Yesterday was my mother's eighty-fourth birthday. Her assisted living home is in Cache Valley, Utah. The home planned a small birthday luncheon for her and so I left early to take pictures before lunch. Of course, as I always do, I took a camera with me. My Sony A6000 mirrorless camera and favorite lens, the Sony 18-105mm zoom. 

The most direct route, as I've mentioned before, is by way of Highway 89 through Sardine Canyon into Cache Valley. I've driven this route over a thousand times in the past 20 years and yet there seems to always be something new to photograph. Right now northern Utah is really between fall and winter. Leaves all gone, no snow yet. Still I did see a grove of beautiful barren trees as I drove down the canyon so I pulled off to look for some photo opportunities. 

After taking pictures from several locations on a side road I finally found I scene I liked. Conifers up on the mountainside, a grove of barren trees below them and in the foreground a field of common teasel, a tall spiny weed, which has a beautiful gold color when mature but nasty sharp spines. The photo below is the one I took and finally settled on processing.

 Coming out of the canyon to Wellsville, Utah I noticed parked across the road from the Sinclair gas station two older tow-trucks with sale prices written on their windows. I love to photograph older cars and trucks and so this was irresistible. I first hand-held my camera but decided I wanted maximum sharpness so I put my camera on the tripod. A couple of dozen images later I settled on putting images of the oldest one of them on my website. I used more clarity and vibrance then I typically do but I wanted to bring out the work worn character of this powerful and classic truck.

Wellsville, Utah. Now, almost time for lunch I drove through Providence, Utah looking for some final photos to take. A bright red barn caught my attention and I thought it would look great if I contrasted the deep red against the gorgeous blue sky. Here it is, another of my personal works of modern art.

Providence, Utah. Well mom loved the present I gave her, a book of my own landscape photographs.  Really that was my gift and she did love it. Happy Birthday Mom.

So keep taking pictures, even if you've driven the same route a thousand times. There is always a new photo opportunity down the road and in any light you find. 

Box Elder County, Utah

I was out early a few days ago to photograph a sunrise in northern Utah. Too typical for many landscape photography adventures, there were no clouds. Yet, pre-sunrise the light coming over our eastern mountains was beautifully illuminating the western mountains. Planning ahead and hoping for this I had prepared for it by setting up my tripod with view to the west and of a providentially placed small barn.

I took a lot of shots shoots before sunrise with my Sony A6000 and  70-200mm f5.6 e-mount zoom lens. Suddenly, the sky above the western mountains became a glorious shade of soft pink streaks with a subtle streak of even paler blue mixed in. I managed to get off couple of quick shoots before it all faded away. This photograph is the best of the ones I took. I hope looking closely you too can see the subtle streaks of  soft colors.

Finally, thinking in terms of any light photography, see how even before sunrise there are pictures to be made. Go out and try it for yourself. Get up to shoot a sunrise and don't forget to look behind you.

Farr West, Utah. Taking photographs throughout northern Utah one subject always get my attention, abandoned structures. These structures and even abandoned objects seem to dot the northern Utah countryside. There are houses, barns, outbuildings, farm implements,and even commercial buildings that are no longer of use. But its not just in the open countryside where I find abandoned buildings but also in towns and cities (below). Some maybe restored most will simply be torn down.

Ogden, Utah. To me these structures and objects are beautiful. In fact, most are now more interesting to photograph in their decay then they would have been during the times when they were in actual use (below).

Cache Valley, Utah. Photographing them I can't help but think of the stories they could tell. Who built them, why are they located where the are, and why were they abandoned? And will they be resurrected and used again, torn down, or left to decay? Some of the buildings I've photographed already no longer exist.

My best camera for photographing buildings in the city is my Sony RX100ii. It takes sharp images and even shoots in RAW. More important, it is so compact that I always have it with me. You never know when you will come across a subject you want to photograph. I've even pulled over sometimes and taken photos through my open car window because I didn't have any time to spare. However, any camera, even a point and shoot camera, can capture these interesting subjects if you have it with you at all times (below).

Ogden, Utah.

When I go out into the countryside and mountain valleys I always use my Sony A6000 and usually a tripod. The tripod because these subjects aren't going anywhere so I can take my time. I also use a variety of lenses but usually a wide-angle lens seems best (below). Weber County, Utah. Finally, what about lighting conditions? I've taken many beautiful images in early morning and evening light. But I also found that when I photograph these subjects in the harsh light of midday it can really emphasize the lonely abandonment of the buildings (below).

Box Elder County, Utah. Now keep your own eyes open for these subjects. You will find that you also can enjoy photographing abandoned structures anytime and in any light.