Drive 2007 - Day 12 - Drives - Beneath the Waves

Drive 2007 - Day 12

article and photographs by Ben Lincoln

Northern Arizona, like northeastern New Mexico and southern Utah, is probably how most people imagine the American Southwest. The earth tends to be brightly coloured, and there are mesas everywhere.

Northern Arizona 1

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour

A layered hill in northern Arizona, similar to badlands terrain.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-03
Version: 2.0

Northern Arizona 2

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

The multispectral highway.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-03
Version: 2.0

Of course, the most famous place in this part of the state is the Grand Canyon National Park. I don't know if even a really good photographer could take a picture that would properly capture the effect of seeing the Grand Canyon in person, and I heard other visitors make the same comment. If it were to be named today, due to the effect of adjective inflation on the English language, it would need to be called something like The Jaw-Droppingly Awe-Inspiring Canyon of Titanic Size and Unearthly Colour.

Grand Canyon 1

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

This was created as a very large (4 wide by 2 tall) panorama, requiring 24 exposures to capture the three spectral bands. It still only represents about 1/3 of the horizontal view of the Grand Canyon, and perhaps 2/3 of the vertical view from this location. It's the leftmost part of the view from this particular vantage point. Stitching this one together was the single most problematic part of this trip's photos, and is one of the main reasons I recommend against attempting to create enormous multispectral panoramas. It took two days of tweaking to get everything lined up, and even then there are still some lingering registration issues.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-05
Version: 2.0

Grand Canyon 2

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

This is a much more reasonable (3-shot) panorama of the Canyon. I also think it's more successful at capturing the feeling than the larger panorama, although I'm not convinced that anything other than visiting it in person can convey the level of awe that the location inspires. This one is from the same viewing area as the first, but with the tripod in a different position. It also represents about 1/3 of the horizontal view, with this being somewhere in the middle biased towards the right side.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-10
Version: 2.0

Grand Canyon 3

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

UVA Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour

A telephoto detail shot of one of the more colourful parts of the Canyon.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 100mm(?)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-10
Version: 2.0

Grand Canyon 4

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

Another telephoto detail shot of part of the Canyon.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 100mm(?)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-12
Version: 2.0

Grand Canyon 5

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

A telephoto detail shot of the mesas and river at the heart of the Canyon. The bright areas on the right side in the false colour versions are due to shifting shadows from the clouds that day, but this is one of the rare occurrences where I think the effect is actually pleasant - it looks (to me, at least) as though someone has spilled an artist's chalk dust on the rocks.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 100mm(?)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-15
Version: 2.0

Grand Canyon 6

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

Some trees growing on the edge of the Canyon.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 70-210mm(?)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-15
Version: 2.0

Grand Canyon 7

Tinted NIR

R-G-B

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

This shot of trees growing on the edge of the Grand Canyon is another of my absolute favourites from this trip. I like the tinted NIR version best. The position I shot it from is easy to get to, but waiting for the subject area to be free of people (3 times) was quite time-consuming.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 70-210mm
Filters: Standard Set for Larger-Diameter Lenses
Date Processed: 2009-05-15
Version: 2.0

The Grand Canyon is dotted with the ruins of ancient civilizations. According to the Park Service, the area has been inhabited by humans for at least 11 millennia. Some of the ruins they left behind can be visited near the south rim of the Canyon.

Grand Canyon Ruins 1

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

Some of the ruins of an ancient settlement near the Canyon.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm(?)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-16
Version: 2.0

Grand Canyon Ruins 2

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

A ring of stones in the ruins near the Canyon. If I remember correctly, like the previous photo this represents the lowest part of the walls of what was once an enclosed structure.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm(?)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-16
Version: 2.0

Of the places I visited on this trip, I think this one is the most deserving of a dedicated visit. The Canyon is huge, and I barely scratched the surface.

