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Home » Landscapes » A Trip to Zion National Park
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A Trip to Zion National Park

Last Updated On February 10, 2018 By Talha Najeeb 21 Comments

Utah has never been high on my list of places to visit. Having grown up in an arid, dusty landscape (northern Pakistan), I always gravitated towards greenery and the ocean. A couple of things happened that gradually changed that sentiment. First, as my interest in landscape photography grew, I kept encountering striking images out of Utah (and the Colorado Plateau in general). Then, along came an HBO series called “Westworld”. Shot primarily in that part of the country, the show opened my eyes to some truly stunning high-desert, Mars-red, weirdness-popping out-of-the-Earth scenery. Finally, a flight from Denver to Southern California on a crisp day with clear views of this otherworldly landscape below, provided the push I needed to mobilize and visit this place.

wow
NIKON D610 + 70-200mm f/4 @ 145mm, ISO 100, 1/2000, f/5.6

A plan was hatched for a three-day family road trip to Zion National Park in the Southwestern corner of Utah (all of my photography happens during the chaos and rush of travel with my family, including two young kids). Zion is roughly a two and half hour drive from Las Vegas, making it fairly accessible to residents of Southern California. We left on one of only two days of the year that it rains in our region. I was not complaining though, because the low thick clouds added a touch of drama to the landscape.

The image below represents one of our first encounters with the classic red landscape of this region:

sol1
LaVerkin lookout south east of St. George
NIKON D610 + 70-200mm f/4 @ 135mm, ISO 200, 1/100, f/4.0

When we finally reached Zion, it was dusk and still drizzling. At higher altitudes, there was even a sprinkling of snow. The scenes that greeted us within the canyon were truly spectacular:

depth
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 320, 1/40, f/8.0
scale
Mt. Carmel Highway
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 320, 1/25, f/8.0
sinawa
Temple of Sinawa
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 100, 1/1, f/5.6

The next day, it snowed – quite a novel and enjoyable experience for us residents of the Southern California desert. We were cooped up in our hotel rooms, watching the snowstorm from our window. When there was a break, we ventured out. At that point, the park was truly a sight to behold. Because of the light drizzle and haze, my camera was not able to truly do justice to some of vistas we saw. But that’s OK – because my eyes did.

waterfall
NIKON D610 + 70-200mm f/4 @ 70mm, ISO 200, 1/60, f/8.0
framed
NIKON D610 + 70-200mm f/4 @ 70mm, ISO 200, 1/40, f/16.0
art
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 100, 1/160, f/11.0
sawtooth
NIKON D610 + 70-200mm f/4 @ 200mm, ISO 320, 1/100, f/8.0
watchman
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/400, f/11.0
windandsnow
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 100, 1/800, f/5.6
snow
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/400, f/11.0

The image below is one of the few (actually the only one) I took with some planning and time—everything else is done in quick sub-minute spurts while my family is impatiently waiting for me in the car or on a trail. The family had retired and I was exhausted but there was no way I was going to not attempt this shot, especially with the sky clearing and the prospect of a nice sunset. So, I overcame the fatigue and left the comfort of my warm room to venture into the bitter cold (it was zero degrees Fahrenheit at that time) to take this shot. The sunset never really took off but I was still happy with whatever happened because it allowed me to capture this:

bitter
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 100, 1/13, f/5.6

All in all, I left with a whole new appreciation of what Utah has to offer. Zion National Park was a magical place, especially after a fresh snow in winter. Can’t wait to return!

trees-2
NIKON D610 + 70-200mm f/4 @ 102mm, ISO 200, 1/40, f/16.0
volcano
NIKON D610 + 70-200mm f/4 @ 145mm, ISO 320, 1/15, f/4.0
claws
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/640, f/11.0
entrance_view
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 100, 1/20, f/5.6
patriarchs
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 100, 1/30, f/16.0
trees
NIKON D610 + 70-200mm f/4 @ 70mm, ISO 200, 1/100, f/4.0

This guest post was contributed by Talha Najeeb. Please visit his website to see more of his work.

Related articles:

Disclosures, Terms and Conditions and Support Options
Filed Under: Tours and Travel Tagged With: Utah, Guest Posts, Travel, Travel Photography, Zion National Park

About Talha Najeeb

Talha Najeeb is a self-taught landscape, travel and street photographer. Please visit his website and his Flickr page to see more of his work.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. 1) Volker Sellmann
    January 15, 2017 at 8:24 pm

    Beautiful photos. Well done and thanks for sharing. Been there many times during sunny warm weather.

