X Does Mark the Spot

Try as I might, I couldn’t capture the grandeur of White Pocket right away. I would have to head back to this special spot again and again at various times to watch the textures and colors that made up this sedimentary “X” shift in the light.

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White Pocket is nestled deep within Arizona’s Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. Just how deep? This trip took two days’ worth of off-road, wilderness driving and two nights of camping—with little sleep since the night skies there are fascinating to photograph, too!

Eventually, I was able to shoot these clouds, along with a hint of morning alpenglow, highlighting the rock formation’s rich creams, reds, and chocolaty browns. Making multiple trips and rising early enough to watch the day begin was definitely worth the effort.

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Spring Clouds Art Prints Available

A friend of mine was visiting from out of town recently, so we hatched a plan to catch a desert sunrise. I was a little hesitant to go, as I was all set to fly out for a family trip later that afternoon, but I figured I could squeeze in a few hours for some pre-flight photography.

Besides, two people in our little group had never been to Red Rock Canyon Conservation area, and it is beautiful—especially at sunrise. True, they were a little concerned about coming across a snake or coyote, but I have never seen either of those in this spot. (I have seen the occasional—and much less threatening!—burro and rabbit, however.)

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The Spring Mountains border Red Rock Canyon, and I love capturing this area when a springtime storm is rolling in. It’s not uncommon to see clouds over the mountains, even when the skies over the city directly behind me are crystal clear.

I named the image I took that day “Spring Clouds Over Red Rock,” but it just as easily could be called “Prickly Path.” As I shot it, I worked at finding new and different foreground elements. In particular, I liked how the path on the right leads the eye through the prominently featured cactus and then, more deeply, into the desert beyond.

My ultimate takeaway? No matter how stormy or prickly one’s circumstances seem to be, there is always, always a path.☺

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Q: What’s the Best Camera to Take on Our Family Vacation?

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A: This may seem counterintuitive, but you don’t need to haul a lot of fancy photography equipment with you, in order to take beautiful pictures on your next vacation. Instead, the answer today is almost universally a smartphone. I prefer my iPhone, but that doesn’t mean that other types of available smartphones wouldn’t work as well.

Apple made a billboard using one of the images I shot while exploring the ice caves in Iceland. It was shown all over the world! (And, yes, I took this photo with my iPhone!)

Today’s smartphones are relatively compact, so you can keep them in your pocket, small bag, or purse. (What’s more, you pretty much always have your phone with you anyway!) Most models are equipped with cameras that can capture amazingly high quality, high-resolution images suitable for printing. Incidentally, some of my favorite online printing services include Shutterfly and the Costco Photo Center. And check out services like Groovebook (www.groovebook.com) or Blurb (www.blurb.com) to have your own photo books made.

Of course, most smartphones also double as video cameras, so you can now shoot video with the push of a button. Best of all, you can share your photos and videos with friends and family in a matter of seconds—without the hassle of juggling those tiny, expensive memory cards. Simply make it a point to use the hotel’s wifi connection to back up each day’s photos and videos into the cloud if you are able. I like Apple’s iCloud(www.icloud.com), Google’s Photos(photos.google.com) and Dropbox(www.dropbox.com)!

In short, you take the best pictures with the camera you have with you! So, leave the big, bulky camera bodies for the crazy photographers who actually enjoy lugging all that expensive gear through airports and onto airplanes. Many of them are professional photographers being paid to tote all that stuff. Ask them what they use to shoot their own vacation photos, and most of them will tell you they carry a smartphone along for their vacation pics, too!

Here are a few vacation pics I’ve also taken with my iPhone:

Flowers in Epcot
iPhone 6S Plus

Cinderella’s Castle
iPhone 6S Plus

Badwater Basin Death Valley
iPhone 6S Plus

Mesa Arch
iPhone 6s Plus Panoramic

Have your own photography-related question for Doug? Contact him at askdoug@sandquistphotography.com and your question might be featured in an upcoming issue.

Fun exploring the Gargoyles made of Sandstone

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Little Finland is a unique spot on the Gold Butte of Southern Nevada. It’s a bit of a dusty ride through the desert in a high clearance 4WD vehicle. There are many unique compositions to consider, here’s a gallery of various images from the area.

I like this image as it’s a bit different from many of the others I’ve seen from this location. It reminds me of old city architecture with the Gargoyles on the top of the ridge!

Beautiful Canmore!

Not quite a lake, but still quite a bit of water in Badwater

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The water level in the Badwater salt flats was dropping fast from recent rains but still offered interesting reflections amongst the salt lines.

I’m also pleased to announce that I have a new store front to sell prints! The images below are linked to the new storefront where you can view media options and even use the Wall Preview tool to check the size of a print against a wall with a sofa below! Head on over to store.douglassandquist.com for more info!

Soothing Salt Lines

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Death Valley Serene

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Badwater Reflections

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Sunset on Abraham Lake at Preacher’s Point

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Preacher’s Point is the beginning of Abraham Lake. It’s where the river enters the lake, which means this area is quite a bit shallower than other parts of the lake. There are cracks and ice breaks and even a few spots where you can step in the river if not careful!

From a composition angle, Preacher’s Point has many more options than other parts of Abraham Lake. The options are endless!

Here are two images from an evening at Preacher’s Point.

Distant Alpenglow(click on the image for a larger version)

Abraham Lake Sunrise Alpenglow

A few wispy clouds to the west at sunset too! (Click on the image for a larger version)

Sunset over Preacher’s Point, Abraham Lake

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Who doesn’t love the Ice Bubbles on Abraham Lake in Alberta Canada?

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I don’t remember the first time I saw a photo of the methane bubbles on Abraham Lake, but I remember finding them so interesting that I had to make a plan to go visit them one day! Abraham Lake is in the Canadian Rockies about 3 hours northwest of Calgary, in between Jasper and Banff… Here are the first two images.

I enjoyed watching the sun dance across the peaks of the Candian Rockies, the bubbles make for an interesting visual element.

Alpen Glow Over Abraham Lake

The clouds around the mountain peaks also caused addition visual interest to the frozen bubble filled lake.

Bubbles and Cracks, Abraham Lake

Thanks for reading down this far!

Prints are available on my photo hosting site Sandquistphotography.com and on the Sandquistphotography Society6 Store

It was a challenge to shoot the frozen bubbles. In order to make the bubbles appear as a strong foreground element you need to get as low and close to them as possible! This often meant laying belly down on the sheet of ice! Here’s a photo of me on the frozen lake.

I do recommend these MICROSpikes from Kahtoola(Amazon link) for working on the ice. They provide good traction and are easy to put on and take off when all bundled up!