We arrived at our last stop of our vacation with a lot of anticipation. Zion National Park is one of the most popular and most visited parks in the United States – at least that is what the park literature says. We had three days to explore, hike, and of course, shoot our way through the park. We were a little tired after arriving, so we decided on a short hike on the famous “Emerald Pools Trail.” Expecting nice waterfalls, we were disappointed that there was virtually no water. We trekked on to the “Kayenta Trail” where we were rewarded with beautiful vistas. This was my first picture at Zion.
Shot with Nikon D800, 26mm, F/6.3, 1/125 sec, ISO 110.
We did a sunrise and sunset shoot the next day. I read about a “perfect spot” to take a picture of the famous “Towers of the Virgin” – behind the museum, on the left side, just in front of the railing. We arrived 90 minutes before sunrise and were glad that we were the only ones there. We set up and fired away. Over the next hour many more photographers showed up, a couple giving us the evil eye and one with a “hrrumph.” They were quite upset that we had the best spot. Maybe next time they will get up early enough! Anyway, here is the shot.
Shot with Nikon D800, 31mm, 0.6 sec at f/10, ISO 100
Overall, we were a bit disappointed at Zion. Maybe it was due to being last of our vacation stops. Maybe it was not as unique (such as Bryce) as we have hiked and photographed many mountains throughout Arizona and Utah. Maybe it was just the crowds of people on the more accessible hikes. Even so, we enjoyed the beauty of the park and photographing everything in sight!
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