Photographs from Week 3 of The Dynamic Nude Workshop at Lake Powell, Utah

Our third and final week of The Dynamic Nude workshop was nothing short of spectacular. We had attendees from all over the United States, Spain, Sweden, Canada and The Netherlands!

We had a week of exciting adventures, more stunning models, and absolutely perfect weather. Looking forward to seeing this family of friends next year for another trip through this magical desert landscape. !!

5184-Joel-Belmont

Lake Powell 2013

D-Bettin-86B2578

C-Karsen-0068

BonfireStars

Blacklock-08R4456a

9756-P-Young

6192-T-Crowell

4679-Joel-Belmont

4613-Joel-Belmont

4574-Joel-Belmont

4564-Joel-Belmont

4554-Joel-Belmont

2380-Joel-Belmont

2351-Joel-Belmont

2297-Joel-Belmont

2280-Joel-Belmont

1983-Joel-Belmont

1579-A-White

0998-A-White

0667-C-Karsen

1794-Joel-Belmont

0141-J-Gorecki

11-M-Soler-Roig

10-M-Soler-Roig

08R3448a-Blacklock

7-W-Gorter

6-W-Gorter

1979-Joel-Belmont

5-W-Gorter

4-W-Gorter

3S7A3782-E-Chasenoff

2-W-Gorter

3-W-Gorter

Lake Powell 2013

0S6A4576-T-Crowell

T-Crowell-0S6A7844

T-Crowell-0S6A7143

R-Lawson-005

powell13_10.23-Jon-Belmont

powell13_10.9-Jon-Belmont

powell13_10.8.3-Jon-Belmont

powell13_7.14.1-Jon-Belmont

powell13_7.3-Jon-Belmont

powell13_6.5-Jon-Belmont

N-Lovkvist-6

N-Lovkvist-5

N-Lovkvist-4

Epic-Desert-Bonfire-Jon-Belmont

Smith Fork Canyon Hike at Lake Powell, Utah

Smith Fork is one of my favorite canyons that we visit during our fall Dynamic Nude workshop. Though the slot is not as picturesque as Labyrinth Canyon, Smith Fork has a much greater diversity of locations in the canyon… from the slot, to an amazing grotto with a pool (rain dependent), to towering walls with desert varnish – this is an amazing canyon!

 

Smith Fork Canyon is probably on of my top two favorite canyons on north Lake Powell.  I’ve probably hiked it at least 10 times, and every time is as amazing as the first.  !!  Adding the nude human form to the phenomenal locations in Smith Fork just make it that much better.

Join us as we venture up Smith Fork Canyon as part of our Dynamic Nude workshop, October 2-8, 2011.  Experience one of the most beautiful places on earth, learn from world-class instructors (Joel Belmont, Bert Pasquale, and Kim Weston), and create your own magical images in these stunning locations!  Register now: http://www.dynamicphotoworkshops.com/the-dynamic-nude

Anasazi Ruins at Lake Powell

One of the coolest things about the southwest landscape are ruins.  The anasazi ruins at lake powell are some of the best I’ve ever seen (including those at Mesa Verde).

Imagine a history museum in a big city, where they have an exhibit behind glass of a native people that lived in the southwest united states in the 1200’s.  You read a pamphlet and admire their dwellings from a distance.

Now imagine that you in the desert landscape in southern utah with a small group of fellow adventurers. There is no museum glass.  In the back of a canyon with towering Navajo sandstone walls sculpted by water, sand and wind over millions of years, you hike a short distance from a sandy beach along the lake’s edge up to a cliff dwelling that has been there since it was made by hand over 800 years ago.  You admire the wall paintings and petroglyphs carved into the stone.

You explore around inside the ruin, admiring the craftsmanship, and imagine them grinding corn beside a small fire.  You climb down a wooden ladder into their Kiva – a sweatlodge where they held religious or spiritual ceremonies.  You wonder how many winters and how many fires it took to char the log and thatch ceiling of the kiva.

You climb some mild “moki steps” (small steps carved into the sandstone) up to Three Roof Anasazi Ruins in the Escalante Arm of Lake Powell, and imagine living here – in this very spot – long before Christopher Columbus set foot on this continent.  You admire the well chosen location, which provides shelter from the rain, and shade from the hot desert sun.

