Winter Light
There’s something magical about the light in winter. Experiencing the edges of the day (sunrise and sunset) in cold weather imbues photographs with a sense of tranquility.
The winter sun’s position is much lower in the sky. This softens and diffuses the light, adding calm and serenity.
In addition, this is the season of cool tones. Blue colors contribute a captivating sense of depth and moodiness.
And snow further brightens compositions. Winter light captures the texture and intricate details of snow. During the “blue hour,” the sky takes on a deep blue color that contrasts beautifully with the pristine whiteness of snow.
Cedar Breaks
On October 30, I was visiting Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah. The hoodoo rock formations in the park are like nearby Bryce Canyon National Park, but without the crowds.
The wild and rugged land of Cedar Breaks was known to early Mormon settlers as "Breaks," due to the difficulty of travel. President Franklin D. Roosevelt named Cedar Breaks a National Monument in 1933. The Monument is now managed by the National Park Service.
Given the name, you’d think the place is filled with cedar trees. But there isn’t one in sight. Instead, there are juniper trees that the early settlers mistook for cedars. This is a high elevation environment dominated by aspen and spruce. It’s also home to bristlecone pines, thought to be the oldest living thing in the world.
The single amphitheater is filled with the beautiful shapes and subtle colors of eroded limestone formations. Surrounding the amphitheater are high alpine meadows covered in wildflowers.
Twilight at the Cedar Breaks amphitheater
Because of its 10,000-foot elevation at the rim, snow often makes parts of the park inaccessible to vehicles from October through May. When I was there, the rim visitor center was closed, but the road hadn’t yet been closed for the season.
The Shot
On the afternoon of October 30, Steve Horne, Scott Fuller, and I dressed warmly in anticipation of single digit temperatures at the rim. Snow made the drive “interesting,” but not treacherous.
We started trekking to the bristlecone pines, but slippery conditions at the edges of the half-mile deep canyon caused us to pause at an overlook halfway there. From our vantage point, we could survey the entire amphitheater.
Just as the sun kissed the horizon, I took a picture of the amphitheater. Remembering the adage to “always look behind you,” I turned around.
Wow! Trees coated with rime ice glowed magically in the winter light. As I watched, an intense Belt of Venus rose behind the trees. The Belt’s arch of pinkish backscattered sunlight over the deep blue shadow of the earth created a perfect background. It was time to take a picture.
The trek back to our truck was cold, but exhilarating. We scraped the frost off the windows and drove back to Cedar City enjoying the simple pleasure of the truck’s heater.
Thanks for looking,
Chuck Derus