This is another example of unpredictable weather in Arizona and Utah. Only 90 min before taking this shot, I spend at least an hour at Horseshoe Bend waiting for the rain to stop. The weather was miserable but warm.
And now I was at Lake Powell shore, witnessing one of my life’s most colorful and stunning sunsets.
The surreal landscapes of Lake Powell always fascinated me, but only when I started planning my trip to the Southwest I discovered that the lake was man-made. It was formed after the construction of Glen Canyon Dam. Now it all made sense. The landscape I witnessed was too unreal to be a natural occurrence.
I took the featured photo on the day I made U.S. Route 89 Loop. I started the day in Knab, Utan, early in the morning and went counterclockwise toward Arizona’s Grand Canyon’s North Rim and Lees Ferry.
The Lake Powell marina was my last stop before driving back to Kanab to complete the loop.
Antelope Island sits in the middle of Lake Powell, straddling the border of Arizona and Utah, only a few miles from the town of Page (Arizona). The island is only about 7 miles long and 3 miles wide, but it’s a popular spot for hikers, explorers, and photographers. There are plenty of hiking trails to explore, and the views of the surrounding landscape are stunning.
The island is part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which protects a massive expanse of land in southern Utah.
Loc: 36.949352, -111.493320
Shooting & Processing
The shooting was not challenging at all. The thick clouds completely covered the sky, defusing the late evening sky and reducing the scene’s dynamic range. All I needed is one shot, but as you probably know, I always bracket my shots, just in case.
I took 3 bracketed shots on a tripod (-1, 0, +1) as I usually do.
I used a single RAW image editing in Lightroom. I described the process in Lightroom Rapid Editing System for Landscapes.
First I applied Lightroom preset Golde Gate from my Landscape Collection and later I used ToolKit to boost colors and contrast.
The Lightroom Preset Editing Formula: Golden Gate (8, 17, 22, 34)
Deconstructing Featured Photo
Camera: Sony a6000
Lens: Sony 16-70mm
Focal Length: 70mm
ISO: 100
Aperture: F8
Shutter: 1/500
Bracketing: 3 shots (-1, 0, +1 )
Tripod: FEISOL Tournament CT-3442 – Check my FEISOL Tournament CT-3442 Review.
Ballhead: FEISOL CB-40D
Processing:
Lightroom: import, tagging, Lightroom Rapid Editing, Editing Formula: Golden Gate (8, 17, 22, 34)
Photoshop: color correction, contrast, cleaning.
Photoshop Plugins:
- Topaz DeNoise was used to reduce digital noise (sky, water).
- Topaz Clarity was used to enhance details and boost colors (desert, mountains).
