I would like to thank LensWork publishers for including me in their new book, "Our Magnificent Planet 2020." They chose a single photograph from each of 300 photographers, from a total of 2700 entries worldwide, for this beautiful coffee table book that showcases the beauty of the natural world. Buy from LensWork
My image titled, “Storm, Six Shooter Peak, Canyonlands, Utah,” was one of the photographs selected for inclusion. I appreciate this honor as LensWork magazine has a well-deserved reputation for only publishing the best of contemporary fine art photography. This image, along with five others of mine, was also recently purchased by the Booth Western Art Museum for their permanent collection.
Storm, Six Shooter Peak, Canyonlands, Utah
To make the image, selected for inclusion in “Our Magnificent Planet,” a lot of skill and a bit of luck were involved. A few years ago when traveling out to the desert southwest, something my wife and I try to do every two or three years, we were driving north along Highway 191 in Utah headed to Arches National Park. After a stop to photograph Church Rock I noticed a large storm brewing to the west. Recognizing the potential for some interesting and dynamic photographs, we headed in that direction.
As I drove toward Squaw Flat in the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park, the clouds intensified and lightning struck in the distance. I pulled off along the roadside, where there was an interesting foreground, to take in the view toward Six Shooter Peak as rain begin to pelt down. I got out of the car and set up as quickly as possible as the clouds roiled. I concentrated intently on the fast moving storm and the ever-changing cloud patterns as I worked to capture different compositions while simultaneously grappling with the technical aspects of correct exposure under such dynamic conditions.
After a few minutes I felt the electricity in the air on my skin, breaking my concentration and reminding me that standing in an open field with a metal tripod might not be the best idea. I quickly made a few final exposures before throwing everything back into the car. A minute later the storm engulfed us with a blinding rain. It continued following us for the hour or so it took to drive up to Arches National Park, where we spent the night in nearby Moab. Just after we arrived, the storm cleared and a double rainbow appeared over town, a fitting end to a great day in the desert.
Rock Spire, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Cholla Cactus, Joshua Tree National Park, California
Lake Reflection, Ouray, Colorado
Many folks think that bright sunny days are the best times to photograph, but I prefer the dynamic conditions before and after storms, when the clouds and light change quickly and you have an “atmospheric” feel. Other great times are early morning and late afternoon when the light is low creating long, striking shadows that reveal texture in my subjects. This is evident in my other images, shown below, that are now part of the permanent collection of the Booth Western Art Museum. These images are also available for purchase through the studio or from my gallery in Atlanta, Lumiere.
Thanks and I’ll post more next month! For more frequent images, be sure to follow me on Instagram @timbarnwellphotography
Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite National Park, California
Tufa Formations, MonoLake, California