With monsoonal storms passing through Southern Utah, you never know what you may encounter. I think this was a close encounter of the best kind! Clouds obscured the setting sun, setting up a dance of light and sunbeams that provided a visual feast.
Dramatic light and skies and the Grand Canyon are excellent ingredients for black and white photos.
Passing thunderstorms along the North Rim of The Grand Canyon have big potential for producing memorable shots. Just pick a spot or two with great vantage points and allow the photos to develop in front of you. Last week I camped along the eastern side of the North Rim and just watched all day long, storms and clouds form and pass. Watch for the filtered sunlight and how it transforms the landscape below. And I used my zoom lens on a tripod to get in tighter.
There is no paved parking lot. No signs. No shuttle buses. No entrance booth. No park rangers. No rails along the canyon rim. No guides. No hot dog stands. No mules to take you into the canyon. No Visitor Center. No visitors! Edward Abbey would approve of this place. In fact, it’s hard to find Coal Mine Canyon listed on any map. You’re suppose to look for the windmill near a farmhouse and water tank south of Tuba City. And that’s the way it should be.
Coal Mine Canyon could easily be its own National Park. It is in a remote part of Northern Arizona on the border of the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations. There are remnants of coal deposits in the canyon that the Hopis mined in the past. But hues of orange, magenta, gold, cyan and yellow dominate the canyon walls. Abstract shapes, patterns, and warped lines grab your attention.
My next post will be of the canyon next door to Coal Mine, Ha Ho No Geh Canyon. These images and more are available as downloadable files or signed prints at Dawn2Dawn Photography
