My November 2017 Photo of the Month is Quiet Canyon, a photograph made just North of Sedona, Arizona.
Quiet Canyon Background
Thanksgiving weekend is always an important weekend for those of us who spend most weekdays in the office. Having four uninterrupted days to travel is definitely a privilege. After spending Thanksgiving with my Grandmother, I headed out further into Arizona.
Much of the weekend was spent covering areas I previously had been to. Places like Flagstaff, Walnut Canyon, Montezuma Castle, and Tuzigoot National Monument. With encouragement from my friend Jeremy, I visited the one placed tucked away around all of these places, Sedona.
My initial experience wasn’t great. Now, Sedona is definitely beautiful. Redrock is always amazing. But a long holiday weekend was not ideal for what turned out to be one of the world’s great tourist traps. After a 2-hour drive from one side of town to the other, I finally made it into my initial goal: Oak Creek Canyon.
One easy observation in the Verde Valley where much of these areas are located was that the Fall Color was near peak in late November. This is great to know, because October is a busy month and I rarely can make it to the Eastern Sierras at their peak.
This scene was photographed under the Midgely Bridge where Wilson Canyon meets Oak Creek Canyon. This was late afternoon light, with deep shadows and brightly lit trees. I would have struggled with this in the old film days, but its remarkable how easy it is at home to take my Nikon D850 raw file and bring the contrast together.
Last month, the traditional Fall Color season, I didn’t even pick a Fall Color image as my October Photo of the Month. One month later, I get to add one in. Not bad.
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the image.
T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.