Grand Canyon - Remake of an Earlier Photo

This is a remake of a photo I took from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon which I have previously posted (Grand Canyon from the South Rim #1).

Taken back in May 2005 with my old Nikon Coolpix E8700 digital (not an SLR and shot as jpeg) I just spent some time developing the photo again from scratch in preparation for printing it for some friends who saw the previous version and liked it.

Actually, the previous photo does print up very nicely on Kodak metallic paper, but I'm pretty sure this one is going to look even better. I think this latest version is a good illustration of what I've learned over the last couple of years of intensive study of Photoshop. Now there's just a millioin more things to learn. You could even compare Photoshop to the Grand Canyon; it's deep and wide and you can spend a lifetime with it. But it's fun and when you get to see improvement like I feel I can see between this photo and the previous version you get to understand that it was worthwhile.

One scary thing, however, is that when I look back at how I developed photos a year or so ago I want to redo them all again, just like this one!

Compare the photos in my U.S. Landscapes Photo Gallery (Got a slow internet connection? Then use this dial-up optimized U.S. Lanscapes gallery).

Other posts featuring photos of the Grand Canyon National Park

Alpine Grass Meadow, Black and White

Black and white photo of an alpine grass meadow with a backdrop of mountains in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park.

View a larger image of this and other photos in the New Zealand Places and Faces Photo Gallery.

Dear Subscriber, I will be away for the next week and won't be able to post any new work for about 10 days. Please don't go away!

Snowy San Gabriel Mountains

Snowy Southern California!

I took this photo of the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains this past Saturday looking north across the San Joachim Marsh in Irvine, a few minutes walk from my home.

This image can be viewed in the U.S. Landscapes Gallery

The Grand Canyon from the South Rim

The favorite location on the Grand Canyon is the South Rim area of the park which is well-provided with accommodations and restaurants on top of magnificent views and a path that runs along the top of the rim for several miles.

I took this photo at 7am, before the sun got too high in the sky and washed out the color and definition of the ridge lines.

Nikon E8700
Lens at 20mm
1/250sec secs at f/4.8
ISO 50

Sunset Over the Grand Canyon #2

This is the same sunset as in this other photo of sunset at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Notice how much less color there is in the sky as the sun drops lower and with the longer exposure.

The first time I went to the Grand Canyon's South Rim I went with a group of friends and we took the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams. We had seats in the Parlor Car and what a time we had. I really recommend it to you. Plan on staying over in the Park a couple of nights if you can, and then get the train back to Williams. Here's the website for the Grand Canyon Railway.

Canon EOS 20D
Canon 70-300mm lens at 300mm
1/200 secs at f/5.6
ISO 100

Sunset Over the Grand Canyon #1

I really love the national parks of the South Western United States. I'm lucky to live in Southern California as these wonders of the natural world are just a day's drive away. I have been to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon twice in the last 2 years and can't wait to go back.

Of course one of the favorite times at the Grand Canyon is sunset and crowds gather at favorite points overlooking the canyon to watch the fiery display that nature turns on each evening.

This happens to be one of my favorite photos. But what do you think? Please post a comment and let me know.

Canon EOS 20D
Canon 70-300mm lens at 165mm
1/800 secs at f/5
ISO 100

Bryce Canyon Rock Warrior

While walking back up from the bottom of the Queen's Garden Trail back to Sunrise Point I noticed that in this rock formation I could make out the face of a Mayan or Aztec warrior chief. If you click on this image and look just below the center of the bigger image hopefully you'll be able to make him out. He has a big nose and a high headdress. It was a pretty amazing sight. I wonder if other people have ever picked this out. I think a lot relied on the shadows that were being cast at the time by the sun. Perhaps it doesn't look like a warrior if the shadows aren't just right.

Bryce Canyon National Park website

River Canyon Fiordland National Park

This beautiful river runs alongside the road to Milford Sound for a short part of the journey. This was taken fairly early in the morning, so the shadows were still very long and there was mountain valley fog everywhere.

Lake Te Anau Fiordland New Zealand

Lake Te Anau is at the center of Fiordland National Park. Located on its shores is the beautiful little town of Te Anau which boasts some absolutely fantastic restaurants and coffee shops. We had a fantastic time in the evenings here enjoying great food, New Zealand wine, and coffee. If you are planning to stay in Fiordland, this is the place to stay. It is just a 15 minute drive from the departure point for Doubtful Sound, and a 2 or 3 hour drive to Milford Sound - all depending on how many stops you make to take in the wonderful scenery on the way...and of course to take photos!

The Whanganui River

Whanganui River from the Gentle Annie Hill

Wanganui, (the local spelling drops the "h"), is actually the town I grew up in in New Zealand. Situated at the mouth of the Wanganui River, the city is nicknamed "The River City". The river is rich in Maori and early-European history, and in the last decade or so the river was designated "The Whanganui River National Park". The river is the second longest in New Zealand after the Waikato River.

This photo was taken from the River Road from the top of the Gentle Annie Hill from which you get a commanding view of the river valley.

