The Digital Photo Experience

© Rick Sammon. All rights reserved.

My Southwest Caravan officially starts tomorrow night in Moab, UT. I can’t wait for the fun to begin with 10 eager students from around the country. We’ll be shooting in Arches, then moving on to Bryce, and then to Zion – and ending up  in Las Vegas, where we landed a few hours ago. Each day I’ll try to post a shot and tip.

Here’s a shot I took today while driving through Zion.

Today’s tips: Tell the whole story

Virtually all of the pictures I have seen of Zion don’t show the red, winding road that runs through the Park. However, the road is a big part of Zion; I think it’s one of the most beautiful drives in the US.

As you drive along the road, you’ll find dozens of photo ops at the turnoffs – and that’s without officially going into the park via the tram.

Because I love the drive, I decided to include the road in this picture. This picture helps to tell the story of Zion. In photography, it’s important to “tell the whole” story of a destination.

Notice that this picture has a good sense of depth. That’s due the dramatic shadows in the foreground, and the way the rock formation is framed in the background.

Something else helped with this photograph: Luck. I was in the right place at the right time for the shadow. There was not a cloud in the sky. And, the sun was in the perfect position in the sky.

Well, I’ll catch you tomorrow with another photo and tip.

Explore the light,

Rick

P.S. Shoot Juan an email at email hidden; JavaScript is required if you are interested in our May 2011 Southwest Caravan Photo Workshop.