Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon - EOS 5D Mark II

ISO - 100

Shutter - 1/100 sec

F/stop - 20

Lens - 16/35 zoom

Location.

1. Mesa Arch can be found inside Canyonlands National Park, Utah.

2. The trailhead is marked and it is a pretty easy hike to the arch.

3. Drive time from Denver is about 6 hours.

4. Moab is a convenient place to stay if your not camping.

The Challenge.

Mesa Arch is located right on a cliff high above the valley floor, not giving you many different angles to shoot. So I wanted to see how many different pictures I could get from this location.

Solution.

1. First thing I decided was that I would visit the arch in the morning and then again in the evening.This would provide many opportunities, just with the sun in a different location.

2. In the morning the low light makes the bottom of the arch glow, very impressive, but the landscape in the background is back lit and not rich in color. I moved around the arch shooting many angles and used different lenses, giving me a variety of photos.

3.  In the late afternoon, around 3 pm, the bottom of the arch is now black, but the west facing side is lit nicely. Also the background landscape looks beautiful. I again moved around to get different angles and used a variety of lens. I also used a off-camera strobe to light up the the bottom of the arch in one shoot. Don't go there to late in the afternoon, everything could be in shadows.

All photos are for sale, contact email address below.

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Landscape Photographer.

303-674-0615

Weekend Flash Back - Loveland Ski Area, Colorado - 10/15/2008

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS-1D Mark II

ISO - 200

Shutter - 1/250 sec.

F/stop - 11

Lens - 16/35 zoom

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Photographer

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

Arches National Park, Moab Utah.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS 5D Mark II

ISO - 400

Shutter - 1/500 sec.

F/stop - 4.5

Lens - 300 mm

A mono pod was used in this photo to help steady the 300 f/28 lens.

LOCATION.

1. Arches National Park, Utah, is about a 6 hour drive, west of Denver.

2. The park is near Moab, Utah, which has all kind of lodging.

3. Going last week, in the off season, I was able to get a room for $44 a night.

THE CHALLENGE.

I wanted to pick a very well know site in the park and try to come up with a unique photo.

SOLUTION.

I picked Balanced Rock as my target. Drove all around the rock, looking at close and fare away

locations. I picked this position, that was a full frame with a 300 mm lens, I liked the way the rocks

stood out in the sky. But I still needed more to add to the shot so I went back to the area around sundown. At this time of the day the sun is very low in the sky, really turning the red rocks bright red. The last piece of the shot was waiting for the night shadow to move east, toward the bass of the rocks. Now I had my picture.

All photos are for sale, contact email address below.

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Landscape Photographer.

303-674-0615

Weekend Flash Back - Trail Ridge Road, RMN Park, 4/23/2000.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS-1D Mark II

ISO - 200

Shutter - 1/500 sec

F/stop - 11

Lens - 70/200 zoom

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Photographer

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

303-674-0615

A few snow shots from Evergreen, Colorado.

"X Shot" camera information.

Camera - Canon EOS 5D Mark II

ISO - 500

Shutter - 1/125 sec.

F/stop - 22

Lens - 70/200 zoom

LOCATION 

Evergreen Colorado, just by having a camera with me when I go out, gives me the opportunity to

take pictures when I see them. How many times have you thought, I wish I had my camera! 

THE CHALLENGE

The snow on the fence is back-lit from the early morning light while the background is black.

If you took an overall light reading of this image, the snow would be blown-out because the reading

would compensate for all the black in the picture.

SOLUTION

Either walk up to the fence or use a telephoto lens and take the reading right off the fence, up close.

Go back to your original shooting location and lens, using the same readings. Doing this will give

you the results you were looking for.

All photos are for sale, contact email address.

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Landscape Photographer.

303-674-05615

Weekend Flash Back - Loveland Pass, Colorado, 2/2/2008.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS-1D Mark II

ISO - 200

Shutter - 1/125

F/stop - 16

Lens - 16/35 zoom

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Photographer

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

303-674-0615

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

"X Shot" information.

Camera - Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

ISO - 800

Shutter - 1/500 sec.

F/stop - 4.5

Lens - 300 mm

"X Shot" location and information.

1. Drive time from Denver about 2 hours.

2. Even though most of Trail Ridge Road is closed for the season, this is a good time to visit the park.

    You don't see many people in the cold early mornings and when wildlife is spotted, you usually can 

    take pictures by yourself. 

3. I used the low early morning light to back-light the elk. The light reading was taking from the bright

    edges of their ears, leaving everything else in the frame staying dark. Your camera's auto light reading

    would most likely not have worked in this situation.

All photos are for sale, contact email address below.

kenpapaleo@highcountrycoloring.com

Ken Papaleo

Colorado Wildlife Photographer

303-674-0615