November 15, 2012 Sandstone Forms in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona
Sandstone Forms
South Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona, USA
Canon EOS 1D X, 70-200 2.8 IS II (at 168mm), polarizer, 1/16 sec, f11, ISO 100
Image taken on November 15, 2012.
I went back into South Coyote Buttes again today, but this time I used the Cottonwood Cove Trailhead for the first time. Man, oh man, the northern part of South Coyote Buttes is so much more interesting than the southern part! There are many sandstone formations and lots of potential from intimate compositions to grand landscapes. It was clear in the morning, so after photographing with the nice dawn light, I switched to exploring and mostly shooting in the shadows. An almost-solid thin cloud layer moved in early in the afternoon, and it provided some wonderful diffuse light to photograph some of the sandstone layers like in the image above.
