First light at Bryce Amphitheater

I've always had a list of locations around the world that I want to visit or revisit and photograph. Contained within the list is a subset of locations where I want to create ultra-high-resolution images.  Some of the locations have been on the list for many years but as it turns out, 2024 was a good year for me, as I visited four of the locations on my ultra-high-resolution "hit list". Those locations were 1) Manarola in Cinque Terre, Italy, 2) a little-known loop in a mountain road about a 4 hour's drive Northeast of Vancouver, BC, 3) the slot canyons of Arizona, and 4) Bryce Canyon. You can look for my VAST images from all four of these locations on this website. 

In the case of Bryce Canyon, my visit was an extension of a planned trip with my son to hike in Zion National Park. I have always thought that Bryce Canyon with all its Hoodoos cried out for an ultra-high-resolution image. I spent three days in June 2024, photographing Bryce from various vantage points in the early morning and late evenings. There are many viewpoints in which the canyon can be observed and photographed. After spending a long day scouting the canyon, I determined that Bryce Point would provide the best sunrise view for the image I had in mind. It was an early start, rising at 4 am to arrive and be set up on location by 5:30 am. I started photographing the canyon in early light at 5:50 am, capturing parts of the canyon that would remain in shadow long after the sun rose. When the sun did appear, flooding the area with signature light that showcases the canyon's orange stacks, I continued shooting until 6:40 am, capturing 2,382 images to ensure I had all the photos I needed to assemble this 2,900-megapixel ultra-high-resolution photo. This very high-resolution image provides a wonderful view of the wide expanse of the entire Amphitheater at sunrise. 

Photo Information: A very high-resolution photograph taken at Bryce Canyon National Park, a sprawling reserve in southern Utah, USA, known for crimson-colored hoodoos, which are spire-shaped rock formations.

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