Changes in Plans
Photographers need to adapt. Mother Nature, as we often say, has a mind of her own. We can be frustrated by her, or we can adapt.
As noted in previous blogs in this series, we saw a lot of rain in Canyon de Chelly that caused a lot of flooding. The “road” into the canyon was a mud mire in many places, and we were the first ones to go in, so no tracks had been packed down.
Our jeep got stuck, and the other two worked as a team to get it out. It made sense to turn around and reschedule for the next day, as clearly, there was a lot of drying out that needed to happen before anyone could get it. In fact, the park service closed the canyon for just that reason.
One of our guides took us to a special place near where he lives.
Everyone loved it. There were patterns galore, and so many ways to photograph those patterns or seek details instead.
Arnie and I handed out challenges, and showed our participants different ways of approaching the location.
We wandered across the area, being careful to avoid adding footprints and spoiling the scenes for others. The sky was dramatic, and if ever there were big skies, these were good examples.
There is a very old trading post, often described as the oldest, continually operating one in the country. For us, it can be a photographic feast.
There is a barn that is full of neat things. This time, I pointed out how the light played off the elements in an old wagon.
We headed for the painted desert and badlands. Inky skies made us wonder if we could even get there, but all was well. The last section of road was a bit muddy, but nothing that we couldn’t all handle.
People spread out quickly, asking for help, seeking their own scenes and outlook.
I was working with one participant and pointed out the rhythm of the hills. He had been attracted to the same general scene, and I showed him one possible approach.
A storm was quickly approaching, so we returned to our cars for safety and moved them back down the road to make sure they didn’t get bogged down. I saw the direction the clouds were traveling, and I predicted that the rains would bypass us. They did, as did another wave of inky skies. We were in the middle, awed by the storms, watching the zings of lightning, admiring what the light did to the landscape.
It was a good day, and we looked forward to hopefully getting in to the Canyon the next day.
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