Time for Daffys!

 

                    A few cheerful daffodils to celebrate the beginning of Spring in Southern Utah.

Forsythia Means Spring is Around the Corner!

 

                                                                              I love forsythia! 

It is one of the first plants to bud out in the spring and is a welcome relief from gray skies and gray landscapes. I would often see these bright yellow shrubs mixed with spring snow showers and be reminded that winter is almost over for another year. But both snow and forsythia are not as common here in St. George as they are in northern Utah, so when I saw this on my travels a couple days ago I had to stop and take a photo......or maybe it was 10-20!

Spring is Not Here Quite Yet!

 

Mother Nature reminding us that winter is not quite over in the St. George area. It snowed yesterday and today, but this afternoon the heavy cloud cover lifted so I headed to Kayenta to see if the elusive, seasonal waterfalls were falling as they often do after a heavy rain or snow storm.

Spring in Snow Canyon

 

                                                                                           Spring has come to Snow Canyon! 

This was taken this morning about 5 minutes away from home, and I was standing right by the road. (I used to calI the photos I take nearby, (that everyone in the area would have access to without hiking or traveling), 'Drive By Shootings'. I thought I was clever until someone contacted me and said not to do that because she didn't read the rest of the caption and really thought someone had been shot in the neighborhood. So much for being clever!! (I literally was standing by the side of the road and had to crop out the roofs of houses that were visible in the bottom of the frame.)

Anticipation

 

Anticipation!! This is a backyard garden memory from a few years ago. I always look forward to Spring but I think this year comes the added anticipation and hope that soon we will be able to live a more normal lifestyle. And this Spring I think the flowers will seem more beautiful, more colorful, and bring me extra joy!

Spring is Coming

 

How often do we take the time to find and enjoy the beauty that we see all around us? This work of art is a common Zinnia in the process of blooming. One of my favorite photographers, Karen Hutton, said, "I maintain that there is always EXTRA ordinary to be found in the ordinary. Sometimes it just takes the eyes to see it." I agree!!

Pine Valley Mountain, Utah

 

Pine Valley Mountain at sunset. For those of you not familiar with the St. George area, this mountain range is not naturally orange like the cliffs in my last post. If anyone wonders why landscape photographers (and other landscape artists), always talk about the importance of the quality of light, the time of day and the weather conditions necessary to make a good photo/image, look at the difference in the 2nd photo taken near the same location as the first one, but at midday in the bright sun.

Snow in Snow Canyon, Utah

 

                      

          

Snow in Snow Canyon

Not a usual winter occurrence, but every once in a while, and uncommon enough to entice me out of my warm bed this morning! Pre-sunrise light is cool and pink.

Just after sunrise the lighting on these cliffs was warm and vibrant. Both equally beautiful to me.

Fire Lake - Ivins, Utah

 

                                                                        Fire Lake at Sunset

I think photos like this show how Fire Lake got it's name! It's about five minutes away from home, and I often go here to walk on the path around sunset. More often than not, the red cliffs reflected in the lake put on a beautiful show. Yesterday was no exception. It was a lovely, warm day here in the St. George area. After my walk, I set up my camera and tripod, and I was the only one there to enjoy the view.

Fire Lake - Ivins, Utah

                                                                         Fire Lake - Ivins, Utah

 

Merry Christmas 2020

 

                                        Red berries and snowflakes? I had to check to make sure I was still in St. George!

                                                                                              Red Hills Desert Garden

I've been so spoiled to be able to photograph the Christmas lights on Temple Square every year!! Nothing quite compares to that experience! Since I couldn't go this year, my heart hasn't been in shooting the lights, but I talked myself into going to the Red Hills Desert Gardens tonight anyway. I always try to look for new compositions or different perspectives than common scenes one usually sees or that I've photographed numerous times. Here's the best I came up with. P.S. Here's a hint for shooting Christmas lights. Shoot during twilight or the blue hour. Many times lights are photographed looking up and when it is dark you end up with a boring black sky. (Unless you do something fancy like combine photos and replace the sky with a Milky Way photo.) But if you go just after the Christmas lights come on while there is still color in the sky, you will have a more colorful and interesting composition.

Halloween in Emery, Utah

 

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A little Photoshop work to put a monster, (photo taken at the Weta Lab in New Zealand), in a photo of an old church and full moon taken in Emery, Utah.

Fall 2020

 

Taken on the back road from Kolob Reservoir to Cedar City.  This was not a great year for brilliant color in the southern Utah mountains, but there were a few glimpses.

Late Bloomer

 

                                                                                                            Late Bloomer

I hate to say goodbye to the flower season!

Bridal Veil Falls, Utah

 

                                                                      Bridal Veil Falls, Utah

As much as I love living in Southern Utah, I do miss the beautiful landscapes up north, especially the abundance of colorful autumn leaves. This is Bridal Veil Falls, just a short distance from my former home.

Snow Canyon Sunset

 

Snow Canyon Sunset

This is my favorite place to photograph in Snow Canyon.  It was a beautiful way to end the day!

Autumn Aspens

 

                                                                                                   Kolob Reservoir, Utah

There was not much color left in this area but I managed to find one composition that  showed some leaves still on the trees.

Since I couldn't shoot many leaves on the trees then my only other option was to photograph them on the ground.  This scene was directly behind me from the top view.

Magenta Sunrise at Snow Canyon

 

Sunrise at Snow Canyon

Sunrise at Snow Canyon. On this morning, the 'blue hour' turned magenta just before sunrise. These magical cliffs change to different hues of oranges and reds depending on the weather, the position of the sun, the time of day and the season. They say, if you want to take beautiful landscape photos, take your camera to beautiful places! Lucky for me, this vantage point is a 10 minute drive. My home is just on the other side of these beautiful cliffs.

BRAXTON JEFFREY LARSEN

 

                                                  BRAXTON JEFFREY LARSEN

Despite all the challenges and problems of this year, we have one beautiful highlight to remember.  Tyler and Ashley had their first child and gave us our 15th grandchild, (13th grandson), on September 29, 2020.  We are so thrilled for them!  He is adorable and perfect in every way!!