Islands of red rock formations can be found around the Valley of Fire. Teig and I love finding and exploring them in the evening when there are no tourists around. It also makes for fun landscape photography.
White Sandstone at Valley of Fire
Beautiful white sandstone distinctly contrasts with the red aztec sandstone at Valley of Fire in southern Nevada. The rich colors and textures make for a tasty treat for my eyes.
White Leading to Red
Beautiful white rock formations leading to Aztec Sandstone in the Valley of Fire. These formations were exposed where older rocks of Cambrian age (about 500 million years old) were pushed sideways on a thrust fault over younger rocks (Jurassic, about 160 million years old) of the Aztec Sandstone. The sandstone was originally laid down in a colossal, long-lived sandy desert much like today's Sahara. Before the area was a dry desert, it was an inland sea. The red color is from the presence of iron oxides in the sand.
The Dinosaurs Back
The beautiful red and white sandstone mixture in Valley of Fire Park in Nevada is awesome to witness in the golden hour. So many rock formations that wow the visitors. A desert landscape photographer's dream.
Down the Trail from Boulders
Teig coming down the trail from a cool boulder formation near Sheeprock. We had fun playing in the rocks and were making our way back to camp before the dark of night.
Strange Formations
There are many strange and wondrous rock formations at the Bisti Badlands. When you explore the area your imagination runs free and you see so many different things in the formations. I love letting my mind spin in it’s own creativity.
Valley of Fire Rock Formations at Night
Beautiful red rock formations on a winter's night in the Valley of Fire State Park in southern Nevada. Exploring the desert after dark is one of my favorite things and the beautiful rocks at the park make for great compositions at night under the stars. On this night, I was up exploring until 4 am in the morning getting some of those fun shots of the landscape under the night sky.
Resting Among Dinosaur Eggs
Teig taking a rest in the patch of dinosaur eggs in the Bisti Badlands of New Mexico. What better place to take a load off then rock formations that look like prehistoric eggs?
White Hill in Bisti Rock Field
A white "Mountain" in some interesting rock formations deep inside the Bisti Badlands. This area was once a riverine delta that lay just to the west of the shore of an ancient sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which covered much of New Mexico 70 million years ago.
Petrified Log Alter
We found this petrified log on a rock pedestal in the Bisti Badlands of northern New Mexico. The log was so cool on the pedestal that it looked like it could have been alter used by the Anasazi Indians who lived in the area over 700 years ago. This wonderful surprise is why Teig and I love to explore the American West.
Teig Waiting in the Bisti Badlands
Teig did a fair amount of waiting on me when we were in the Bisti Badlands. It was late fall so at least it was cool out and not scorching in the high Colorado Plateau desert. He still liked finding some shade to sit in while I composed numerous landscape images… patiently waiting to be off sauntering in these badlands.
Bisti Badland Rock Field
There are numerous rock fields to explore at Bisti Badlands in New Mexico. We came across this one and loved these twisted unique rocks in a basin. Sauntering in this surreal landscape is uber fun and fulfilling.
Resting in the Shade of Bisti Rocks
Tieg loves to find shade in rocks and watch me as I work a landscape scene. He will lay there and watch me until I finish and start to pack my backpack. He was especially relaxed in these Bisti Badlands rocks near the end of a day hiking on the Navajo reservation.
Mushroom Formation at Bisti Badlands
There are a plethora of interesting rock formations in the Bisti Badlands of northern New Mexico. I came across this mushroom looking one in a lonesome canyon and thought it looked cool.
Teig Sauntering in High Grass
Happy Birthday Teig!!! I love my best photography model and assistant!
Traildog Teig trotting through the high grass in Pike National Forest in the Front Range mountains of Colorado.
Teig in Cave at Valley of Fire State Park
Teig was hanging out in a small cave as I was shooting landscape photographs in the backcountry of Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. I love how patient my boy can be as I am working.
Heavy Snow at Redrocks
Redrocks Park is a phenomenal hiking location when a winter storm hits the Front Range mountains of Colorado. The Redrocks and snow create a red and white wonderland that you will not find in most other parts of the world. Redrocks is truly a beautiful place especially in winter.
Badlands Faux Dino Rock
Exploring the Bisti Badlands in Northwest New Mexico is like exploring a “martian world”. The scenery is other worldly with wonderful rock formations covering the landscape. This specific specimen reminded me of a large dinosaurs vertebrae. Just imagine coming upon a dino vertebrae in the middle of the desert…. Wouldn’t that be a blast!
Lybrook Badlands Cave
Teig and I spent the day sauntering through one of the unique San Juan Basins Badlands. This citadel formation had a cave into it which was very interesting. I climbed up and peered into it. I was not brave enough to explore to deep for fear of a cave in. It appeared quite fragile but uber cool.