Tawayama Safaris - Heather McFarland Photos

Text and Photographs, Copyright 2003 Heather McFarland.
I am a lifelong resident of Michigan and have not had a chance to travel around our great country yet. So when I won this photo safari at Apogee Photo that Tawàyama Safaris had most generously donated for the first prize I was very excited to see some of the western landscape. Michael and Sandi were waiting at the baggage claim area for me when I arrived at the Las Vegas International Airport. After some quick introductions we hopped in the Land Rover and drove away from the hustle and bustle of the city. While chatting away in the drive out of Vegas, Michael threw out an alternative for our first leg of the trip. He suggested that we could go to the Grand Canyon at Toroweap Overlook instead of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. With the promise of a remote overlook, no guardrails, very few people and a great camping spot on the rim, I voted for the Canyon, which I have always wanted to see. It was a good choice! I was very happy that we were given alternative locations to shoot at as long as we all agreed to the location!

As promised, the campsite at Toroweap Overlook was spectacular. The feeling of solitude along with the beautiful views of the canyon really set the tone for the entire trip. We were treated to a lovely sunset that materialized quite late and only lasted a short time. So we ditched setting up camp and cooking dinner and ran for our cameras to grab a few shots while the color lasted. After this grand sunset we were treated to a wonderful dinner of steaks and grilled peppers. Needless to say we retired to our tents very happy campers that evening.

I heard tent zippers later that night so I got up to see what was going on. The three of us were treated to a lightening show in the distance that was quite spectacular. We were glad it stayed in the distance though and were able to keep everything dry.

Up early the next morning to catch the sunrise over the canyon which a couple of our fellow campers also enjoyed. I caught them with my Nikkor 80-200mm lens as they sat on the rim and one of them pointed out something in the distance.

Michael and Sandi wait for the morning light to creep into the canyon below,

Michael decided to have a peaceful moment of meditation. Actually he just struck a pose for me! But that image does sum up my feelings of that peaceful and beautiful morning at the canyon that I will always cherish!

Pariah Canyon was a wonderful area that I enjoyed very much. It seemed like every hillside was a different hue and I found the striped buttes quite captivating. The movie set and surrounding area were full of photo opportunities. We enjoyed a nice lunch on the porch of the Lost Lady Saloon, took a few more images and were on our way to Page, AZ for the evening and Canyon X.

I could indeed see why so many western movies were made in this area. It just reeked of the "Old West". The beautiful backdrop of striped buttes and colored rocks that lined the valley reminded me of the old westerns I had watched as a kid. I just wish they had filmed in color in order to see the vivid and beautiful palette.

Shooting through the windows of the Red Rock Saloon to the Lost Lady across the street with the rugged scenery lent itself to some nice still life opportunities. It was fun to walk around the restored town and imagine how life would have been back in the day.

The Red Rock Saloon with the striped buttes providing a lovely backdrop. I can just envision a cowboy tying up his horse outside, walking through those doors and ordering up a cold one!

As Michael noted in his journal, the only disappointment of the trip was being rained out of our guided trip into Canyon X. I was looking forward to shooting in the slot canyons as, but Tawàyama Safaris safety first attitude was reassuring and welcome. I certainly didn't want to be caught in a flash flood in a deep and narrow canyon. So we made the best of the day by driving out to Monument Valley. On the way to the Valley we spied this flock of sheep on a rocky hillside and stopped for a few quick photos.

Even though the light in Monument Valley wasn't optimal for photography, I was very impressed by the rock formations in the Valley. I would love to go back there and shoot a sunset or sunrise with the monoliths in silhouette, and to have some nice low sun to make the rocks light up! But I did manage to take a few nice images there despite the "white skies" and lack of light. I captured some dramatic rain clouds in this image with a dry wash in the foreground. I used a graduated tobacco filter to add some color to the clouds.

I mostly stuck to detail shots like this one of the lone tree on the valley floor in order to keep the white sky out of the images. The diffused light made the colors of the valley floor just pop without any of the annoying shadows that a sunny day would have created. So you just have to take what the day gives you and make the best of it.

We left Page, AZ and the daylong rain behind as we made our way to Alstrom Point overlooking Lake Powell. The heavy rains made the trip into this area quite exciting. I have never crossed what looked to me like a raging river before. But the truck seemed to handle the river crossing with no problems at all. The road was a bit slick with mud but again we plowed through it and found a place to camp on the rim of the cliff overlooking Gunsight Bay. We enjoyed a nice pasta dinner and talked for a couple of hours before hitting the sleeping bags.

Michael opted to sleep outside without a tent and woke up the next morning covered with dew. But the clouds were breaking up with a promise for some nice morning light to shine over Lake Powell. The view from the cliff was awe-inspiring with the morning light reflecting off the lake far below.

