May 29, part 2 -- sunset over the Grand Canyon

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Here is a link to the interactive expedition map.



We decided to watch the sunset from the veranda (on the west side of the north rim Grand Canyon lodge).  In the late-ish afternoon we settled in Adirondack chairs just inside the wall.  We had hummus and pretzels and carrots and other snacks.  And water.  And cameras...........

One of the themes of this post is going to be "I need a new camera."  My old one just is getting tired, I think.  Or maybe just old enough to not be competitive at doing what cameras do.

The phone did a much better job in many situation, especially when the lighting was tricky (dark darks and light lights in the same image, for example).  This next image is a product of the phone.

From the camera, unedited.  Sigh.  I could make this better, but it would not be "just a few clicks."  And the result would still be unsatisfying.

Taken in the same minute -- 5:15 pm -- by the phone.  If I did everything I know to do to the above, I would never get anything as good as this.  I did mess with this just a tiny bit, upping the contrast and lightening the darkest darks.

Closer crop of the previous image (phone).

Unfortunately, the phone I had when we were there had basically no memory.  I felt I had to be very circumspect about how many pics I took.



Digression -- So annoying, when every single digital camera I've ever had has accepted (and expected!) a memory chip.  Memory chips are relatively cheap.  The number of pics one can take with a device that accepts memory chips is basically unlimited.  But with a memory-limited phone which can't talk to a removable chip........................  No.  Alas.

So I used the camera on our expedition, much more than I would have if the phone had been more accommodating, because I could take a a basically unlimited number of pics with the camera.  And could not, with the phone.

I suppose I shouldn't complain -- I have a lot of pics I'm happy with.  But I also have a lot that could have been much MUCH better.

End of Digression.



An example of one I wish were better.   I *have* spent some time doctoring it...........  But when things are totally overexposed, like the sky, below, they are just ... gone.  Period.

Ah well.  It is what it is.  Or was what it was.




I've talked about unfathomable aspects of the Grand Canyon.  Something I haven't dwelt upon is the size of the sky.........

When you sit on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, you have 180 degrees of sky, which is totally unobscured.  No trees.  No buildings.  No wires.  (Phone pic.)

Even the phone didn't always get it right.  I have lightened up all but the sky, considerably, in this next (phone) image.

Phone image.  Or, rather, two images.  I took two in sequence, and this next image uses the sky from one and the rest from another.  And still is marginal.

Looking at the path out to the western view point out in the Grand Canyon right near the north rim lodge.

Closer crop of the above..........

Sometimes the camera did a nice job.

I didn't have anything like enough memory on the phone to even consider using it for video.  This was shot with the camera.

Looking east from the veranda.  This is one of the three enormous windows in that big room in the lodge with the huge couches.  Love the clouds.......  (Camera.)

This is to the right of the previous image.  (Phone)

I didn't ask the phone to work on this next vignette.  The camera was completely unable to think about the sky and the tree at the same time.

Tree, lit by the setting sun.

Same time, same place, but exposed for the sky.

Closer look at the sky.  There were several times in the few days we were on the north rim of the Grand Canyon when we thought it was raining, somewhere to the south.  I'm no expert, but I guess this is rain.  If so, I wonder if the rain made it to the ground, or evaporated before it got there.

The air was very dry, on the plateau that ends at the Grand Canyon's north rim.  Our hands dried up, our faces dried up.  I would not be surprised to learn that a lot of the rain that falls, up here, never makes it to the ground.



See that black blob in the next image?  Well, it's a raven.  I don't like to keep "see that blob?" pics, but this the best raven shot I got at the Grand Canyon, and I want to keep it as a place holder.

Several times, as we lingered on the edge of the Grand Canyon, we saw a pair of ravens slipping and sliding together along the air currents over the edge of the canyon.  So amazing that air, which seems so insubstantial to us landlubbers,  is enough support to allow flight, let alone acrobatics....  And touching, to watch ravens enjoying flight together.

We saw lots of birds from the canyon rim, but I got no other pics.  We saw turquoise flashes I identified as jays (scrub jays, I think?).  And other birds I didn't recognize.  I have a lot of respect for people who take good pics of birds.  It's not easy.



Back to the sunset.  This is two phone pics stitched together -- one exposed for the sky, and one for the canyon.

Weren't we lucky to get an evening with such interesting clouds?  The one at middle right makes me think of a thunderbird..........  (As always, click on any image to embiggen.)

Here is a link to the next post about the Grand Canyon trip.

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