Matiatia Waiheke Island

Sunrise at Matiatia Wharf Waiheke Island

Waiheke Island is a 30-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland. Still clinging somewhat to its appealing "stuck-in-the-past" atmosphere, in recent years it has also developed a successful boutique wine and olive-growing industry. The mix leads to a very appealing combination of the quaint and sophisticated. Blessed with beautiful beaches and a temperate climate, Waiheke Island is a "must-do" on any trip to Auckland.

Stirling Falls Milford Sound 2

Milford Sound Stirling Falls

The boat was able to pull up pretty close to the base of Stirling Falls because of the great depth of the fiord at this point.

Milford

Balanced Rock Arches National Park

Photo of Balanced Rock Arches National Park Utah

The geology of Arches National Park consists of sandstone which erodes relatively easily. Water and weather have eroded the rock in long fins. Because of the different hardness of rock, interesting rock formations haven developed in the fins themselves, such as the arches for which the park is named, and this boulder which sits precariously atop an almost completely eroded fin.

Dead Tree - Infrared Effect

Photo of Dead Tree with Infrared Effect

Here's the same photo again but after creating an infrared camera effect. Infrared cameras create their images using infrared light. Light waves in the infrared range are far longer than in the visible light spectrum. Infrared light is emitted from a body based on its heat characteristics and infrared cameras are designed to detect this range of radiation. Infrared cameras don't need visible light since infrared radiation is emitted by all bodies night and day. So a photo taken with an infrared camera can be taken even at night. Perhaps you are familiar with "night-vision goggles" used by the military - these work on the same principle of detecting the heat emit ed by a body in the infrared spectrum and forming an image from this "light".

This photo wasn't actually taken with an infrared camera; I used Photoshop to simulate what the image might look like had it been taken with an infrared camera. Photos taken with an infrared camera are often monochromatic since the sensor in the camera is typically designed to respond to a single wavelength within the infrared spectrum. For this reason they produce pictures that are very white and fuzzy at the points where the most heat is being generated. I like to try and simulate this effect to give a twist to the typical black and white image.

You can read more about infrared cameras at the following WikiPedia listing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_camera

Dead Tree Black and White

This is a black and white interpretation of this color photo of the dead tree in Arches National Park, Utah. The black and white brings out the starkness of the landscape.

Tree at Arches National Park

Photo of a Dead Tree in Arches National Park, Utah

I went to Arches National Park in Utah over the Memorial Day weekend and naturally took a lot of photos. One of the things that I love photographing in the national parks of the Western United States are the trees. Pinon pines, junipers, cedars, etc. dot the landscape with great artistic beauty. So many of these trees have a compelling sculptural quality formed by the extreme climate. The tree in this series was apparently dead though it must have died over this past winter as it was still holding it's shape and looked as if its leaves had just dropped off. Its starkness was offset wonderfully by the red rock background.

I have made a series of photos of this tree using different techniques, from the color photograph in this post, a black and white interpretation, and two with infrared effects. I hope you enjoy them.

Virgin River Zion in Winter

Zion National Park Virgin River in Winter

Zion is one of the National Parks in Utah and one of my favorites to visit. It is a far more intimate experience than the Grand Canyon, and has a range of hikes that are easily accessible.

I took this photo on my first visit to Zion in February of 2006. I have since been back twice, in the spring and summer of 2006. Of course it was a different experience each time because of the different seasons. This first visit was in the winter. The slopes and peaks were covered in snow, and the trees were bare. This photo with the Virgin river in the foreground paints a bleak and wintery picture. It wasn't quite this bleak looking in reality - I actually have deliberately adjusted the image to give it this very wintery feel. The rock at Zion is in fact very red, and if you want to get some idea of what the original image looked like, here it is:

Even this doesn't really show you just how red the rock is as so much color is lost in converting the image file to jpeg and making it small for the web. Believe me, the rock is much redder than appears here.

Sunrise at Opito Bay

Photo of Sunrise at Opito Bay New Zealand

Opito Bay is located in the Mercury Bay area of the Coromandel Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island. I got to spend a couple of vacations at a beach house located right at the water's edge thanks to a good friend. This isolated beach was the perfect location for endless photos. Of course capturing the sunrise was a great treat. I like the sweep of cloud above the sea in this photo. Because I was shooting directly into the sun and with all that reflection off of the sea as well, I was shooting at a very fast film speed (ISO50), and at 1/700th second shutter speed. That's all very fast and the photos came out gold. Yes, it's true, the color of the photo has not been altered at all!

Nikon E870011/700s atf8.0ISO 50

Black and White Photo Mitre Peak

Black and White Photo Mitre Peak

The vantage point from which I took this photo of Mitre Peak was from such a classic angle that I made this black and white version of the photo to emphasize it's place in New Zealand iconography.

Milford Sound

Mitre Peak Milford Sound New Zealand

Mitre Peak Classic Angle

This is a classic angle on Milford Sound's "Mitre Peak", the icon of the Sound. I can recall paintings by early New Zealand painters that capture this very outlook. For that reason, in the next post you'll find the black and white version of the photo that I made to emphasize the timelessness of this image.

