Biweekly Wow: Sunrise Point

I am quickly finding that most of Bryce is a Weekly Wow.  After all, how many places in the world have these unlikely geological features?  The colors – the rich red of the rocks, the deep green of the trees, the vibrant blue of the morning sky – all accentuated by the pure white of the snow, are hypnotic.  When we were there, we just stared at the valley; the scene never grew old.

Understandably, we began our first morning at Sunrise Point.  Intuitive, right?  Aaron clued me in on this photogenic tree, just gripping onto the rocks by its roots.  Thank you, tree, for just being there to provide a wonderful foreground centerpiece to my shot.

We photographed in all directions, of course; as a point looking over the canyon, there was beauty everywhere we looked.  There were almost no bad shots to be had.

The snow should give you some indication that that morning was cold – and it certainly was.  Even all bundled up, the chill seeps in when you’re standing still for more than an hour.  My fingers froze, and my toes went numb.  I had to trust my muscle memory to find the shutter.

But it was worth it, and I would (and undoubtedly will) do it again.

I love a good sunrise in a beautiful place.  Crowds are thin or nonexistent, the air is fresh, and the day is full of promise.

When shooting a sunrise, I always start with the wide shots.  But I also like to bring out the bazooka and capture some details.  And Bryce certainly has many details to play with.

We could have just stayed at Sunrise Point all day to take in the views.  But this magnificent park also had trails to explore, and our anxious feet were winning the battle with our trigger fingers.  As the magic light faded, the photographers gave way to hikers, and we set out for the day’s adventure.

Tune in next week to read all about it!

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