Dog-eared for months in my calendar is a long weekend in November to spend adventuring in the fall colors. This year, the plan was to revisit Zion for a second consecutive year with my buddies Eric and Noel.

Truth be told, over the last several months my excitement for photography had been quite low. However, as with the slowly shifting fall colors I was beginning to feel an inkling of change in my feelings toward photography. I had recently been making images and felt happy with a few of them. This gave me a feelings of positivity going into the Zion trip. However, another change had recently come up; Eric and Noel no longer could attend the trip. This would mean it would be a solo adventure to Zion. I had contemplated cancelling the trip but something within kept me from doing that.

I have been on many adventures alone but it really is nice to have a friend there to experience the trip with as well as for safety reasons. For Kat’s peace of mind, I promised I wouldn’t venture too far out into the wilderness alone. I adapted my plans slightly and would spend the bulk of time in the main canyon with a quick peek at the east side before heading home. Normally, I spend a good chunk of time on the quieter east side of the park. I gave Kat a map and marked the general areas I would be on each day. On all trips, I make it a point to check in with Kat at multiple points during the day so she is updated with any important news from the field (current location, trip changes, weather, etc.).

I left early into the blue hour of Friday and made the seven hour drive to Springdale. The drive was peaceful and I realized how much I missed these long road trips through the desert southwest. Sooner than I thought, I crossed into Nevada, Arizona and finally into Utah. Springdale was glowing with yellow and green colors. It was nice to be back.

I dropped off some things at my home base, checked in with Kat and made a quick lunch. I took a drive to the east side of the park to see the status of fall color. There was still a good amount of golds but it did look like peak conditions had passed in the area. I noticed quite a few of the maples had already landed on the floors of the washes. It felt good simply enjoying the views and leaving the camera in the car; something I would have never done a few years ago. Along with the slowly changing temperatures and visuals of fall I too was slowly starting to change in my approach to these photography trips. Less important are the actual images these days. The memories of these moments resonate stronger with me.

Later that evening, I ended up by the visitor center with the plan to take the shuttle into the main canyon to see how the colors looked there. Unfortunately, the last shuttle had already left, so I decided to walk the trails near the visitor center. Like in the east, I wasn’t too concerned with making images. I ventured off with only my camera and one lens for a little walk. I was excited to go on these trails as I had never explored them. The colors in the area looked wildly gold, green and full. It felt great being back and walking around in the dazzling sea of fall color. This little preview got me excited for what the next day and a half would be like in the main canyon. After the last bits of light faded from the canyon walls, I headed back to make dinner to unwind and get some rest. Tomorrow was going to be a full day of hiking and exploring.

The blues and blacks of pre-sunrise always give me feelings of excitement on these trips. Like a kid on Christmas morning, I love taking a peek outside the window right as I wake to see the day about to begin. I packed up and quietly made my way outside. The drive to the visitor center was quiet and calm. These morning moments are some of my favorite of the trip. Nothing replaces those feelings of peace for me.

The shuttle was fully packed and buzzed of excitement from like-minded adventurers. With the lights off we watched as the shades of blue slowly began to peak out from behind the towering canyon walls as we ventured deeper into the canyon. I arrived at my stop and nearly all of the earlier chatter was gone; I was alone once again. As I made my way towards the river I began to notice hints of pink and purple above. Zion was waking. I snapped a few iphone photos to send to Kat but they didn’t do the experience justice, they never seem to.

I spent the remainder of the morning slowly exploring this area of the park in the various phases of light. I felt like I was walking in a sea of gold. Intriguing shapes and composition opportunities were everywhere; above and below me. I roamed the trails for hours enjoying the quiet and before I knew it I ended up all the walking down beyond the next shuttle stop. Surprisingly, I only crossed paths with one other person on the trails that morning. This was the tranquility I needed. Space to let my creativity run freely not knowing what would result. Regardless of the end product, if any, this process is extremely important to my happiness and fulfillment as an artist.

As the sun hit its peak position, it was time for some grub and to rest the legs. I enjoyed a little solo picnic in the back of the truck and mentally replayed the memories of the morning. My heart was happy with my time spent roaming the canyon. From micro details of the golden valley floor, intricate formations hidden along the hillsides to the subtle vignettes hidden in plain site, they all struck a cord within me. If I didn’t make any images beyond the ones that morning I would be completely happy.

My original plan for Zion was to explore various areas within the main canyon on Saturday and spend an hour or two Sunday morning before heading back to San Diego. However, after giving it more thought I wanted to spend more time getting to know the areas from the morning. I had become enchanted with it and was curious to see the same areas in the latter day light as well seeing if anything new would present itself to me. This was something that I have been doing on my last few trips. After lunch, I headed back to the same area and spent a few hours revisiting previous compositions and seeing new ones. I noticed it was a whole new experience, the wind was a lot calmer, colors and tones felt different and previous compositions gave a whole other vibe. It felt good being back and I knew that I wanted to spend my last hours in the park tomorrow morning in this same area. Maybe next season I will spend a little more time back in the east side. For the tail end of the day’s light, I decided to head back to the visitor center and revisit the trails from Friday evening.

The last few years I had been spending a lot of time making more of the intimate landscape images. It has been very fulfilling experiencing locations in this manner. Although I don’t share many of the larger scene landscape images on social platforms, I still do enjoy exploring them. On this evening, I wanted to try my hand at creating an image of the iconic Watchman of Zion. Instead of composing from the famous bridge location I decided to try and find a different take on the Watchman; one that felt like my own. After some exploration, I found myself in an area new to me but with a great view of the the Watchman. I hung out and enjoyed the view. The clouds streamed passed the formation as the light continued to change. After an hour or so, the harsh light had passed and now the scene began to take on a fiery look. I made a few compositions of the Watchman as well as some of the cottonwoods in the area. The thin waxing crescent moon showed itself beautifully against the colorful display in the sky; which gave me feelings of hope and dreams. It was a wonderful way to close out the day at the park. With the last of the red tones hanging on to the landscape, I made my way back to the car. I was tired but fulfilled creatively. I was really looking forward to dinner and a call home.

I woke up up a little earlier than normal the next morning to pack for the trip home. With the car packed, I thanked my home-away-from-home and made my way for the shuttle station. With the time change, the trip into the valley wasn’t of the deep dark blues of yesterday. I roamed the familiar area once again but this time spending more time around the giant bend of the Virgin River. The colors in the brush really caught my eye. With the light quickly making its way into canyon I was running out of time for various compositions. I quietly made a handful of images. As the bright sun began to light up the trail in front of me I knew my time in the park had come to a close. I quietly sent my words of appreciation to Zion and began the hike back. It had been a great trip. Although short and sweet, I felt like I had made a large amount of progress with my recent creative struggles. I was so glad I did not cancel this trip.

For the next eight hours, I thought a lot about my time in Zion. The decision to get to know a small area of the park felt like the right call for my experience. It allowed me time to develop a closer relationship with the park. The images I made felt honest and sincere; a meaningful dialogue of my time spent in the park. Thank you Zion for all the meaningful conversations this fall. I will look back at these images with gratefulness for years to come. As with all trips into nature, not all of the images made will land in my portfolio, which is absolutely fine. Each do, however, play an important role; they are meaningful ripples of progress in my creative journey.

Thank you for visiting. Until next time. - Marco