Kodachrome Sunset Colors (Utah)

The featured photo is from a place I did not know existed at the time I was planning my latest trip to Arizona and Utah. The place is called Kodachrome Basin State Park in Utah. I discovered it by accident.

The park is famous for 67 monolithic spires or chimneys spread across the park and a spectacular view of Bryce Canyon. The moment I entered the park I could see that it was a photographer’s heaven and there was no way I would leave without exploring it first. So instead of driving to Lake Powell as I originally planned, I stayed in the park for 3 days, camping in paradise.

Kodachrome Sunset Colors (Utah)
Utah. Kodachrome State Park
Loc: 37.521560, -111.992315

Shooting

I keep experimenting with my new Fujifilm setup. I really like the Auto ISO setup on Fuji XT2 and how flexible it is. Plus, I find the RGB Histogram is extremely valuable when accessing the exposure. Because of the Auto ISO and RGB Histogram, I find myself using tripod less often. Even during the sunset hike, I did not bring the tripod with me and I did not miss it.

Editing & Processing

It was a single RAW processing workflow.

Lightroom (50%)

I kept the original aspect ratio (3 x 2) but I cropped the image to improve the composition (The Crop Overlay Tool).

Next, I used Point Lobos preset from my Landscape Preset Collection as the base for Lightroom Rapid Editing. Then I used TOOLKIT to boost the Contrast and the Clarity.

The Lightroom Preset Editing Formula: Point Lobos (5, 10, 13, 21, 32)

Photoshop (50%)

In Photoshop, I used the Stamp Tool to cover the road sign and part of the road. The rest was a simple boost of details and noise reduction.
PluginsDeNoise (noise reduction), Topaz Detail (local contrast boost).

Total time: 10min

Before & After Transformation

Kodachrome Sunset Colors (Utah) 1
Kodachrome Sunset Colors (Utah) 2

by Viktor Elizarov
I am a travel photographer and educator from Montreal, Canada, and a founder of PhotoTraces. I travel around the world and share my experiences here. Feel free to check my Travel Portfolio and download Free Lightroom Presets.

4 thoughts on “Kodachrome Sunset Colors (Utah)”

  1. My “after” photos may not look as good as yours but my “before”s don’t look as dull.

    Reply
    • I was there exactly 2 weeks after you. I am planning to go there again and to take Cottonwood road through the Grand Staircase.

      Reply

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