EXIF Data: f/20, 1/10 sec, 27mm During an extended project I was assigned to in Phoenix a photo buddy of mine invited me to head up to Sedona on a day trip with him. I didn’t need a second invitation. It was my first real experience in Red Rock country. The only problem was that it was a day trip, but we made the best of it. Thanks Gene! - Cathedral Rock is a famous landmark on the Sedona, Arizona skyline, and is one of the most-photographed sights in Arizona, USA. Cathedral Rock is located in the Coconino National Forest in Yavapai County, about a mile (1.6 km) west of Arizona Route 179, and about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of the “Y” intersection of Routes 179 and 89A in uptown Sedona. The summit elevation of Cathedral Rock is 4921 ft. (1500 m.). Red Rock Crossing is a scenic former ford across Oak Creek, with photogenic views of Cathedral Rock. The crossing was washed out in a flood in 1978, and there are no current plans to reopen it to automobile traffic. Past proposals to build a bridge at Red Rock Crossing met vociferous opposition. Most of the crossing is included in the Coconino National Forest’s Crescent Moon Ranch recreation area. -Wikipedia
EXIF Data: f/22, 1 sec, 18mm I was visiting a sister in Angwin, California. Looking to the west in the late afternoon one day I noticed that the conditions might be perfect for a sunset shot. She and I jumped in the car and found this vantage point on Deer Park Road looking down into the Valley. We didn’t arrive any early, because this light lasted just a few minutes. Good memories G! - Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area located in Napa County, California, United States. Napa Valley is considered one of the top wine regions in the United States Records of commercial wine production in the region date back to the nineteenth century, but premium wine production dates back only to the 1960s. The combination of Mediterranean climate, geography and geology of the region are conducive to growing quality wine grapes. -Wikipedia
While it might not make my tight definition of a Chicken Run*, my photo buddy Ken Wilson and I decided to exploit the less traveled sections of eastern Oregon plains in search of elusive photo gems. We covered a lot of ground while traveling at high velocities in my Nissan Maxima. Painted Hills was one of the last locations we hit on this weekend trip. The beautiful thing about these hills is the variety of color they can produce under different environmental conditions. Just after a little rain shower holes of light peaking through overcast sky can make things stunning. I chose a telephoto lens to feature the layers of color, juxtaposing foliage in the foreground for contrast. Let’s schedule another one Ken! - Painted Hills is one of the three units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, located in Wheeler County, Oregon. It totals 3,132 acres (1,267 ha) and is located 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Mitchell, Oregon and 75 miles (121 km) east of Bend. Painted Hills is named after the colorful layers of its hills corresponding to various geological eras, formed when the area was an ancient river floodplain. The black soil is lignite that was vegetative matter that grew along the floodplain. The grey coloring is mudstone, siltstone, and shale. The red coloring is laterite soil that formed by floodplain deposits when the area was warm and humid. An abundance of fossil remains of early horses, camels, and rhinoceroses in the Painted Hills unit makes the area particularly important to vertebrate paleontologists. -Wikipedia *I’m not actually sure if it was Ken or I that coined the term Chicken Run but my definition might be: Driving like a mad chicken to get a shot in the margins of the day while still maintaining a regular work schedule at our days jobs. In certain areas the proximity of both locations actually makes this a viable option. Which is helpful because you usually have to visit a location repeated times to find the right conditions for a shot.
