Dead Horse Point State Park
Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200 f/2.8L IS. 173mm, ISO 100, 1/60 sec @ f/8.0.
The last stop on our nine-day vacation to Utah was a visit to Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands: Islands in the Sky. One day is nowhere near enough time to spend in these two locations, but we tried to make the best of it.
Alas, the day was the first true overcast day of the whole trip which made the photography challenging. I remember not being particularly inspired by anything I saw, and felt like I was just going through the motions when shooting. I think we’ve all had days like that.
Looking back through the photos afterwards was a good reminder of why it’s important to keep shooting even if the vibe isn’t quite there. The above photo was buried among a bunch of uninspiring junk, and in its raw state a complete washed out mess. But the line of the river and the hint of greenery made me stop and take another look. I’m glad I did, because it wound up being one of my favourite photos from the trip.
I haven’t printed it yet. Something is still nagging me, saying it isn’t ready for a print. Maybe printing it out will help figure out what’s missing. I did do a digital negative of it with the intention of making a lith print in the darkroom, but on further reflection it’s just not right for lith.
Have you ever found a hidden gem in your photos after a shoot? What was it? Did you remember seeing it when you took the picture, or was it a complete surprise after?
Leave a Reply