Want to see more?  Come explore the Anasazi Ruins yourself May 8th to 14th at Lake Powell, Utah during our Dynamic Landscape photography workshop.  Why go to a museum when you can experience these cultural treasures in person – along with all the other amazing locations along the over 1900 miles of shoreline of Lake Powell. (more shoreline than the entire western coast of the United States!) But don’t delay… these workshops fill up quickly, and there is only one landscape workshop offered every year. Register today.

The Stone Rainbow – Largest in the World

Rainbow Bridge is the largest known natural bridge in the world.  Spanning 275 feet across, and 42 feet thick at the top, this towering work of natural art is quite simply breathtaking.  Considered a sacred location by Native Americans, natural bridges are very rare, whereas arches can be more common in the western landscape.  Carved by a unique chain of events over millions of years, water sculpted this massive icon of the southwest landscape into this present day National Monument.  If you would like hike up to and underneath this Rainbow made of stone, join us on our Landscape Photography Workshop in May at Lake Powell, Utah.

Lake Powell Slot Canyons

Lake Powell has amazing Corkscrew Slot Canyons... you have to see them to believe it.

Lake Powell Slot Canyons are one of the best-kept secrets of the southwest landscape!  Imagine hiking a canyon that’s only 3-4 feet wide, hundreds of feet tall, and is beautifully sculpted by tens of thousands of years of erosion.

Lake Powell slot canyons can go on for miles, with a new and beautiful view around every single corner.  A warning to those with a camera: you may run out of film/memory.  !!

These particular Lake Powell slot canyons are found in Labyrinth Canyon and lower Antelope Canyon (upper antelope canyon is probably the most photographed slot canyon in the world).  As part of our May Landscape Photography Workshop, we travel to the canyons that no one else gets to see, and where you’ll be free to make images unencumbered by tourists.

Labyrinth Canyon has always been my favorite slot… you can tell why from some of these images…

Soft light makes for excellent slot canyon photography

The unique feature in lower Antelope Canyon is where water has carved a hole though the rock over thousands of years.

Placing people in your slot canyon images can help emphasize the impressive scale of the canyons.Because Lake Powell slot canyons are so amazing, and are so visually intense, we often devote an entire day of our Landscape Workshop itinerary to exploring and photographing these magnificent and unique geologic features.  And while it’s true that the main potential hazard in any slot canyon is from flash floods, the monsoon season isn’t until June and July, plus we always check the weather ahead of time via a real-time satellite weather device to confirm that there is no inclimate weather anywhere nearby while we’re hiking.  The only thing you’ll have to worry about is whether or not you brought enough batteries and memory cards.  !!

One of the most beautiful things about Lake Powell Slot Canyons is the quality of light, as it bounces around the walls, making its way deep into the canyon, creating beautiful purples, reds, and yellows.

Joel Belmont spends a lot of time exploring the landscape so you get to experience the best of the best!

A classic example of a magnificent slot canyon.

Lili Belmont explores the lower section of the Antelope Canyon Slot

The soft glow of afternoon light is seen through the recesses of a Lake Powell Slot Canyon

A sculpted masterpiece, tens of thousands of years in the making.

Joel Belmont admires some of nature's most breathtaking work.

If you would like to explore Lake Powell Slot Canyons for yourself, fill out an application for our upcoming May Photography Workshop.  But get it filled out and turned in ASAP, as we only have a few spots left on this amazing trip through the southwest landscape.  !!

Hole In The Rock Hike

Hole in the Rock is one of the hikes we do during our May Landscape Photography Workshop at Lake Powell, and the history of the hike is as interesting as it is visually.  !!

Hole in the rock trail was made famous by a mormon expedition in 1880 that used this steep 1200 ft. (400m) descent (with slopes up to 45°!) as a shortcut to their destination.  They moved 250 people, 83 full sized wagons,  and over 1000 head of cattle!  You really have to hike this to appreciate the gravity (pun intended) of this undertaking.  After spending months blasting areas and hand chiseling anchor points into the sandstone, they used ropes, men and oxen to lower their entire party (also using wooden tracks supported by posts drilled into the sandstone).  You can see in some of the photos above the original anchor holes, as well as stairs that miners later cut into the rock.

 

Hole in the rock is impressive, and offers a beautiful view of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area from the top, yet it’s only one tiny point of interest during our week long trip through some truly amazing locations.

Sign up (while you still can) for our May workshop, and you can hike this amazing trail yourself.

 

Find more interesting and helpful articles on the Dynamic Photography Blog.