"I cannot command the creative impulse on demand. I never know in advance precisely what I will photograph. I go out into the world and hope I will come across something that imperatively interests me. I am addicted to the found object."
Ansel Adams in ANSEL ADAMS: An Autobiography

Photography is about light and the way it affects and changes what we experience. This series of photos was taken within less than five minutes as the sun was rising at Bryce Canyon National Park. We were standing at - not surprisingly - an overlook called "Sunrise Point" on a very cold morning last fall. We'd left our warm beds in the motel where we were staying near Zion National Park at 4 a.m. in order to arrive at Sunrise Point before the sun rose. Trying to get the equipment set up in the dark, when it was about 30 degrees and breezy, was a bit of a challenge. It was worth it, however, as the morning sun finally started creeping over the eastern horizon and began lighting up the canyon.

I'm not sure which of these four photos I like the best, and that's probably not even the right way to think about them. They are all perfect representations of a frozen moment in time; it just depends what kind of moment seems most attractive to you.

(Within another five minutes, the sun was well above the horizon, those bright orange sandstone monoliths started to look washed out, and we packed up our gear and drove to Ruby's Motel (which is THE place in Bryce) and warmed up over breakfast before going back into the park for more photos...)

If you are interested in excellent landscape photography, take a look at NATURE'S AMERICA which captures images from around the US, or PLATEAU LIGHT which contains images from the Arizona-Utah redrock canyon country, or ARIZONA: THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL. All are reasonably priced for photography books of this type, and you'll find them endlessly enjoyable.

Also, there are many resources on the Web concerning various aspects of landscape and environmental issues, and more. Among the more interesting ones I can suggest are the Bureau of Land Management's Visual Resource Management program, the National Park Service, and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.