Moab nature and adventure photographer Bret Edge’s guide to photographing Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park is guaranteed to help you create dynamic images at this iconic location near Moab, Utah.
Read moreMoab is Open For Business After COVID-19 Closure
Moab nature and adventure photographer Bret Edge announces the reopening of Moab after COVID-19 closures.
Read moreThe Photographer's Guide to Winter in Moab
Learn Moab winter photography tips and a few fantastic locations to shoot snowy scenes from local professional photographer Bret Edge.
Read moreMoab Photography Conditions - March 23, 2015
Wildflowers, Waterfalls and National Park Status Updates
UPDATE: March 30, 2015 - Yesterday on a mountain bike ride I saw quite a few wildflowers popping up in the desert north of Moab, even a handful of desert primrose that were looking very healthy. None of the more showy wildflowers are blooming yet, i.e. mules ears. We haven't had any rain or snow (in the La Sals) for well over a week. The snowcap on the La Sals is melting off fast.
Wildflowers and warm weather are here! Okay, so the wildflowers are nowhere near peak but they are starting to pop up here and there. I've seen some really nice bouquets of indian paintbrush at lower elevations as well as a few small white, yellow and purple flowers (sorry, I'm not much of a wildflower recognition expert). Cottonwood trees are just beginning to leaf out and their vibrant green leaves are always a lovely contrast to the rich red sandstone.
Area waterfalls are flowing nicely as the warmer weather melts snow in the La Sal Mountains. Speaking of the La Sals, they still have a snowcap but if they aren't visited by any more winter storms this spring the snow will disappear quickly. Compositions that include the La Sals always look better when they mountains are coated in snow.
Most of the 4x4 roads are open and in good condition, or as good as can be expected of a 4x4 road. As an aside, the National Park Service is considering the implementation of a permit system for day use of Elephant Hill and the White Rim in Canyonlands. For better or worse, you would be wise to keep an eye on the progress of this initiative. Construction on the new, larger parking lot at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park is now underway. Visitors will be impacted. For more information please visit the Arches NP website.
That's all for now. As the wildflower season progresses I'll post frequent updates, hopefully with a few photos, to give you all a better idea of what's happening around Moab in real-time.
Planning a photo trip to Moab? I offer private photography workshops that are designed to get you to the best spots at the best times for incredible photo opportunities. Click here to learn more about a private photography workshop with me.
Summer in the Tetons Photography Workshop with Bret Edge and Jason Hatfield
I remember the first time I laid eyes on the Tetons. Sitting in construction traffic on Highway 191, creeping ever so slowly north, the distinctive, craggy skyline of the Teton Range suddenly appeared through my dust coated windshield. I was awestruck. Gobsmacked, even. I'd seen countless photographs of the Tetons but none of them prepared me for the brutal impact of seeing mountains rising 7,000 feet in sheer vertical relief from the surrounding landscape. My love affair with photography was only months old, but even through my novice eyes I knew this was a landscape photographers dream. Since that first visit fifteen years ago I've gone back more times than I can count, some times several times in the same year, and my heart still races every time I catch that first glimpse of those magnificent peaks.
The Tetons truly are a premiere destination for outdoor photography. Crystal clear alpine lakes catch reflections of rugged peaks bathed in rosy alpenglow, colorful wildflowers dot the summer landscape and moose, bears, bison and elk make regular roadside appearances. It's the kind of place where it's never a good idea to get too far from your camera.
Join Jason Hatfield and me June 18-21, 2015 during our "Summer in the Tetons" photography workshop for an extraordinary opportunity to improve your photography with hands-on instruction in the field and interactive classroom sessions. During our three days together we'll visit at least six stunning locations where Jason and I will work one-on-one with each workshop participant, teaching various creative and technical concepts in the field, where you'll be able to immediately put them into practice. We'll teach you how to maximize depth of field to make images that are tack sharp from foreground to background, how to use various types of light to create the most dynamic photographs and we'll introduce you to exposure theories that allow you to extract the most information from your high-tech digital camera sensor. You'll begin to develop your own vision, a way of seeing, that allows you to produce photographs that are uniquely yours.
During the middle of the day on Friday and Saturday, we'll retire to a comfortable meeting room where Jason and I will help you develop an efficient workflow using the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop and Nik Software plug-ins. You'll learn our techniques for creating impactful black and white digital photographs and how we blend multiple exposures together to extend dynamic range for high contrast scenes. We'll lead an interactive group image critique, during which you'll have the opportunity to have a few of your photographs critiqued in an honest, open and supportive environment. Our participants consistently rate the image critiques as one of the most fun and helpful aspects of the workshop.
The "Summer in the Tetons" workshop is open to photographers working at any level and is limited to only 10 participants. As of this post, there are 7 spots still available. You will need an interchangeable lens camera, a sturdy tripod and a laptop with the latest versions of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop installed for the classroom sessions.
Jason and I hope you'll consider joining us in the Tetons for this fun workshop opportunity!
Summer in the Tetons Workshop Registration
What do our workshop participants have to say about their experience? Read some recent testimonials on my Trip Advisor page.