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Petrified Forest National Park

2019 Year In Review: Some Great Photo Tips

We all want great shots reminding us of our national park visit, and to show family, friends and even strangers (think Instagram or Twitter) the fantastic sights we viewed. Throughout 2019, contributing photographer and editor Rebecca Latson has shared tips, techniques, and favorite places to photograph within the parks she’s visited. Here’s a look back at her articles and photos.

National Parks Traveler Episode #41: Addressing The Backlog, Out In The Parks, Spaceport Secrecy

National Parks podcast, National Parks Traveler
John Garder, the senior director of budget and appropriations for the National Parks Conservation Association, discusses congressional action on legislation to address the roughly $12 billion in backlogged maintenance needs across the National Park System. Becky Lomax, author of Moon USA National Parks, talks about what she's seeing in the parks in terms of that maintenance backlog, and we share thoughts about efforts to build a commercial spaceport just west of Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Petrified logs along the Crystal Forest Trail, Petrified Forest National Park

Brightly-colored petrified log sections seen along the Crystal Forest Trail in Petrified Forest National Park

Although it's hot and dry now, millions of years ago, the land of Petrified Forest National Park was lush and wet, filled with swamps and marshes and trees. The trees died and fell into the marshes where they were quickly covered with sediment and their organics were replaced with mainly quartz and brightly-colored from iron, carbon, and manganese. Look closely at a petrified log and you can still see the tree rings.

Rebecca Latson
Petrified wood along the Crystal Forest Trail

Photography In The National Parks: A Photographic And Geologic Gem of A Painted Park

When I designed the itinerary for my road trip move from Texas to Washington, last summer, I worked on several different routes to take me to national parks I’d never photographed but which are still within a relatively straight shot to central Washington. No matter which route I planned, they all had one thing in common: a stop at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. Considered an “open-air geologic textbook” in a past Traveler article, Petrified Forest is a less-visited gem filled with all sorts of colorful photographic possibilities, right off Interstate 40.

Photography In The National Parks: Negative Space And Color Space

Believe it or not, space has a lot to do with photography. No, not outer space. Negative space and color space both have a huge effect on your national park composition. What are these two spaces? Photographer Rebecca Latson defines and discusses negative and color spaces to help you better understand how to frame and later process your national park image so it looks its best for online and print use.

Photography In The National Parks: My 10 Fave Photos From 2018

Out of all the national parks and other protected areas you visited the previous year, you've got certain favorites, right? How easy (or difficult) was it to choose those favorites? Sometimes, it might come down more to the feeling you had when capturing that image rather than just the composition. Continuing her New Year's tradition with the Traveler, contributing photographer Rebecca Latson shares her favorite photos captured during the previous year. Usually stopping at 5 or 7 shots, this year, Rebecca is sharing 10 favorite images to mark her 2018 visit to 9 national parks and 1 national recreation area, explaining why she chose each image and how she captured it.

Where Are The Scariest Places In The National Park System?

There recently was a story about the scariest, or spookiest places in the 50 states, and the one chosen for Wyoming was Old Bedlam at Fort Laramie National Historic Site. Old Bedlam, of course, was a barracks built for bachelor officers, and doesn't seem that scary. There certainly are scarier places in the Cowboy State, such as the Old Faithful Inn.

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