-angle lens, I composed "Storm approaching The Watchman" with the mountain on the left and the lines from the clouds on the right, angling back toward the mountain. At the time, I felt the scene would benefit from a panorama style so I made sure I had room at the top and bottom for cropping. I headed back to the car just in time to avoid a heavy thunderstorm.

Waterfalls at Weeping Rock

I woke up the next morning to…rain. It had rained heavily all night and showed little sign of letting up. Being the intrepid north westerner and well accustomed to a little water from the sky, I packed my gear and drove into the park. I first noticed the rain-soaked leaves of vivid yellow, orange, red, and green on the trees and covering the valley floor. The canyon walls, dripping with water, were a vibrant red and black. Everywhere I looked, I saw water cascading down cliff faces that were bone-dry the previous day.

I headed down the canyon drive, admiring the wonder all around me. As I approached the Weeping Rock parking lot, I saw a double waterfall, pouring down a beautiful red and black cliff face. As I pulled into the parking lot the rain picked up. I wanted to photograph the waterfalls with the colorful foliage in the foreground and the cliff in the background, but the heavy rain was dampening my enthusiasm. The parking lot was nearly empty so I maneuvered my Chevy Blazer into position where I could work from the back with the tailgate up, making a perfect umbrella for me and my equipment. I used a polarizer to increase the saturation and eliminate extraneous highlights. The overcast light and polarizer meant a longer exposure, perfect for capturing the soft flow of the water, but potentially a problem for wind-blown leaves and branches. Fortunately, while the rain was heavy, there was very little wind so a three-second exposure worked well for "Waterfalls at Weeping Rock."

The Temple of Sinawava

After Weeping Rock, I drove to The Temple of Sinawava at the end of the park. I hoped the rains had fed the trickle of a waterfall I saw the previous day. I was rewarded with a spectacular display of water coursing down the rich sandstone cliffs, surrounded by rain-soaked Cottonwood trees. The rain was still heavy, but I knew I had to photograph this incredible scene. Wiping the rain from my lens and camera, I stepped into the field and photographed "Waterfall at the Temple of Sinawava." A 45mm lens proved to be perfect for the design I was after. I chose to position the waterfall in a "V" in the tree line with a nearby Cottonwood balancing the scene. A polarizer helped saturate the colors of the trees and the cliffs. Afterward, I headed back to the car and turned the heater on full to dry myself.

Later that day, as the rain let up, I went back to the Temple of Sinawava. I headed down the Riverside Walk that leads to the Gateway to the Narrows, the entrance to the Virgin River Narrows. The Virgin River had become a raging, muddy torrent of water from the rain, tearing shrubs and trees from its overflowing banks, and depositing them further downstream. As I walked the path, I saw shapes and patterns in the trees across the river. The rain had soaked the bark of Cottonwood trees, creating an almost black contrast to the warmer colors of the leaves. "Fall Dance at The Temple of Sinawava" is one example of nature's beautiful designs that I discovered along the path. I used a 180mm telephoto lens to isolate and compress the tree branches. Again, a polarizer helped remove highlights and saturate colors.

The Grotto

I spent much of my time photographing the valley's trees, footpaths, waterfalls, rock formations, and plant life. In places, rainwater trickled down, soaking the rock faces and creating a glistening, rich wonderland of color and an excellent backdrop for the various subjects. Even the paved road covered with leaves made an effective leading line into a forested scene. "Fall in the Grotto" was nearly an afterthought. I had stopped at the Grotto to photograph the fallen trees, wet and covered in colorful leaves. As I headed back to the car, I saw how the trees hung over the road as it curved off into the distance. I usually try to avoid elements of civilization in my photography, but I felt such a wonderful sense looking at the scene that I had to photograph it. Once again, the 180mm telephoto lens provided the right angle of view for framing and compressing the scene.

Reflected Light and the Virgin River

How many times have you heard that the best time of day for photography is during the magic hours around sunrise and sunset? We're told that during the day, when light is harsh, we should be scouting that next sunrise or sunset location. That was my plan for Zion, however, the distinctive geography of the canyon made for excellent photography opportunities all day long.

The canyon is narrow with steep walls that tower and dominate every scene. As the sun makes its way across the sky, shining on the canyon walls, the light reflects onto the opposite floor and surroundings. The reddish golden reflected light is like Nature's warming filter, perfect for intimate landscape and nature photography. Standing and fallen trees, leaves, grasses, plants, rocks, and even the red-earth made wonderfully close-in subjects to explore and photograph. I found exposure settings in the even light were straightforward and I trusted my camera to make the right choice. I often got lost in photographing the many natural subjects and patterns in this wonderful soft light.

Another reflected light opportunity exists with the Virgin River itself. The colors of the canyon walls bouncing and reflecting on the river waters make for wonderful abstract images. I used a 180mm telephoto lens to photograph "Reflections" stopped down to f/32 for maximum depth of field. I also added a three-stop neutral density filter to lengthen the exposure time. For me, the result is an interesting rainbow of colors playing over smooth-flowing water. The reality was quite different as the river was still a muddy deluge from the earlier rains. This was another new area for me to explore, creating abstracts of nature's beauty. I tried this technique several times in different places along the river with varying success. In most cases, I found the image to be more appealing when I placed a river boulder or two in the frame as anchor points for the eye.

 

Winding Up

The rest of my stay in Zion was much drier. I spent time along the Zion Plateau trying to capture the grandeur of a landscape that is so dramatically different from the Canyon floor. I found, however that the Canyon continued to call me and I usually returned there to a sense of awe, wonder, and peace.

My visit to this extraordinary park will stay with me for a lifetime. The experience changed my approach to photography. I learned to see in new and different ways, looking for the patterns that nature creates and shares with those who take the time to look. I still love photographing grand landscapes, but I also seek out intimate landscapes that capture the emotion and sense of wonder in our natural world. I am thankful for the experience in Zion and I am already planning a return trip in the spring.

David

This article was published in the Fall 2005 edition of Nature Photographer Magazine. The “Reflections” image was selected for the magazine cover.