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

revisited… part 2

Once again, I woke up before the sun…

And witnessed a spectacular sunrise over the Chihuahuan Desert, with both Texas and Mexico in view.

Everything in the desert seems to want to hurt you. It’s an amazingly inhospitable place.

Maybe that’s why I love it. It continually screams at me to leave, and I, unrepentantly scream back at it, “no!”

Mariscal mine settlement. When you visit this small village (seriously) in the middle of nowhere… it really does make you think about how beautifully tough our forefathers must have been.

This place is so difficult to get to and remote, that few people even nowadays visit. What with our air conditioned cars and four wheel drive.

So I finnally exited the River Road and hit pavement. It’s funny the feeling you get when you’ve only felt super bumpy, unimproved dirt tracks underneath you for two days – driving 20 miles an hour, because if you drove any faster you’d surely bottom out or receive a flat for your insolence and disrespect to the road – finally being lifted up on to the smooth ride of a highway, and potential speed of 65. I love it. Kinda feels like you just won the lottery. Undeserved and glorious. Thankful you made it off that God-forsaken death trap of a road. The reverse can also be true. I LOVE THE RIVER ROAD!!

So I spent the next several hours scouting a few different locations. The first being my evening “epic” Big Bend landscape, that attempts to sum up the place. Tough indeed, if you’ve ever been to BBNP.

The second shot was a night, road photograph I’ve had in my mind on this trip. I got one in RMNP, but really wanted to try one here. I had several nice spots from which to choose.

The third and fourth theoretically could be the same spot. One shot would be in the very early morning hours… a star picture. And the other was a morning “epic” Big Bend landscape.

I finished my scouting with several hours to spare, so I decided to hike to one of my favorite little spots in the park, Cattail Falls.

I always go when water is scarce, so I’ve never come away with the waterfall picture I want, but it’s a great little hike and the only place I’ve ever seen a bear in the park.

By the time I got back, it was late afternoon… time to begin my work for the evening.

I ended up with a few shots I like, so I called it a night… at least get a few hours of sleep. Back up at 4 a.m. to shoot the stars and catch what would be a gorgeous sunrise.

That morning was a sunrise-to-end-all-sunrises. At this point, it was as good a time as any to quit while I felt ahead.

And besides, I was into my third week of being on the road…. living out of my Subaru, eating lots of peanut butter and honey, sleeping alone (an activity I used to love – that I am now quite weary of) on the hard ground.

It was time to go home. Hard to leave, but definitely time.

So I composed my last shots of the desert and mountains of Big Bend National Park, and bid it farewell… this time thankfully, it won’t be so long between visits…

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

For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com

Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!

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

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

big bend // 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

For assignment work requests, please email me: andrew@andrewslatonphoto.com

Thanks for visiting AndrewSlatonBlog.com!

art, photography, travel

my september in wyoming | your 50% gain

i leave for wyoming this weekend, and i couldn’t be more excited… it has been a few years since i’ve been up in the autumn to shoot.

the chill of winter coming in the air, elk bugling in the distance, the wildlife teeming with energy and vigor… ah, it can’t be aptly described.

so, to my point. for the entire month of september, i’ve decided to really give an incentive to all of you out there who may have been waiting to buy a limited edition print from my storefront…

to commemorate my blessed time in wyoming this month, i am offering A HUGE 50% discount off EVERYTHING!!! but the sale ends september 30 at 12 a.m. CST… so don’t wait.

and since i make all of my prints by hand (except for the huge ones) and sign and number them, they will not ship until the first week of october.

so scratch your Christmas presents off the to-do list early, and buy everyone a beautiful and unique gift! at 50% off no less!!

oh, i almost forgot…. use “AUPA2012” at checkout for your discount :)

click to learn more about me

art, photography

new limited edition prints available

we are really ramping up our prints for the upcoming busy season.

if you haven’t checked it out in a while, go see our storefront on etsy.com… we have a few new limited edition prints, and some awesome new GIANT sizes.

and we’ll be adding more images everyday, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, check back daily, it won’t be long.

but hurry, because these fine art, hand-made prints are on a limited availability. and trust me, they make great Christmas gifts…

as a special thank you to the faithful, enter EARLYBRD12 at checkout for a 10% discount! feel free to share with your friends and family too :)

thanks so much!

click to learn more about me

art, photography, travel

wyoming | winter panoramics

as always, i shot some panoramics while in wyoming.

and i was happy to get some new mountains and landscapes that i haven’t shot previously.

please feel free to click on any of these images to view them larger… enjoy!

the tetons clouded in are still dynamic to me…

the reservoir outside of cody. completely frozen, and completely beautiful.

again, just a wider view this time…

these cliffs just west of cody, heading toward the east entrance of yellowstone, were my favorite new landscape of the whole three week trip. they were so dynamic contrasted against the flowing golden grass.

along the wind river, toward the northeast edge of the mountain range by the same name.

ah the tetons! the clouds finally broke on the second trip through on our way down to telluride.

the tetons from the jackson lake dam, with a frozen jackson lake foreground.

flaming gorge, utah in winter. not much snow, but even this time of year there are amazing colors.

andrew slaton | blog

travelogue and visual catharsis of a nomadic photographer

Tag Archives: panoramic

big bend // revisited… part 2

big bend // revisited

my september in wyoming | your 50% gain

new limited edition prints available

wyoming | winter panoramics

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