It finally arrived!  With its towering cliffs, red rock canyons, and intimate washes Zion National Park covered in a fresh blanket of snow is truly breathtaking.  It does however present an entirely different set of photographic challenges.  First, storms settle into the main canyon leaving dense fog and low clouds.  The magic happens usually as the storm breaks and dappled light illuminates small segments of the landscape - patience and planning are often the key to a successful image.  The cottonwood trees that line the canyon floor and that stand on the banks of the Virgin River are lightly dusted with snow that only remains for a short period.  It's incredibly challenging to find an isolated tree that has some degree of separation from all the others.  Something that I'm constantly looking for following a snow.  Either way it's such a treat to just experience the park at times like this.  Increasingly more difficult to find a quiet spot to enjoy the scenery, it's still an option if one gets away from the main attractions.

I rarely go into these conditions having any preconceived notions about what I want to capture.  The vast majority of the images that I create are opportunistic, spontaneous, and reflect some feeling or emotion I was experiencing at the time.

Blessing in Disguise