art, landscape, photography, random thought, travel, workshop, writing

revisited

It didn’t take long to get back into the rhythm of Big Bend.

After all, it had only been 18 or so months.

But this lesser-known National Park, in the middle-of-freaking-nowehere on the border of Texas and Mexico, has been a refuge for me for the last 10 years.

In many senses of the word, I found myself in Big Bend.

I’ve found myself lost in the middle of the desert in 110 degree heat.

I’ve found myself 18 miles from any person or paved road in a almost completely submerged truck… in 110 degree heat.

I’ve found myself purposefully leaving civilization and humanity.

I’ve found myself at the top of the world on the South Rim looking out on the expanse of the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Mexico, in awe.

I’ve found myself coming to terms with my insecurities and problems.

I’ve found myself watching a total lunar eclipse from the South Rim of the Chisos Mountains.

I’ve found myself spending New Years Eve alone atop the Dodson Trail, happy as a clam.

I’ve found myself sharing my alone time for the first time with my (then) future wife.

I’ve found myself kissing said future wife in Boot Canyon in the fall with the maple leaves ablaze around us.

I’ve found myself returning annually to celebrate her birthday.

I’ve found myself pushing the limits on how many miles I can hike in 1 day… turns out, it’s at least 18 miles… done on two different trips :)

I’ve found myself chasing a black bear in a desert oasis.

I’ve found myself standing in the middle of the Rio Grande alone at 4 o’clock in the morning to get a star picture of Santa Elena Canyon.

I’ve found myself (more times than I can remember) talking with the God of the universe in all the glory of His creation.

I’ve found myself entering the park ill, leaving well… entering heavy hearted, leaving renewed… entering empty, leaving full.

Big Bend is a very special place to me.

I arrived in the middle of the day, so no sweeping, epic landscapes available to shoot.

I set up camp and focused on the details.

I decided to start with Santa Elena that evening, so I hiked out to scout my location.

Done. That was quick.

I then went to Mule Ears overlook to hike the desert a bit.

Made friends with a black-tailed jackrabbit, then headed off to catch the sun going down at Santa Elena Canyon.

I went back to camp to shoot a few desert star pictures.

Got up well before the sun (4am) to shoot a star picture of Santa Elena.

Bats flew all around me as I stood in the middle of the Rio Grande until sunrise.

The sun rose high quickly. So I moved on and headed for the infamous River Road.

Prickly Pear Cactus flowering late.

I hiked Pine Canyon.

After driving several hours on the River Road (where I drowned my truck a few years ago), I arrived at one of my old favorite campsites, Jewels Camp.

It overlooks the Rio Grande, Mexico, and the Chisos Mountains.

I would come to learn (the next day on my way out) by a border patrol agent who searched my car, that it also happens to be a favorite spot for the cartels to smuggle drugs into the U.S.

Good thing I slept that night with my .45.

On a serious note though, I have NEVER had any problems in Mexico, Big Bend, or on the River Road. I think it’s important to draw from experience rather than fear.

Okay, so back to my trip….

Evening at Jewels was gorgeous, as it always seems to be. The colors of the desert come alive at dusk.

I read a little that evening, and then crashed. All this getting up at 4 a.m., hiking all day, then going to bed at 10 p.m. was truly exhausting.

But I was there to work… so before I could go to bed for the night, I had a few star pics I wanted to capture…

I slept SO well that night, once I actually went to sleep. And I would need it… the rest of the trip would be jam-packed and one of the most productive adventures in Big Bend yet!

Stay tuned for the second (and possibly) third part of Big Bend // revisited!!

If you are interested in learning more about photography, taking your art to a new level, and/ or Big Bend photography tours and workshops, please check out my new workshop dates:

B ig Bend Photographic Tour/ Workshops 2013-2014

More Destination Photo Tours/ Workshops 2013-2014

If you are interested in licensing any of the images/ video from this post, please visit my stock agency:

Tandem Stills + Motion // andrew r. slaton

If you are interested in purchasing prints from this post, please check my prints for sale, or email me directly for a custom request:

andrew r. slaton // photographer // prints

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Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!

all images + content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013

art, landscape, nature, photography, travel, writing

guadalupe mountains // an overnighter

Another quick stop I made on the road trip was Guadalupe Mountains National Park, on the border of Texas and New Mexico.

Yet another first for me. I mean, I’ve passed this park on the long drive from Dallas to El Paso a few times, but never stopped long enough to photograph.

So, on my way from ABQ airport, where I dropped Elle off, to Big Bend National Park, I stopped to stay the night at Pine Springs Campground the Guadalupe Mountains.

I arrived after dark… so the darkened outline of mountains against a big sky full of stars were all I could see…

The Milky Way shone bright and colorful.

I got a few hours of sleep, then woke before the sun to find a spot to photograph what is called “the signature peak” of West Texas, El Capitan.

This exercise reminded me how insanely difficult it is to show up, in the dark, at a brand new location, and expect to find “the perfect” location for a sunrise shot.

I did my very best, but never really felt I came away with the image wanted. Oh well… a good excuse to go back and explore this beautiful park!

I tried several locations, and then decided it was time to move on and high tail it to Big Bend!

On the way, the ranches of the Chihuahuan Desert beckoned me to stop frequently to shoot…

I was excited and anxious to get to Big Bend. Like I’ve said before, I’ve been going to Big Bend every year for the last 10+, with the exception of 2012.

