Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is a little hard to get to, but it’s well worth the effort. Bryce is famous for its hoodoos, sandstone spires that create a labyrinth of trails and slot canyons. The geology here was formed millions of years ago at the bottom of an ancient sea. Over time, the plateau has raised up to over 8,000 feet above sea level. Wind and water erosion assisted by freeze-thaw cycles have created the amazing landscape we see today. I arrived just a day after a winter storm dropped about four inches of snow. The shapes and colors of the hoodoos is fantastic by itself, but when you add snow, it adds another dimension.
The photo above was taken at sunrise from Sunset Point. Notice how the hoodoos in the foreground seem to glow as they are being lit by sunlight reflected off the canyon wall. By using graduated neutral density filters to help darken the sky and the foreground I was able to capture the scene in one shot – no Photoshop needed.
