Tight

"Spring Coming?"

This is a telephoto of a wild desert plant.  When I zoomed in on it it told the story/gave the perception that 'spring has sprung'.  If we look closely we can almost hear the buds popping. Even though everything all around the plant is still pretty drab, and color is mostly hidden, this 'tight' telephoto focal length gives the perception that Spring is coming!

ISO 100

125mm

f/8

1/250

"Springs Out to Get You"

Desert Cactus 

ISO 200

200mm

f/4.5

1/125

"Color on Rock Gives Illusion of Spring"

This is bright, colorful lichen that I found on a rock. It gives the illusion of a colorful spring when shot with a 'telephoto' lense, but it is really just colorful lichen (algae) left from winter. 

ISO 100

200mm

f/8

1/250

"Crisp Entrance"

Dead leaves on plant next to a lizards den. This plant was a crispy left over from last year that was mostly grey except for the dead leaves at the entrance to the cave the lizard went in to hide from me.  These crispy leaves had sunlight shining on them and it completely changed the color to golden, as they stiffly fluttered in the wind. Using a telephoto shot took most of the grey away and brought out the light, bringing a sort of warm life to the dead plant.

ISO 100

105mm

f/8

1/250

"Dead Out of the Rock"

This is dead (or dormant) plant life from last year.  It grew right out of the rock.

ISO 100

95mm

f/22

1/60

Wide

"My Pathway Home"

ISO 100

18mm

f/8

1/125

ISO 100

18mm

f/8

1/125

ISO 100

18mm

f/8

1/60

ISO 100

18mm

f/8

1/125

ISO: 100

Focal Length: 32mm

F Number: f/98

Exposure Time: 1/125

Nikon D40X

"My Pathway Home"

This path will take you somewhere. The wide angle lets it be up to the viewer as to where the trail might go. The 'focal length' allows the viewer to see homes in the valley below the mountain I'm standing on, and the red rock mountains are also in view because of the wide focal length.  This ties the path into the distance and gives the perception of a path leading to somewhere - possibly off into the distance toward the red rock mountain of Snow Canyon. This impacts the 'story telling aspect' by allowing the viewer to imagine where the path might lead; to home below or a new adventure in the next mountain range.  The wide focal length also helps the pioneer story to be told of the "Temple Quarry Trail"

I took these series of photos on top of the old airport mountain. I went for a hike one day behind my house, not knowing this was here, so I did some research.  This is the "Temple Quarry Trail" that is next to the condo where I live.  In the 1800's pioneers loaded giant lava rocks onto horse drawn wagons, then circling around on the trail, carried them down to the valley where the black lava rocks final resting place was to be the foundation of the St George LDS Temple.  The first series of photos shows the trail as it heads away toward Ivins, then around the black hills.  The red rock of Snow Mountain where Tuachan is located is straight ahead. Go backwards on this trail and it will take you to the East side of the mountain and the head of the Temple Quarry Trail where the St George Temple is visible - leaving me to my own thoughts and imagination of men of many years ago traveling quite a distance down the mountain side with giant lava rocks to the unfinished temple site as they worked on the foundation. (My research shows it was finished in 1893.)

This is a wide shot on the point, looking down at Sunbrook and Indian Hills Drive. This is the way the wagons went back around the mountain when the wagon was loaded with a large rock.

ISO 100

18mm

f/22

1/60