It was high time to get in a good visit to this desert/ mountain/ river paradise.

all images + content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013

art, film, landscape, nature, photography, travel

petrified forest + painted desert

A really great spot we happened upon was Petrified Forest National Park.

You probably won’t want to spend a week there, but it’s a fascinating and beautiful day trip at least.

They do have backcountry camping, but I would not advise it in the summer.

Thankfully, we had great clouds and summer storms to add to the already dramatic landscape.

Remnants of ancient trees litter the desert…. now huge, colorful stones that were once a lush forest.

And the painted desert! Probably my favorite section of this park, for the amazing earthen colors and big blue sky.

The historic Painted Desert Inn. Worth a quick stop. Ask a ranger to show you one of the rooms… amazing! Great views too.

a l l images and content © andrew r. slaton | photographer 2013

art, film, landscape, nature, photography, travel

canyon de chelly // a disappearing act

When I was in college, I worked for a man who frequently raved about Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona.

But I’m rarely passing through Arizona unfortunately, so it doesn’t often pop into my periphery.

On this trip, however, because of my planned route, a visit to the little known canyon that Ansel Adams photographed a half century ago began to materialize.

Crossing into Navajo country near Four Corners was a whole new experience.

The vast, open, dry plains and amazing monuments rising out of the desert floor were simply awe-inspiring.

And, at least for a while, the clouds didn’t disappoint.

But then we got to the canyon…

This ancient place was inhabited by the Anasazi first, it is believed, several thousand years ago. Until, they seemingly disappeared. Just like in Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon.

Then the Navajo moved in and began cultivating and farming the fertile canyon floor, and are still living off the land there to this day.

Since the Navajo own, and many of their families inhabit this land, it is illegal to venture into the canyon without a Native guide.

The only exception being the White House hiking trail. And since we were just passing through, and didn’t have a tour planned, we decided just to hike down.

It was the wrong time of day to photograph the amazing homes carved into the side of this sheer cliff, but it was fascinating none-the-less.

The visit really was too short to properly take this magnificent place in, but I’m glad we at least got a glimpse.

It truly is a beautiful and haunting place.

advanced, art, equipment review, landscape, nature, photography, travel

canon 24 f/1.4L II // field review

Another lens I’ve coveted from a distance for the last few months is the Canon 24mm f/1.4L II (US $1749).

This super fast wide angle prime lens is supposed to be one of the sharpest that Canon has ever produced. Great for landscape photography, and certainly low-light situations.

And for this, I’ve been dying to test it in the field with my night landscapes.

So, along with the new 500/4, Canon sent me the new 24/1.4 for my Rocky Mountain National Park trip.

Photo courtesy Canon

As you can see, it is quite low profile and inconspicuous. I could see myself using it quite a bit while traveling and walking foreign cities.

While obviously not as versatile as the 24-70/ 2.8, the ease of use, amazing sharpness, and small design make it really appealing to me.

Forest and Creek, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 13 sec. @ f/22, ISO 200, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer, 77mm Hoya Pro 1 Digital NDx16

Forest and Doe, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/10 sec. @ f/8, ISO 320, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer

Forest Trail, Canon 17-40mm f/4L, Canon 5D MKII, 1/800 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 160

Fishing The Alluvial Fan, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/5 sec. @ f/22, ISO 50, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer

Dream Lake Night, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 15 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 1000

One of my favorite applications for this lens while in RMNP was capturing the landscape at night. It’s difficult to achieve a shot like this without a really fast lens, unless you’re wanting a star trail (from the longer exposure time) or a lot of grain and noise (from the super high ISO). The 24/1.4 was perfect for keeping the grain and noise low while still shooting fast enough to leave the stars in place. And this was on a night when the moon light was minimal.

Dream Lake Star Trail, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 240 sec. @ f/5, ISO 250

I was even impressed with its macro capabilities. With a closest focusing distance at 3 in., gorgeous wildflower shot are possible. Though not a true macro lens, I was impressed with its close-up abilities.

Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/640 sec. @ f/2, ISO 100

Bear Lake, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/60sec. @ f/11, ISO 100, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer

The Alluvial Fan, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/8000 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 100, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer

Half Moon Over Odessa, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/250 sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 250

Odessa Lake Reflection, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/50 sec. @ f/4, ISO 400, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer

Stars Over Odessa, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 0.4 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 4000

Odessa Lake Night Panoramic, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 0.4 sec. @ f/1.4, ISO 3200

Odessa Lake Sunrise Panoramic, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II, Canon 5D MKII, 1/80 sec. @ f/4, ISO 400, 77mm Canon Circular Polarizer, Singh-Ray 4×6″ Galen Rowell 3 stop Soft-Step Neutral Density filter handheld

I have a suspicion that this lens comes in handy most with weddings because of how insanely fast it is. But because of its sharpness and relative versatility, it’s a great landscape/ nature lens. My main issue with this tool was focal length. At 24mm, I found myself backing up and still wanting to see more. I may have found it more helpful with landscapes if it were a 20/1.4. However, it’s not. So, with that said, I found it to be gorgeous, with just a few limitations.

Overall, the Canon 24mm f/1.4L II is sharp, fast, versatile, and well built. This lens is a great tool in the Canon arsenal!

For more detailed specs, I again relied on the great people at the-digital-picture.com. They have fantastic reviews and accurate information.

andrew slaton | blog

travelogue and visual catharsis of a nomadic photographer

Category Archives: landscape

big bend // revisited

guadalupe mountains // an overnighter

petrified forest + painted desert

canyon de chelly // a disappearing act

canon 24 f/1.4L II // field review

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