April 12, 2007 - Early Morning Light, Virgin River

Canon 5D, 24 - 105 mm f/4L IS @ 24 mm, f/8, 1/125 sec., ISO 400

When you're down inside Zion Canyon, next to the Virgin River (or in this case, essentially "in" the Virgin River), the range of available light can be a bit of a problem. If skies are clear, the morning sun doesn't exactly sneak up on you. The sun is either not there at all or it's very bright. So one side of the canyon will be in direct sun while the other side is in shade. In short, there's more dynamic range than the camera can deal with. Use of a split neutral density filter is therefore highly recommended, as well as some adjustments later in Photoshop.

Whenever I see this usually quiet little stream, it's hard to believe that it is primarily responsible for carving out this impressive canyon. Of course, it's had a few million years to work on it (and is still "working" on it).