I’ve spent most of the last week in Southern Utah’s Zion National Park. One day while in the Visitors’ Center I spotted a copy of the Zion Canyon Field Institute’s 2007 Catalog. There was only a single copy left on the table where I found it. I turned it over to reveal my picture of the Desert Big Horn Sheep on the back cover. It was fun seeing my image on display in their bookstore.

I mused over it for a few moments as I looked at the calendars and other merchandise on that table. I then moved off to the wall-mounted rack of hats adjacent to the table. While trying on hats, an older couple stepped to the table and spotted the ZCFI catalog. Pointing at my Big Horn image, the lady said: “Oh, look at that!” He picked it up and said: “Wow, that’s a lot of them.” She said: ” I hope we get to see some.” He thumbed through the catalog and they took it with them as they walked away.

It’s always good feedback when, as an anonymous bystander, a photographer gets to see such candid response to his work. Had the comments/response been favorable or not, it would still have been totally valuable feedback.

I expect this couple’s reaction is exactly the response publication editors want from cover images — generate enough interest to get the browser to take a copy with them. It was nice to see the strategy work. It was especially rewarding to watch it happen with one of my images.

I inquired at the desk and they said they would put more ZCFI catalogs out.

Stately? Taunting? Or just not feeling threatened? This magnificent creature, a desert bighorn sheep, took the time to give me this shot before moving over the hill. This image was captured in December of 2005 at a photography workshop sponsored by Zion Canyon Field Institute (ZCFI) in southern Utah’s Zion National Park.

In a prior post, I had referenced this image, saying that I would scour my files looking for it (I just lost a hard drive after the Holidays, and am lucky to have found this image on a backup disk). The attached image is a page-scan of the Zion Canyon Field Institute’s quarterly newsletter. This issue was published in March of 2006. My image appeared on page three of that issue.

Michael Plyler, Director of the Zion Canyon Field Institute and photography workshop leader, wrote the accompanying article.

-Mike.

Southern Utah is a red-rock playground. The State’s southern region is teaming with National Parks, State Parks, and many hundreds of square miles of dedicated National Monuments. The whole region is a veritable photographer’s playground! I’ve exposed many hundreds of film frames and heaps of pixels in capturing its beauty and wonder.

The adjacent image is copied from the back cover of the 2007 Zion Canyon Field Institute’s Outdoor Learning Adventure catalog. ZCFI is the educational arm of ZNHA (Zion Natural History Association). The ZNHA is a membership-based, non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial support and educational services interpreting the natural resources of southern Utah and northern Arizona. The ZNHA provides roughly $300,000 in aid, annually, to the National Parks and Monuments of the region. Please visit their website to learn of their educational and service opportunities AND to support their efforts.

Zion Natural History Association (ZNHA) www.zionpark.org/about.php

In 2005, I joined ZNHA and attended photography workshops sponsored by their educational arm, ZCFI. These workshops were hosted by professional photographer and field archaeologist, Michael Plyler. During the winter workshop of 2005, we happened across a herd of big horn sheep, sunning themselves on the red-rock above a narrow canyon that we were about to hike into. I worked this herd for nearly fifteen minutes before they began to saunter over the hill. I took the image gracing the back-cover of the ZFCI’s 2007 catalog from about fifty yards below the herd.

Last year, I was published by the ZCFI in their Spring newsletter. I will poke around my old filings and see if I can find that issue. If so, I’ll scan it and post it here as well.

Learn more about ZCFI Seminars and Courses or request their 2007 catalog by clicking here: www.zionpark.org/product_30.html

Disclaimer: My affiliation with Zion Natural History Association and Zion Canyon Field Institute is that of a subscribed member. My membership costs me $45 a year and provides me with a copy of their Sojourns publication and discounts on their various product/workshop offerings. I joined ZNHA because I’m a fan of their work and respect the contribution they make to the National Parks/Monuments they support. You, too, can join by clicking here: www.zionpark.org/product_32.html