Tag: utah

American Southwest Trip, 2018: Panorama and HDR

Michael Rappa

This is a collection of panorama and HDR photos from Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion national parks, as well as Cedar Breaks National Monument. The vast majority of these were not originally shot as panorama or HDR, but were converted from separate photos that I felt looked better merged together. The two that were actually shot as HDR/panorama are captioned as “True Panorama” or “True HDR.”

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Grand Canyon – HDR
Grand Canyon – Panorama
Grand Canyon – Panorama
Cedar Breaks – Panorama
Cedar Breaks – Panorama
Cedar Breaks – Panorama
Zion – Panorama
Zion – HDR
Bryce Canyon – True HDR
Bryce Canyon – Panorama
Bryce Canyon – Panorama
Bryce Canyon – Panorama
Bryce Canyon – True Panorama
Grand Canyon – Panorama
Grand Canyon – Panorama
Grand Canyon – HDR

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American Southwest Trip, 2018: Cedar Breaks National Monument

Michael Rappa

Cedar Breaks National Monument was my second stop on the way to Zion from Bryce Canyon (after previously stopping for a brief hike in Red Canyon). The drive involved a pleasant detour along a scenic country road in which I was frequently the only car on the highway. I didn’t have time to do a big hike here but I walked around the rim for a bit. It has a similar feel to Bryce Canyon (in fact, a couple of times while I was sorting photos from the trip I accidentally put Cedar Breaks shots in with the Bryce pics).

Overall, I wouldn’t say it’s a must-see if you’ve been to Bryce, but if you have the time, it’s a nice diversion with beautiful views along the rim at nearly two miles above sea level (so even in warm months you may need a light jacket).

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Nearly two miles high.

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American Southwest Trip, 2018: Bryce Canyon – Thor’s Hammer and Rim Trail

Michael Rappa

This final batch of photos from my visit to Bryce Canyon National Park consists of shots from the other leg of the Navajo Loop Trail, where I partially descended for a view of the famous Thor’s Hammer rock formation before climbing back up and starting my full descent into the canyon down the Wall Street leg. Additionally, there are photos from my walk along the Rim Trail between Sunrise and Sunset points.

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Navajo Loop
Navajo Loop
Navajo Loop
Navajo Loop
Navajo Loop
Thor’s Hammer on the Navajo Loop
Navajo Loop
Navajo Loop
Navajo Loop
Navajo Loop
Navajo Loop
Rim Trail
Rim Trail
Rim Trail
Rim Trail

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American Southwest Trip, 2018: Bryce Canyon – Queen’s Garden Trail

Michael Rappa

These photos are from my ascent up the Queen’s Garden leg of my 3-mile hike down into and back out of the canyon. As I’ve mentioned before, a stroll through Bryce Canyon National Park is like a visit to another world, and there are definitely some otherworldly looking photos in this batch.

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Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail – The Clenched Fist of Truth
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail
Queen’s Garden Trail

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American Southwest Trip, 2018: Bryce Point and Paria View

Michael Rappa

These photos are from two scenic lookouts, taken shortly after a massive rainstorm finally subsided. I had thought the entire day was going to be a washout and considered giving up, but I stuck it out and was rewarded with some beautiful scenery. The first few pics, shot at Paria View, feature multiple rainbows shooting down from the clouds, though one rainbow is most prominent.

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Multiple Rainbows at Paria View
Paria View
Paria View
Paria View
Paria View
Paria View
Paria View
Bryce Point
Bryce Point
Bryce Point
Bryce Point
Bryce Point
Bryce Point

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American Southwest Trip, 2018: Bryce Canyon Navajo Loop

Michael Rappa

These photos are from my descent down the Wall Street portion of the Navajo Loop trail. The Wall Street name apparently comes from the high walls and narrow passageways (known as a slot canyon) characteristic of this part of the trail. A lot of these shots have that “alien planet” feel. Some of the more interesting pics depict tall trees rising up through the canyon walls to find the sun.

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Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)
Navajo Loop Trail (Wall Street Portion)

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American Southwest Trip, 2018: Bryce Canyon Lookouts

Michael Rappa

These photos are from three different lookout points in Bryce Canyon National Park. The first few were taken at Piracy and Fairview Points as the sun finally peeked through the clouds toward the end of a dreary day. The majority of the remaining photos were taken on the following sunny day at various spots along the Inspiration Point trail.

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Piracy Point
Fairview Point
Fairview Point
Fairview Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point

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American Southwest Trip, 2018: A Rainy Day in Bryce Canyon

Michael Rappa

My first day in Bryce Canyon National Park was mostly a washout as it stormed heavily all day, but the skies did clear enough toward the end of the day for me to get some decent photos. I had tried waiting out the storm at my hotel but after a while I decided that I didn’t want to lose my entire first day (having already sacrificed my planned stop at Red Canyon) so I made my way out in the rain.

I started by driving all the way to the highest point at the end of the park, hoping the rain would be gone by the time I got there, but instead the rain turned to snow at the higher altitudes and the ground was covered in ice. I didn’t even bother parking the car after reaching the top since I was only wearing a windbreaker and also because I didn’t want to be stuck driving on icy mountain roads when it got darker, so I just turned around and drove back down the mountain. As I made my way down, the rain finally started to subside and I was able to hit some scenic lookouts.

The one good thing about driving through Bryce in a heavy rainstorm was that I practically had the entire place to myself. At some points it was eerily quiet, without even the sounds of birds or insects to break the silence. And some of the photos I took, while shot at a much lower than ideal aperture because of the gloomy conditions, have a unique look because of it.

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American Southwest Trip, 2018: Bryce Canyon Floor

Michael Rappa

After spending a couple of days in Angel Canyon at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the next leg of my southern Utah tour sent me north to stunning Bryce Canyon National Park. These are the photos I shot upon reaching the floor of Bryce Canyon after descending the Wall Street arm of the Navajo Loop and before ascending back up to the rim via the Queen’s Garden trail. The entire loop is nearly three miles, with the floor portion of the trail taking you through a pine forest. It rained a bit when I reached the bottom with some thunder in the distance, but most of the hike was pleasantly sunny and took about three hours, counting photo/lunch stops.

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Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Canyon floor along the Navajo/Queen’s Garden loop.
Faces in the rocks.

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American Southwest Trip, 2018: The Movie

Michael Rappa

This compilation of the videos I shot on my trip last summer features footage of Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion national parks, as well as Cedar Breaks National Monument and driving footage through Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, including Route 66.

View Photos from this Trip