Sometimes choosing an image of the month is really easy, but this month its rather difficult. I just returned from a fantastic trip to southern Utah and Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Of course I wanted to capture some new images, but it was a time to clear my head, shake some of winter’s cobwebs out of my skull, stretch, and welcome spring on the Colorado Plateau.
The added bonus of revisiting some favorite locations in Utah was discovering someplace new and wonderful. Among landscape photographers, Valley of Fire State Park, near Las Vegas, has been getting a lot of buzz lately, and for good reason. To say this place is amazing is an understatement. If you love colorful vistas, sandstone, and interesting geology, you need to pack your bags and go now. It really is that spectacular. And, there are a lot of unexplored areas waiting to be discovered.
I don’t have a Valley of Fire page set up yet, but I’ll be sharing some new images over the next few days, and will tell you when you can view the gallery. Until then, I hope you enjoy this lovely sunset.
Candy Land Sunset, March 2011
Gorgeous, Greg. The thumbnail of this on FB made it look like a painting — high praise from a painter. 😉
I agree with Dawn – this is gorgeous! I like how the clouds mimic the rock’s textures.
Sharon
Sweet Greg! Definitely looking forward to seeing what else you brought back.
Nice one Greg… “finding” a new area is always exciting, even if other go there. The American West is so vast, I am sure there are a few truly undiscovered locations out there… I like this image too, as I said over on NSN, I feel you’ll come back to this one for years finding new ways of expressing emotions, moods and nuances through it, as your own moods change. I like the way the shadow of the ridge caresses the boulder… nice one
Thanks for the comments, everyone!
Jackson, I’m definitely looking forward to sharing some Paria images…what a place! Its not as in-your-face as something like The Wave, but its got a subtle beauty. I’m sure I’ll be back there at some point.
Thanks Ali for this comment and the one over at NSN. The idea of an image being dynamic through time is an interesting notion, but one I rather like. I also would suggest that revisiting this location could give different ways to express myself. For instance, in winter, I bet that shadow you like wouldn’t even be there (the sun would be further south, eliminating it)…
Well done Greg. Looks like a great place. I look forward to seeing more of what you found there.
Wonderful composition and lighting Greg! Which pushes me to keep my head down on my backload of work so I can get to my Valley of Fire photos from back in February…
Awesome Greg! Can’t wait to see more!
I have been by on the way to Arizona many times and have always wanted to see what it was like. Now I have to add it to my to do list. Great image.
Did you have any problem with the park rangers hassling you over photographing the area? A couple of friends of mine, two women, went there and were hassled so bad about their photographing the area that they just left.
Greg, I didn’t even see a park ranger while I was there. In fact, I paid to stay at one of the campsites there, and no one even came to make sure I paid (despite the threat of an additional fee for campers who “forget” to pay).
I’d be interested to know more about the situation, though.
Nicely done, love the textures in both ground and sky.
This is beautiful — really great textures, and love the play between light and shadows!