Sandy and Michael were setting up a shot with the trusty truck in the background and were beautifully lit by the morning sun. The light makes such a huge difference in the colors of the rocks. It just makes them glow!

Looking down into Lake Powell, the green areas from water runoff made a nice contrast to all the surrounding rocks. The lake turns a beautiful color once the sun gets high enough.

After a beautiful drive though Cottonwood Creek road heading north into the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument, we stopped at Grosvenor Arch.

We had a bit of lunch while waiting for the light to pop out of some clouds. A pair of Bluejays decided they wanted to share our lunch with us. So while Sandi distracted them with her sandwich, I grabbed my Nikkor 80-200mm to get a few shots of them. They were very willing models as long as Sandi and her sandwich were close by.

Grosvenor Arch, a rare double is round at the north end of the Cockscomb formation. After lunch and a few shots of the arch we were on our way Escalante and Devil's Garden.

We stocked up on some firewood in Escalante and headed out the Hole-In-The-Rock Road to our camping spot. Since camping is no longer allowed at Devil's Garden, we found a nearby spot overlooking the valley where the garden is located and set up camp. Michael broke out the Dutch Oven and cooked us a wonderful dinner of Pork lion, potatoes, carrots and onions. With our appetites fully satisfied we hung out around the campfire chatting for a couple of hours before turning in.

I woke early the next morning to coyotes calling back and forth to each other in the valley below. With the sun just starting to come up we made the short drive to Devil's Garden.

The rock formations were delightful to photograph especially with the beautiful morning light that lit up the clouds opposite of the sunrise. You could spend a couple of days walking around this small area just to see how the light effects the different formations at different times of the day.

I found a small pool of water on the rocks from the recent rain and noticed these two sunlit formations being reflected in it. I had to lie down on the rocks with my 28mm in order to capture the reflection.

This is one of my favorite images from the trip.

(This is one of our favorite's too, and the one above it ain't bad either. Ed.)

An abstract of Metate Arch against the clear blue sky.

The contrast of the sculpted sandstone and the hills in the background caught my eye as they both were being lit by the morning sun.

We were the only ones at Devil's Garden this morning, which made the experience of wandering around the fabulous shapes a much more personal one! This was one of my favorite areas of the trip.

After our morning shoot we packed up camp and headed out on our last day to the Harris Wash area. We were looking for Zebra Canyon, which we didn't find. But instead we got to explore a little bit of this area, which I found to be full of photo opportunities.

There were many dry smooth washes running through the rocks, with areas of sculpted sand and little pools.

I really liked the contrast of the "waves" in the sand and just these few small green plants to set it off.

(If you look closely you can see miniature craters that pockmark the 'waves' of sand. These craters were from a quick rainstorm that went through the area the day before. It was a good thing we didn't go to Zebra Canyon, I was there10 days later and it was full of 50-degree chest-deep water. Look for Escalante Pt. II report from me. Ed.)

A little desert oasis made for some nice reflection shots with that beautiful blue sky and wispy clouds.

One of the largest pools caught my attention along with this dried up branch. The texture in these rocks was very photogenic in contrast with the smooth areas that the running water has worn down over the years.

You could spend days in this area and find many diverse opportunities for landscape and detail photography.

Sad to say this was our last morning of the trip and we had to leave sometime and go back to the real world.

Michael suggested one more stop to Kolob Valley in Zion National Park since it was just off the road.

As we stopped at an overlook Michael said that it looked like we might get a rainbow. Since the sun was very low and getting ready to dip behind the hills I didn't think there would be enough light to form one. But sure enough a couple of minutes later and the promised rainbow appeared. You're the man Michael! LOL!

(Only two men I know of who can predict rainbows. God and Galen Rowell. May Galen and his wife Barbara rest in peace. Ed.)

Here is a shot of the trusty truck. A little dirty after all the mud we had to go through but none worse for the wear. I will miss this truck! LOL. Not only did it safely take us through conditions I would have never thought about going through even with my 4-wheel drive, but it also carried everything a photographer could ask for.

(Thanks Heather! We're proud of it too! Look for a full write-up of this unique custom vehicle soon. Ed.)

Tawàyama Safaris has everything the digital photographer could possible need. Having power to charge your laptops and batteries gives you the opportunity to shoot to your hearts content, which I happily did!

I highly recommend a trip with Tawàyama. The highly knowledgeable guide, the attention to details, the stunning scenery, and the chance to meet such nice people and to form new friendships, made this the trip of a lifetime for me. I certainly hope to book another safari with Tawàyama in the future.

To Michael and Sandi: You both made this trip very memorable for me. I certainly will always remember and cherish the fun talks we had in the truck and around the campsite. It was a pleasure to meet you and to share this wonderful experience with you both!

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