Utah

Aerial Photography Panoramas Utah

The Tree of Eons, A Spectacular Dendritic Erosional Pattern in the Utah Badlands

The Tree of Eons. That's the name I have bestowed upon this amazing structure found deep in the badlands of Southern Utah. To my eye it is an ancient tree, about 150 million years old. It is also similar to the dendrites found in crystals or our nervous system. A…

Phil CollaAugust 13, 2022

The American Southwest Utah Zion

The Temple of Sinawava, Zion Canyon, Zion National Park

The Temple of Sinawava lies at the end of the Zion National Park scenic drive, where the canyon becomes so narrow one must proceed on foot. On approach to the Temple of Sinawava is the Pulpit, a dramatic sandstone column rising above the Virgin River, monolithic and huge yet dwarfed…

Phil CollaMarch 1, 2022

The American Southwest Utah Zion

Alpenglow and the Big Walls of Zion Canyon at Dawn

Shortly before sunrise I was greeted by this sublime scene. This is one of my favorite spots in Zion National Park, and I photograph sunrise here every chance I am able. This morning there were thin clouds hanging above the high cliffs, and together they caught the alpenglow that precedes…

Phil CollaFebruary 25, 2022

Slot Canyons The American Southwest Utah

Hiking Kanarra Creek Falls, Kanarraville, Utah

Kanarra Creek Falls is a beautiful slot canyon, a great spot for a hike and photography in the summer and fall. Also known as Kanarraville Falls, the creek and slot canyon are just north of Zion National Park's Kolob Canyon near Kanarraville, Utah. A 1.5 mile hike takes you from…

Phil CollaMarch 8, 2020

Antelope Canyon Arizona Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyons The American Southwest The Wave Utah White Pocket

The Ultimate Photographer’s Weekend in Page, Arizona

Great photography spots around Page, Arizona, including Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Canyon X, Radio Tower Rock, Rattlesnake Canyon, Stud Horse Point, Little Cut, the Toadstool Hoodoos, and the Wave and White Pocket. What visit to Page, Arizona is complete with a spectacular Horseshoe Bend sunrise? So you…

Phil CollaFebruary 24, 2020

Arches The American Southwest Utah

Wild West Magazine – Shooting Star and Milky Way over Delicate Arch

A shooting star and the Milky Way over Delicate Arch at night, seen on the "parting shot" end page of Wild West Magazine. This is the first time I have had my work in Wild West which was nice! Cheers, and thanks for looking!

Phil CollaJanuary 11, 2015

Arches The American Southwest Utah

Sunset over the Garden of the Gods, Arches National Park, Utah

The sun sets over the Garden of the Gods in Arches National Park, Utah. Garry McCarthy and I were in Utah for a few days of hiking and night photography. While we shot the sunset from this scenic point we bumped into night photography great Brad Goldpaint, a nice guy…

Phil CollaAugust 13, 2014

Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

Mesa Arch Sunrise and Night under the Milky Way, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Icon alert: this post is about Mesa Arch, a major icon which many now scorn and avoid as a subject of landscape photography, and which is known to have the crowd these days. I've photographed a few icons over the past 30 years, although many of them are underwater and…

Phil CollaJune 7, 2014

Arches Icons The American Southwest Utah

Icon: Sunset over Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

I unapologetically photograph a lot of icons and Delicate Arch is one of my favorites. There are few places in the United States that are more iconic than Delicate Arch in Arches National Park -- it is depicted on a license plate for crying out loud. Places like this are…

Phil CollaJune 1, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

The Eyes of Utah – Natural Arches and the Milky Way

The Eyes of Utah? I think these two images look like "eyes", at least to my eyes they do. The first one sort of looks like an evil serpent's eye, while the second resembles a whale's eye. (If you have never seen a whale up close, you'll just have to…

Phil CollaMay 23, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest

Light Painting Delicate Arch, Utah

The first few times I photographed Delicate Arch in Utah's Arches National Park, most of my compositions were close to the arch. After editing the results of my last visit to the park I resolved to make more distant compositions, for variety's sake and to put the arch into its…

Phil CollaMay 14, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Delicate Arch, Milky Way and Iridium Flare at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

I have shot Arches National Park a number of times, including a very fruitful trip some years ago to shoot astrophotography landscapes. I returned earlier this month for more, and found that I have reached a point where I need to find alternatives to the usual compositions. This one was…

Phil CollaMay 13, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Natural Bridges The American Southwest Utah

