Arizona/Utah Shooting locations

[Ron Marshall]

I am planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, Zion, a couple of slot canyons and Bryce Canyon, next spring.

I would appreciate suggestions for other interesting sites in that general area.

[Matthew Cromer]

Havasupai

[Matthew Cromer]

Sorry forgot the picture.

[John Berry ( Roadkill )]

I would recommend the cottonwood canyon road to go between Page Az. and Bryce canyon. A car will make it. (when I went through it) A truck or SUV would be better. I wouldn't recommend a trailer though. Fill up the tank it's a long drive. Escalante. Old movie set paria canyon west of page. The backdrop is mountains that are red and white strata. Do stop and shot some of the hills on the side of the road that remind me of Zabriskie point. Take a butt-load of film as it is all good.

[John Layton]

As long as you're going to Bryce, I suggest going a little further and taking the very spectacular road up to the Escalante and over to Torry and into Capitol Reef. Then, give yourself a real treat and go just a little further - hang a left at Hanksville and go up to Goblin Valley state park - you will not be disappointed!!

[John Layton]

And while you're in Zion - there's a cool place to check out - driving up out of the valley, shortly past the first tunnel (or is it the second?) drive slowly and look for a turnout on your right. Stop the car and walk to the edge of a bench overlooking the creek - and then look up to a most spectacular wall, full of delicate convolutions - which in the midday is in shadow but glowingly illuminated by the red cliffs on the opposite side of the road. Gordon Hutchings showed me a rendition of this and said "I'm not telling you where" - to which I just smiled!

[John Kasaian]

The Road Creek Inn in Loa, Utah. Nothin' much to take pictures of, but the trout is out of this world!

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Ron,

There are SO many spectacular places to photograph in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona, it's almost impossible to name them all. I know I could shoot there every day for the rest of my life and never get bored or run out of things to photograph and places to explore.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Photographing the Southwest by Laurent Martres. I just received the new Second Edition, Volume 1 last week and it is an amazing resource, very well researched and full of useful information and beautiful photographs. It covers all of the well known spots, plus many more that are a bit off the beaten path. I also have copies of the First Edition of Volumes 1 & 2. They lack the beautiful full color photographs of the new second edition, but they are still full of very useful information on this region.

Disclaimer - I happen to know the author and there are a couple of my photos in the new Second Edition, Volume 1. It's a great book and the author has spent a LOT of time and hard work on his research (I know - I accompanied him to some of the locations). I'd still recommend it, even if he was a total stranger.

Kerry

[Eric Leppanen]

I second the nomination of Laurent Martres' Photographing the Southwest. It is a fabulous resource, immensely useful in trip planning as the author typically itemizes the best time of year, time of day and often focal lengths needed to photograph each location. It is obviously a labor of love and reflects Mr. Martres' passion for the area and for photography.

Also excellent is Robert Hitchman's Photograph America newsletter (www.photographamerica.com). His efforts are national in scope, with each issue focusing on a particular photo location (or occasionally a medley of locations, or a suggested photography journey through several states). His first issue was released in 1989, and he now is on issue #91. You can purchase his Southwest Collection (all his newsletters covering the Southwestern U.S.) at a special bundled rate, or any of the various newletters individually.

And of course you can really go whole-hog by purchasing both resources and cross-referencing your target locations (that's what I have done). It can really optimize your time (and the number of "keepers" generated) on your trip.

[Doug Dolde]

Agree with the last two posts....and yes the second edition is pretty amazing,,,many secrets revealed probably to the dismay of some who already know the locations.