Mitre Peak

Stirling Falls Milford Sound

Stirling Falls Milford Sound New Zealand

Stirling Falls are one of two permanent waterfalls that cascade into Milford Sound. Stirling Falls descend from 155 metres above the fiord. They were originally named after a seaman by the name of Captain Stirling. The deepest part of Milford Sound is 1,280 ft below sea level and is located in the vicinity of Stirling Falls.

When we first set out on our cruise of Milford Sound the weather was very misty making for conditions that were far from ideal for photography, but the outcome is to give these photos a very aged look, as if they are a century old.

Canon EOS 20D
1/250s at f/9
ISO200
70-300mm lens at 300mm
(c) John Corney 2007

Mitre Peak Milford Sound

Mitre Peak Milford Sound Fiordland National Park New Zealand

The most famous landmark at Milford Sound is the tallest peak known as "Mitre Peak", so named because its shape is reminiscent of a bishop's mitre or ceremonial hat. Mitre Peak has long been painted and photographed throughout New Zealand's European history. Mitre Peak is on the left side of this photo.

Canon EOS 20D
1/5000s at f/3.5
ISO200
18-55mm lens at 18mm
(c) John Corney 2007

Mitre Peak

Milford Sound Fiord New Zealand #2

Milford Sound Fiord New Zealand #2

When I took this photo on a recent trip to Milford Sound in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, the mist had almost cleared. But just enough was hanging in the sky still when I took this photo to add some extra interest to the picture.

Canon EOS 20D
1/400s at f/13
ISO200
18-55mm lens at 51mm
(c) John Corney 2007

Milford Sound

Milford Sound Fiord New Zealand #1

Milford Sound Fiord, New Zealand #1

Milford Sound is the heart of Fiordland National Park and the most-visited of the fiords. Mistakenly named a "sound", Milford Sound is actually a fiord, meaning it was carved out by glacial action during the last ice age rather than by the action of rivers, which is the difference between a fiord and a sound.

After sailing out to the Tasman Sea and turning back in, the fog began to lift until the sky was completely clear by time we disembarked. Here the last of the fog is still lifting from the lake surface.

Canon EOS 20D
1/320s at f/13
ISO200
18-55mm lens at 54mm
(c) John Corney 2007

Milford Sound

Snowy Mountain Cloaked in Fog

Photo of snowy mountain wrapped in fog

Though late summer, Fiordland National Park is in the far south west corner of New Zealand's South Island, and with some very high elevations as well, it was not surprising to come across some mountain peaks with snow on them as I traveled the road to Milford Sound.

Early morning fog and snow cloaked this towering peak near the Homer Tunnel on the Road to Milford Sound.

Photo by John Corney,
Canon EOS 20D
f10/1000sec
ISO 200
18-55mm lens at 40mm
(c) John Corney 2007

Mountain Valley Fog on Road to Milford

Morning Fog In Mountain Valley

It was early morning that I set off for Milford Sound from Lake Te Anau. The morning fog was still lifting from the mountain valleys as seen in this photo taken on the road from Te Anau to Milford Sound in New Zealand.

Canon EOS 20D
f10/1000sec
ISO 200
18-55mm lens at 40mm
(c) John Corney 2007

Reflections Lake Wakatipu

Mountain Reflections in Lake Wakatipu New Zealand

New Zealand offers some of the finest scenery in the world for landscape photography. I had the privilege of growing up there, but have only recently seen much of its most beautiful places as a tourist visiting from my adopted home of California. Here are some photos I've taken over the years on my visits home to New Zealand. This photograph of Lake Wakatipu was taken from Highway 6 en route from Queenstown to Kingston which is located at the southern end of the lake. The photo was taken about half-way between Queenstown and Kingston from a view point at the side of the road.

Canon EOS 20D
f/221/80sec
ISO 200
18-55mm lens at 18mm
(c) John Corney 2007

Golden Mountain Meadow

Golden Tussock Grass Meadow

I took this photo of this meadow of golden tussock grass on the way to Milford Sound from the road going from Lake Te Anau to Milford Sound in New Zealand.

Canon EOS 20D
f/101/400sec
ISO 200
70-300mm lens at 70mm

Glade Wharf Area, Lake Te Anau

Lake Te Anau Near Glade Wharf

This photograph of Lake Te Anau was taken in the vicinity of Glade Wharf at the start of the famous Milford Track in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park. The Milford Track leads from near this point to Milford Sound. Four-day hikes of the track are common.

Canon EOS 20D

f/5.61/500sec

ISO 200

18-55mm lens at 55mm

(c) John Corney 2007

For information about hiking New Zealand's famous Milford Track, visit the New Zealand Department of Conservation website.

In the Tradition of Ansel Adams

In the Tradition of Landscape Photographer Ansel Adams

Every aspiring landscape photographer, (American ones at least), aspire to the artistry of