Owachomo Bridge and Milky Way at Night, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Night Photo of Owachomo Bridge and the Milky Way After making the long drive to Natural Bridges National Monument, we arrived in time to enjoy a colorful sunset and eat some dinner while waiting for the sky to become dark enough for us to begin our photography. The weather was…

Phil CollaJuly 22, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah Zion

Milky Way and Star Trails Over the Watchman, Zion National Park

The Watchman is one of the iconic landmarks in Zion National Park, such that throngs of photographers line the bridge each fall at sunset to photograph the Watchman with the Virgin River and autumn trees in front of it. We elected for a much different image, one with the Milky…

Phil CollaJune 23, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

False Kiva at Sunset, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

False Kiva Photo, Sunset Canyonlands National Park, Utah One afternoon in Canyonlands National Park I came up with an ambitious plan: to hike to False Kiva on the edge of the Island in the Sky mesa, photograph the dusk and early evening there, hike out and then shoot Mesa Arch…

Phil CollaOctober 16, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Delicate Arch and Milky Way Stars at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch at Night, Milky Way and Stars Overhead. Arches National Park, Utah. I spent a wonderful evening photographing Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It was warm and dry, with a clear star-filled sky overhead and just a speck of breeze. I photographed Delicate Arch and the moon at…

Phil CollaOctober 15, 2012

Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Island in the Sky is the most accessible and popular of the three "districts" in Canyonlands National Park. I spent a day there earlier this year and photographed a number of viewpoints during late afternoon waiting for the sunset to arrive. Next time I plan to descend into the canyons…

Phil CollaOctober 14, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Pillar of Stone, Milky Way, Stars and Clouds, Arches National Park, Utah

This sandstone pillar in Arches National Park, which probably has an official name, looks to me like an enormous totem pole. I photographed it at night with a short enough exposure to freeze the stars but long enough that the quick moving clouds blurred across the sky. Lighting was tough…

Phil CollaOctober 11, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Balanced Rock and Milky Way at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Balanced Rock at Night, Arches National Park Balanced Rock rises 128' (39m) above the surrounding land, just off the main road in Arches National Park. It is an outstanding example of erosion and sandstone layering. The precariously perched capstone rock is made of harder sandstone than the layers beneath. As…

Phil CollaOctober 8, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Photo of Delicate Arch and Milky Way, Hiker, Light Painting

Photo of Delicate Arch At Night and The Milky Way Galaxy, Arches National Park, Utah I recently made a short trip to Arches National Park to do some photography. One of the photos I made is a self-portrait, showing me light painting Delicate Arch at dusk with the Milky Way…

Phil CollaOctober 6, 2012

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Canyonlands Panoramas The American Southwest Utah

Milky Way Over Mesa Arch, Panorama, Canyonlands National Park

Panoramic Photo of the Milky Way Arcing Over Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah Earlier this year I spent an evening photographing Mesa Arch, the famous and oft-pictured natural stone arch at the precipice of Canyonlands National Park. I photographed Mesa Arch at sunrise twice previously -- quite fortunately alone…

Phil CollaOctober 2, 2012

Canyonlands Panoramas The American Southwest Utah

Sunset at Dead Horse Point Overlook, Utah

Dead Horse Point Overlook, a stunning promontory on the edge of the mesa that is Utah's Dead Horse Point State Park, offers a jaw-dropping view down 2000' to the Colorado River. Canyonlands National Park is visible in the distance. The entire scene is a jumble of convoluted bends in the…

Phil CollaSeptember 30, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Tower of Babel and Starry Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Stars over the Tower of Babel, Arches National Park, Utah The Tower of Babel is one of the most imposing and distinctive sandstone structures in Arches National Park. An enormous narrow freestanding wall or "fin" of Entrada sandstone, the Tower of Babel may, over the course of eons, erode into…

Phil CollaSeptember 27, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Landscape Arch and Milky Way at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Landscape Arch and Milky Way at Night, Arches National Park, Utah Landscape Arch in Arches National Park, Utah, is considered to be the longest natural arch in the world, having a span of 290 feet (89m) . Landscape Arch is gradually falling apart, with at least three sections of the…

Phil CollaSeptember 26, 2012

Slot Canyons The American Southwest Utah Zion

Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice: Photographer in the Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah

Photographer in the Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah I was fortunate to have three of my photographs receive Highly Honored recognition in this years Windland Smith Rice photography competition sponsored by Nature's Best Photography. 21,000 images were entered in the competition, 500 made it to the final round…