    Reply
    • 1.1) Talha Najeeb
      January 16, 2017 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks

      Reply
  2. 2) Jim
    January 15, 2017 at 10:27 pm

    Very nice shots. You made good use of the weather. If possible for your next visit try to time it so you can walk up The Narrows. It is easily one of the best walks in Zion and probably in the country. Very difficult to take a bad picture all along the walk.

    Reply
    • 2.1) Talha Najeeb
      January 16, 2017 at 8:54 pm

      It was on our list but we couldn’t because of the risk of flash floods. Next time!

      Reply
  3. 3) RAFAEL JIMENEZ
    January 16, 2017 at 3:18 am

    THANKS FOR SHARING!! GREAT PICS!!!

    Reply
    • 3.1) Talha Najeeb
      January 16, 2017 at 8:54 pm

      Thanks Rafael

      Reply
  4. 4) Coline
    January 16, 2017 at 4:41 am

    I would never have imagined that you had kids in tow, some really great work. I too only manage to work when encumbered but with a disabled partner who need regular pushing. Your example encourages me to persevere…

    Reply
    • 4.1) Talha Najeeb
      January 16, 2017 at 9:06 pm

      Thank you. My family is very patient with me and for that I am very grateful. Keep at it and best of luck.

      Reply
  5. 5) JoeT
    January 16, 2017 at 9:19 am

    Very nice winter landscape shots of Zion NP. Another hour north is beautiful Byrce NP, where it is nearly empty in winter season.

    Reply
    • 5.1) Talha Najeeb
      January 16, 2017 at 9:07 pm

      Really wanted to hit up Bryce but weather conditions did not permit. On top of the list for next time …

      Reply
  6. 6) Surendar Kilam
    January 16, 2017 at 10:12 am

    Beautiful photos.Great pleasure.

    Reply
    • 6.1) Talha Najeeb
      January 16, 2017 at 9:08 pm

      Thanks Suendar

      Reply
  7. 7) Mark
    January 16, 2017 at 8:38 pm

    Thank you for sharing these lovely images. An inspiration to visit this area in Winter!

    Reply
    • 7.1) Talha Najeeb
      January 16, 2017 at 9:09 pm

      Thanks, absolute wonderland in the winter …

      Reply
  8. 8) DavidB
    January 16, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    I especially like the first photo in the essay. It reminds me of the paintings done by some of the early explorers of the West (e.g., Alfred Bierstadt, Thomas Moran).

    Reply
    • 8.1) Talha Najeeb
      January 16, 2017 at 9:10 pm

      thanks for the kind words!

      Reply
  9. 9) SteveR
    January 18, 2017 at 10:01 am

    I visited Zion about a year and a half ago in September. Different scenery. I want to mention a few things that may be helpful for potential visitors.
    There is an Zion for active people (climbing, wading, etc.) and for photographers with big bags (people like me). You can wade through the far narrows but I would not risk anything except a Gopro, etc. You can rent water shoes, etc. outside the park.
    The best place to stay at Zion is just outside at a B&B. A bus takes you right into the park until about dusk. You can stay in the park at Zion Lodge or camp out as well.
    Everyone takes a photo at Canyon Junction bridge facing Watchman south at sunset. I was one of 30 or so people every day who took a highly imaginative photo.
    Rain is a huge risk at Zion. If there is a hint of rain obey their rules and get out.
    Composition is sometimes tough near the water because of the debris from floods. I have found the best daytime angles/light about 9 am until noon. Remember that the park roads are essentially along a river in a canyon.
    A good sunrise spot is at the Zion Human History Museum facing west. Mountains block the moon rise.
    Zion is comfortable as a Utah park for its low elevation. Bryce is a much higher elevation and you notice it in thirst, dryness, mood… Also, if you are traveling through Utah it is one of the parks that you do get phone reception.
    Just a note – the Zion road north of the lodge is closed today because about 200 tons of rock fell on it. I would not go there for a week or so.

    Reply
  10. 10) Kurt Taylor
    January 19, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    Beautiful work! You capture the dim gray light of winter perfectly. I’m wondering if you used a tripod? Noticing some of your shutter speeds were quite slow to get the max light, I didn’t notice any appreciable lack of focus.
    Well done.

    Reply
    • 10.1) Talha Najeeb
      January 19, 2017 at 8:08 pm

      Thank you. Yes, any time you see an ISO of 100 but shutter speed less than 1/30, I probably used a tripod. I, for sure, remember using it for the Temple of Sinawa and the Watchman sunset shots.

      Reply
      • 10.1.1) Kurt Taylor
        January 30, 2017 at 9:03 am

        Thanks for your response. Looking forward to your next post.

        Reply
  11. 11) Judit
    January 20, 2017 at 1:02 am

    What a breathtaking place. Beautiful shots – I like the first one the best.

    Reply

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