It is not possible to take a bad picture at these National Parks if your camera is working, and now in the age of digital cameras there is virtually no limit to the number of snaps you can take. (Remembering what it used to be like to shoot colour film, then take it to a lab for processing -- and pay lotsa money for the privilege -- made me realise just why Kodak [and later Fuji and others] became such wealthy companies.)
I had to do some thinking about my photographic philosophy, and make some decisions. For example, it became clear that when I take pictures, I usually try to avoid the worst clichés, and look for subjects or angles that others might not think of.
The particular elements of a picture that appeal to me are variety of colour, side- or back-lighting, and depth -- something near the foreground that frames the longer view, such as a close-up tree or rock formation at the side of the frame.
Many of the following pictures will have no captions. They were taken at some of the Park's overlooks and trails. I'll let most of them speak for themselves.
Zion is as different in character from the Grand Canyon, and from Bryce, as it can be, as you can see from the pictures of these three places offered above and below. This formation is known as the Three Patriarchs, named for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Hebrew Bible). I don't know which is which.
Bryce Canyon isn't really a canyon -- it's an escarpment, with high cliffs on one side, and wide plains on the other, creating stunning distance views. The overwhelming characteristic of Bryce is the reddish-orange colour of the formations along the escarpment.
The typical rock formation at Bryce is called a "hoodoo", and probably reminds most people of a steeple or spire. Hoodoos are formed when a piece of harder rock forms on top of softer rock, sheltering the softer material from the erosion going on around it.
Another thing: you may notice that Sunrise and Sunset Points appear twice in the itinerary below. That's because I went to these locations on the journey into Bryce, and -- after turning around at the end of the driving road at Rainbow Point -- I just had to see them again.
High-resolution JPEG of this image available: click here (2.96 MB)