Valley of Fire

Earlier this month I had quite the trip out west, mixing business and pleasure. It wouldn't be much of a trip if I left my camera behind, would it? I had signed up for a Black/White Photo Tour with John Barclay and Dan Sniffin that featured renowned BW photographer Chuck Kimmerle. You would be hard pressed to meet another who can match Chuck's zesty zingers. BW is not something I naturally lean toward so this photo trip was meant to stretch me out of my color box.

While I did capture many color images I am happy with, the BW process has been a fun challenge. This isn't quite the composition I wanted. After at least a mile hike in over pretty rough country I found myself alone with this rock called The Wave. Wishing I had a 14mm lens, I set out to make due with my widest at 17mm. No sooner than getting all set up and waiting half an hour for the sun to set, another workshop group tromped in. So much for the solitude. I knew if I stayed put no one else would get much of a shot with me in it, so I moved to the second best spot to share. As a result I was contorted around my tripod, unable to move for over half an hour. I finally got the kinks out of my back three days later. On the other hand, I was fortunate to have these wispy clouds move into the frame at the last minute to lend some interest to the sky. It was dark by the time I trudged back to the car and the rest of the waiting group. "Did you get it?", they asked. I'll let you answer the question.