Bryce Canyon has become one of our favorite photography places! And why not, with its amphitheaters filled with red, pink, orange and white hoodoos? At sunrise, these hoodoos seem to glow, and all through the day, the colors are constantly changing. Now add all sorts of funky shapes, and who in their right mind could ever get tired of shooting them?
So, after our short stop at Zion we headed north to Bryce for two days of non-stop shooting. When I say non-stop, I mean it. We shot sunrise, sunset and at night. And, we thought we were tired after Vegas.
First up, sunset from Sunrise Point. (And yes, later we did sunrise at Sunset Point. Whoever named these had one too many at the lodge bar.) At Bryce, Sunset tends to lack the pizazz of sunrise as the canyon faces east and the sun sets behind you. Hence, long before the sun sets, the hoodoos are deep in shadows. However, we were blessed with nice clouds which lit up from the setting sun. Just Spectacular.
Once the sun sets, most of the crowd leaves. The show is over, right? Or is it? After sunset, large canyons often glow with a deep rich color which we enjoyed in near solitude. This is often referred to as the blue hour as the tint changes on the sky and the rocks.
How about a late night shoot? Bryce Canyon is in a designated dark area and with the Milky Way overhead, we couldn’t resist. We donned our camera packs and tripods and descended (by flashlight) deep into the canyon. We were not disappointed.
Sunrise never disappoints, as we love to see the light enter the canyon lighting up clusters of hoodoos – sometimes glowing and sometimes on fire. It was even fun after a real short night.
As you can see, we may be exhausted from nonstop shooting, but there is no tiring of hoodoos. They are constantly changing with the light, and of course, it’s all about the light.
[Special Note: If you can see the featured image (i.e., from FaceBook post), the hoodoos look like a dragon’s face. If you would like to know the story behind the photo, please enter a comment below and Jeff will respond]
These pictures are magnificent. One of my favorite places in this country, too, and you do it proud!
Thanks! We can’t get enough of Bryce. Each time we go it seems to spark the creativity juices. Thanks again for the kind words.
These are gorgeous and I love seeing things through your eyes, plus things that I know I would not see on my own. Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to share your comment. We love sharing our photography and its so nice to hear others enjoy the photos.
I am slowly getting used to the idea of my children running around the rims of canyons. They didn t die. I didn t die. OMG though, that drop off. They don t even flinch. More hoodoos. I know so much about the hoodoo. My kids are now junior park rangers at Bryce Canyon, which means, really, that I am.