For a while now, I thought about capturing some photos of Bryce Canyon’s Mossy Cave. It’s rather prominently featured and marketed so I should add it to my portfolio. However, I only added some photos recently. So, I’m sharing my latest nature photos with moss and icicles.
I’ve sat on these photos for about a month now. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t share them sooner. Perhaps it was the December backlog. Or, maybe I was still too excited with my winter panorama from Bryce. Still, I’m sharing them now. They deserve their time in the spotlight just like the rest.
Mossy Cave really isn’t much of a cave. It’s more like a rocky overhang which happens to always face away from the sun no matter what season. Because of this position and the natural springs flowing through the area, moss constantly grows in an otherwise dry and barren desert. The sign describes this moss presence and also describes how you may find icicles present through most of the year. I knew this was the kind of photo I needed to take.
So, I set my sights on obtaining a winter version of Mossy Cave, complete with moss and icicles. I know the hike in and everything seemed just fine. I was not, however, prepared for what the winter hike in would bring. Thanks to some late snowfall, the trail I knew so well became much more treacherous. I nearly lost my footing more than once. The trek up the final leg was the most dangerous as it’s significantly steeper than most of the rest of the trail. I kindly warned other groups on their way up about the slick conditions.
However, once up there, I finally laid eyes upon the icicles which the sign promises. The only trick was capturing everything I wanted (cave, moss, icicles) while leaving out things I didn’t want (sign, chain link fence, tourists). I finally elected to stoop under the overhang for my shot. When I was done, the roof reminded me there wasn’t room for me to stand up there. Still, I made it back out of the area safely.
When I’m processing up photos, I usually find one style I like and run with it. On rare occasions, I find more than one approach to the same photo looks equally good. When that happens, I’ve got multiple paths I can run with. Usually, I settle on one as the other doesn’t quite work out in spite of such a promising start. However, this time, I found both options worked equally well from start to finish. So, I kept both.
One version depicts Mossy Cave’s moss and icicles the way you view them from the viewpoint. The other stylizes things a bit but makes the image resemble more of a traditional cave photo. I couldn’t choose a winner. However, I shouldn’t have to if I don’t want to.
So, what do you think about these new nature photos? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
