So, I’ve been having an itchy shutter finger since we’ve moved and I’ve taken on a couple jobs to help pay the bills.  I haven’t been able to get out and photograph like I would like to.  Schedules haven’t been matching up either.  So, when we had some free time, I insisted on a photo shoot.  Given the very small window of light left for the day, we headed out somewhere where I knew we could get a golden hour or a blue hour (twilight) shot: Bryce Canyon.

Thanks to the heavy snow which has been coming lately, the canyon is a wash with white.  It’s just frosting over the bright red-orange hoodoos for which Bryce is famous.  The snow also means several of the more scenic parts of the park are closed off.  The rangers do this for safety reasons.  I didn’t know when we started, but I was about to find out.

On the way, I was trying to decide where to go for the landscape photo I was after.  There’s so many great vistas that it can be hard to choose.  We opted for Sunset Point as I read the sign out loud (even seeing the signs was difficult due to the piles of snow along the side of the road) and that’s where we turned off.

By the time we arrived at Sunset Point, golden hour was well and truly over but the twilight of blue hour was warming up.  There was still time for great landscape photography if I knew what I was doing.  I hurried up to the rim of the canyon with my camera for a couple of quick photos.  However, I wasn’t intending to set up in that location.  I snapped a handful for fun and we headed back up towards the higher lookout points.

When we reached Inspiration Point, I was glad I made that pit stop for photos below.  We found the entirety of the trail to the rim blocked by snow and barriers.  Since the light was well into blue hour, it wasn’t worth it to try for another shot someplace else.  I got a few quick landscape photos and that was that for the day.  Still, it wasn’t a wasted trip.

I enjoyed getting out into the field again and stretch some photography skills which I felt might have atrophied.  Thankfully, I learned that was not the case as I took a look at this shot.  I don’t know if this is blue hour photography at its finest or not.  However, this twilight landscape scene is one for the portfolio for sure.