Bryce Unleashed

[mseawell]

Bryce truly struck me. I find it ironic this was the place I RESISTED coming to and only at the insistence of my wife did I finally budge. With our dear English friend visiting from Germany,we made the plunge into Navajo trail on and my appreciation of the sheer beauty of this place grew. We hiked through the area and I was like a kid in a candy shop. I'll grant you coming to a location like this with a camera a had owned for a week wasn't the brightest stunt (Olympus E-5MKII) and the interface on this camera pales to my Panasonic GX7 but that aside I enjoyed the experience immensely. Then my eye was caught by something and stopped. The ladies left me behind, patience exhausted I suppose. Standing in front of me was this brooding canyon, mute and immovable. I sat there for a minute, studying the scene. I pulled the trigger and captured the moment. Bryce...unleashed.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... I was like a kid in a coffee shop...

Bored? 

[mseawell]

LOL! I was drinking my coffee as I typed this. I like my coffee.

[RoyH]

Nice image! I have only been to Bryce once, and only for a quick stop, so I want to go back and spent time to explore the trails for several days. I especially would like to be there with snow on the ground as you have...

[mseawell]

It was great but I want to say this to anyone planning a trip to Bryce in the Winter. BYOF (Bring your own food) We stayed at the best western and that was nice. They serve a decent breakfast and the rooms were good. But, if you want to eat lunch/dinner local you have to go across the street to Ruby's. My wife and our best friend Alison visiting from overseas went there our first night. It was simply atrocious. Wine, horrible (don't serve bad wine to Europeans!), food....wouldn't give it to our lab. And to add insult to injury we paid a lot of money! They have a general store attached to the restaurant and the prices are a HUGE ripoff. Sorry, I'm not normally a ranter but this was really bad. I should have done my research.

My wife and I will return to Bryce in winter again but we are going to cook a couple days worth of pasta (spaghetti or lasagna) and save ourselves a ton on money. Maybe other people had a totally different experience but our experience was not good. Forewarned is forearmed.

Mark

[polaris-14]

Very nice shot. I also resist going to Bryce. I might have to reassess that judgment.

[nma]

Mark,

This is a very nice image in all respects. I like the composition. Surprisingly, the monochrome treatment works. Technically, it seems very strong. I am surprised that you were able to expose for the shadows and highlights. The clouds are beautifully exposed. Did you do anything special to achieve this capture?

[mseawell]

I shot this with the Olympus E-5MKII which I just purchased recently. I used aperture mode. That being said I could have just as easily shot with my GX7. Processed in Lightroom 6.4 and SilverEfex Pro. That was pretty much it!

Mark

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

My one trip to Bryce was a few years ago in May. A little snow, but not much.
I found the colors of the rock formation so overwhelming, almost as if oversaturated, that I wasn't happy with any of my results.
But seeing this nice one, I plan to go back and try converting some to B&W to see what I get.

This is a beauty, Mark.

[MattBurt]

Great shot!
I've found similar food at these kinds of locations, if you can find any. Plus it can be difficult just to buy a six pack in Utah. I always try to travel well-stocked when going beyond the Zion Curtain, even though I'm not supposed to being alcohol over the border!

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

...It was simply atrocious. Wine, horrible (don't serve bad wine to Europeans!), food....wouldn't give it to our lab...

Ah, you spoiled Europeans! When in Rome...

When in America, do as Americans do: burger and beer, not French cuisine and wine. The only French thingy allowed would be French fries to go with that burger.

[Jeremy Roussak]

Ah, you spoiled Europeans! When in Rome...

When in America, do as Americans do: burger and beer, not French cuisine and wine. The only French thingy allowed would be French fries to go with that burger.

Sadly, I think Slobodan is right. I stayed at Ruby's in late March a couple of years ago and took the precaution of resetting my expectations. After that, the food was pretty decent (although I agree it's overpriced).

Bryce, though, doesn't cease to stun. Lovely shot.

Jeremy

[mseawell]

Cheers! Asking my wife to lower her food expectations is like asking a fish not to swim! But that being said we discussed it at the table and that was the realization.  I think most Europeans coming here lower their food expectations. We'll just bring our own next time. Still, Bryce was nice.

[Nelsonretreat]

You're so lucky those black rain clouds didn't spill all over the place!~

[Paulo Bizarro]

Very good shot, full of textures.

[Jeremy Roussak]

You're so lucky those black rain clouds didn't spill all over the place!~

I suspect the black bits are sky and the clouds are white.

Jeremy

[sdwilsonsct]

...It was simply atrocious. Wine, horrible (don't serve bad wine to Europeans!), food....wouldn't give it to our lab....

If the Art is in proportion to the Suffering, then the food must have been very bad indeed.

I like how this shot feels immersive.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Congrats, Mark, your photo made it to the Outdoor Photographer Magazine's Photo of the Day, and subsequently, Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/outdoorphotographer/photos/a.10151043180811175.427061.59273816174/10153338429271175/?type=3&theater

[mseawell]

Cheers mate! I didn't have a clue.

Mark