aspens | kritterspix

Sun star

Posted on October 17, 2020October 17, 2020 by kritterspaw

Call ’em what you will – sun star, sunburst, starburst, sunray, or just plain fun.

I love doing sunstars. A sunburst adds a dimension to any photograph and point of interest.

Sun bursts through the trees to reflect through the Aspen Trees

I am often complemented at my use of adding sunrays with a a star filter, program, or app. The truth is, sun bursts are very easy to do in camera. No apps required.

All one needs is a wide angle focal point and small aperture. I love my Canon 16mm, set at f/11 for these great results. Sometimes you have to take a number of photos to get the sun poking through the trees just right.

You may have to split a tree to showcase the sunburst, rather than just looking directly at it with full intensity.

But, it’s an easy thing to do, at sunrise, sunset, or even mid day.

As with any photograph – look ahead, look behind, look all around, and look up. Sometimes the best things are just ahead of us.

Oak Creek, Sedona AZ

Posted on October 30, 2018October 30, 2018 by kritterspaw

It’s fall in Northern AZ. With all the snow (all 10″ between 2 storms) and wind we have had, most of the leaves have fallen to the ground on the Rim… so time to explore fall colors in other parts.

Sedona along Oak Creek makes for a fine diversion. The aspens were in full yellows and the ferns varying shades of reddish brown. It was the kind of scenery that gives you pause as it takes your breath away.

The cascading waters just added to it’s peaceful serenity. It’s hard to beat scenery like this. Arizona is truly a magical place.

One that we are fortunate enough to call home.

Grand Canyon North Rim, Point Sublime

Posted on October 5, 2018October 5, 2018 by kritterspaw

While at the Grand Canyon North Rim, we decided to take in Point Sublime, another overlook we had never been to. The map shows it’s only 17 miles… so we figured it would take maybe an hour to get there. NOT!!

We stopped at the Backcountry Office to get our Permit to camp there. The Ranger told us that we should take the long way for our truck, instead of the shortcut for short wheel base Jeeps. We had no idea the trek would take almost 4 hours.

The dirt road is not well marked, and the rough map is difficult to follow. The drive along the way is lined with aspens and a gorgeous drive.

The turn at Kanabownits was basically the last sign we saw. We turned around once, but decided to stick it out. The road along the way was worth the drive… we were anxious to see the overlook.