As I promised in my last post, here are a couple of sunrise photos from my recent trip to Bryce Canyon National Park. Although it was my first sunrise in the park, anyone would quickly realize that Bryce is truly a place to see the sun come up! We elected to go to Sunrise Point, and although it was very pretty, I’m convinced Sunset Point would have been equally as beautiful. After waddling (I say ‘waddling’ because the trail from the parking area is was steep and icy) carefully to the point, we enjoyed near solitude as the horizon was beginning to light up an intense red color. I’m pretty sure this red was at least partly due to emissions from the Navajo Power Plant, almost 90 miles away in Page, Arizona, but it was still very pretty. Within minutes, the snow in the Amphitheater was glowing pink, and the hoodoos were beginning to light up.
Morning Alpenglow, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, January 2010
As soon as the sun came up, the entire Amphitheater enjoyed a brief, glorious, glow that lasted only a few minutes. Within about 20 minutes of the sun cresting the horizon, the show was over.
Sunrise, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, January 2010
Not only is Bryce perfectly suited for early morning shots, its good proof to the photographer that it really pays to be there early! To see all of my images from Bryce, click here.
Magnificent show indeed with a magic light!
These and the last posts I feel are great luminous captures of Bryce Canyon. This is saying something too, depending on how you see it, because I have been to Bryce many times with my dad, landscape pioneer, Philip Hyde, and seen a lot of fine photographs of the place, by him and his colleagues through the years.
David, thank you for the comment. It means a lot to hear you critiquing my work in the same category as your father’s. I’ve been enjoying your blog, and am looking forward to really getting to read it in depth in the near future…
Cheers,
Greg