Grand Canyon Infrared Handheld

Tinted NIR

A couple of the handheld NIR photos I shot blind at the top of the Canyon.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm(?)
Filters: Hoya R72
Date Processed: 2009-05-16
Version: 2.0

A Butterfly at the Grand Canyon

R-G-B

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Near the most popular viewing area of the Canyon, I found this butterfly hanging out on the local thistle. Unfortunately it wasn't moving slowly enough to get an ultraviolet shot, but you can see by comparing the first and third shots that the intricate patterns on its wings are different in the near infrared.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 70-210mm
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2007-09-18
Version: 1.0

Grand Canyon Handheld Shots

R-G-B

R-G-B

R-G-B

R-G-B

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

R-G-B

R-G-B

Assorted handheld shots I took after the butterfly photos, including one more blind NIR photo.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Various
Filters: LDP CC1, Hoya R72
Date Processed: 2008-07-10
Version: 1.0

I continued west and arrived at the Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam is another iconic location that most people have seen in film or television even if they weren't aware of it. At the time of this trip, it had just played a starring location role in Michael Bay's first live-action Transformers feature.

Hoover Dam 1

R-G-B

The iconic intake towers of the Hoover Dam.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-16
Version: 2.0

Hoover Dam 2

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

A multispectral version of the intake towers.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-16
Version: 2.0

It was already late evening by the time I arrived, and was leaning towards continuing onward. However, during our discussion on Day 5, Michael Bell had specifically mentioned that he'd thought the tour was very interesting. Then, as I was taking the above photos, another man from out of state struck up a conversation with me and was so enthusiastic about the tour that I made up my mind to come back the next morning.

Hoover Dam 6

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

From the road/walkway over the dam itself, a view of Lake Mead and one of the intake towers.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm(?)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-19
Version: 2.0

This drive took place during the construction of the Hoover Dam Bypass. This is a bridge that's scheduled to open in 2010 which will carry the US highway 93 traffic that currently travels directly over the top of the dam. One of the oddities of the current US interstate highway system is that there is no direct route betwseen Las Vegas, Nevada, and the population centers of Arizona. As a result, this traffic travels on US 93. For the most part this is of minimal impact, but the crossing of the dam is a significant bottleneck due to the number of switchbacks and high pedestrian traffic. By the time of my visit, commercial shipping trucks were not allowed over the dam at all, and had to make a lengthy detour.

Hoover Dam 7

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

This is the western half of the Hoover Dam Bypass, which was under construction during my visit in 2007.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-19
Version: 2.0

Hoover Dam 8

R-G-B

Tinted NIR

Tinted UVA

NIR-R-G

NIR-R-B

NIR-R-UVA

NIR-G-B

NIR-G-UVA

NIR-B-UVA

R-G-UVA

R-B-UVA

G-B-UVA

NIR-RGB-UVA

NIR Luma / RGB Colour

NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour

The eastern half of the Hoover Dam Bypass, also under construction during my visit. The construction lighting is a bit surprising - the lights shining up on the pillars are very bright in the ultraviolet, but the lighting on the left side doesn't show up at all, and neither set shows up at all in the infrared. This leads me to believe that the lights on the right side are halogen (possibly with a broken UV filter), and on the left are fluorescent.

Date Shot: 2007-09-11
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 28mm
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-05-19
Version: 2.0

Tours of the dam don't begin until 9AM, so in order to make the best use of my time the following morning I drove on through Nevada and into California, stopping for the night on the edge of the Mojave Desert. In doing so, I passed through Las Vegas - another place that - like Roswell - I found held little interest for me by the time I actually got there, although at night its sea of neon is certainly pretty.

Date: 11 September 2007
Starting Mileage: 66639
Ending Mileage: 67089
Distance Travelled (Day): 450 miles
Distance Travelled (Trip): 4735 miles
Gallons of Fuel Purchased (Day): 18.1
Gallons of Fuel Purchased (Trip): 146.6

GPS Map of Day 12

[[/sec]]