Phil CollaDecember 2, 2011

Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Milky Way Rising Over Hoodoos

The first morning of my recent roadtrip around northern Arizona and southern Utah with a few old diving buddies found us at the Toadstool Hoodoos a few hours before dawn. Garry McCarthy is always thinking of ways to creatively photograph the night sky, and on this trip he suggested photographing…

Phil CollaApril 11, 2011

Slot Canyons The American Southwest Utah Zion

Fall Colors in the Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park

The Virgin River Narrows in Zion National Park is an incredible slot canyon carved out of the red rock sandstone that characterizes this part of Utah. One can walk upstream on the river bed from the Temple of Sinawava for several miles. I plan to return with my daughter next…

Phil CollaNovember 16, 2010

The American Southwest Utah Zion

Arch Angel Falls, The Subway, Zion National Park, Utah

Archangel Falls is located a few hundred yards before and below the Subway, in Zion National Park, Utah. Our hike to the Subway took us past a number of small cascades. Most of them would be hard to categorize as waterfalls, but Archangel Falls (or is it Arch Angel Falls?)…

Phil CollaNovember 11, 2010

The American Southwest Utah Zion

Fall Colors, The Subway, Zion National Park, Utah

On the approach to The Subway in Zion National Park is this intriguing erosion slot, about 4" wide. Water rushes through it, blurred in this photograph. The maples and cottonwoods were in their full fall color and their fallen leaves were everywhere. Water rushes through a narrow crack, in the…

Phil CollaNovember 10, 2010

Slot Canyons The American Southwest Utah Zion

Hiking the Virgin River Narrows, Zion National Park, Utah

I recently made a couple of fantastic hikes in Zion National Park: the Subway and the Virgin River Narrows. I am editing photographs now, but here is a short rough video I shot on our hikes. The highlights were Archangel Falls near the Subway, and the Wall Street section of…

Phil CollaNovember 9, 2010

Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

National Wildlife Photo Contest Winner

The National Wildlife photo contest is the only one of the "big three"** in which I have not had any luck -- until now. After taking a hiatus from contests for about 8 years, something possessed me to enter this year. Lo-and-behold the image below caught the judges' notice and…

Phil CollaDecember 9, 2009

Arches National Parks The American Southwest Utah

Photo of Turret Arch, Arches National Park

Turret Arch at sunset, viewed from North Window, in Arches National Park, Utah: Turret Arch at sunset, winter. Image ID: 18146 Location: Turret Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, USA Turret Arch photos.

Phil CollaJanuary 28, 2007

Canyonlands National Parks The American Southwest Utah

Mesa Arch Photo

Mesa Arch stands at the edge of Island in the Sky mesa in Canyonlands National Park. It juts out and over a 600-foot drop into Buck Canyon. While small by Utah standards, Mesa Arch lies in a dramatic setting and easy access make it a destination for most visitors to…

Phil CollaJanuary 25, 2007

Arches National Parks The American Southwest Utah

Photo of Pine Tree Arch, Arches National Park

Pine Tree Arch is a natural sandstone arch in the Devil's Garden area of Arches National Park in Utah. It gets its name from a small pine tree growing in the middle of the span. It is found on a short spur trail stemming from the more travelled trail to…

Phil CollaJanuary 24, 2007

The American Southwest Utah

Photo of Wilson Arch, Utah

Wilson Arch is a large natural sandstone arch about 25 miles south of Arches National Park in Utah. A short walk up a steep slope takes the hiker right to the base of the arch, with a fantastic view on either side of the arch. Wilson Arch rises high above…

Phil CollaJanuary 23, 2007

Canyonlands National Parks The American Southwest Utah

Mesa Arch Sunrise Photo

Mesa Arch is a spectacular natural sandstone arch at the edge of the Island-in-the-Sky region of Canyonlands National Park. It literally juts up and out from the mesa, hanging over the chasm with an unbroken drop many hundreds of feet below. For a few minutes at sunrise, if the horizon…

Phil CollaJanuary 17, 2007

National Parks The American Southwest Utah Zion

Waterfalls at Temple of Sinawava, Zion National Park

On a recent visit to Utah I had a chance to spend some time in Zion National Park. A number of ephemeral waterfalls were flowing, the result of rainstorms that had passed over Zion Canyon a few days before. The Temple of Sinawava, a widening in Zion Canyon at the…

Phil CollaMay 2, 2005

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