Field of Dreams

I'm a dad! On May 15th my wife gave birth to a beautiful little girl, we named her Arielle River West. I look forward to the challenges of being a father and learning from her as much as she learns from me. There is nothing to compare with the feeling of becoming a father for the first time.

Needless to say, spring has been beautiful here in Zion. There has been some marvelous blooms, and the river is still running high with snow-melt. If you get a chance to visit Zion, stop by and see whats new around the gallery.

Upcoming Zion Workshops Dates

I wanted to post and let everyone know some dates of upcoming photography workshops I have planned in Zion Park.

The dates are May 29th, June 19th, and July 3rd. I only take 5 people out at a time. We meet at the gallery usually 45 minutes before sunrise so we can go over some basics, check photography gear, and then I take you into the park where we get in a great position for sunrise.

Any skill level can participate and any makes and types of cameras. I have some people who have the latest and greatest camera gear, and some who have a point and shoot - both types of photographers can benefit.

This is a 3 hour photography workshop, I charge $162 per person.

Please contact the gallery by email (info@davidjwest.com) or phone (435-772-3510) to reserve a space in one of my workshops.

Kindest, David

Africa: Focusing beyond the landscape

Over the next couple months I will be posting pictures that are a little different than what you know me for, images of people. I lived in Zambia, Africa for six months as a volunteer, while there I was moved by not only the landscape but also the people.

I volunteered in many different projects while in Africa, but my favorite project was starting a peanut butter business with the youth clubs in Zambia. We were able to finance our business with a micro loan. We then harvested the peanuts, manually pounded with mortar and pestles, and distributed the peanut butter to the nearby towns. We were able to double our investment, payback the loan, and create a successful money making business.

David

David featured in Elan Woman Magazine's Jan-Feb "A Tribute to Men" issue.

Winter Whirlpool

The whirlpool in the water is what inspired me to take this image. I returned to this location several times studying the composition and lighting at different times of the day hoping the snow wouldn't melt before I could photograph what I was envisioning. Just after sunset was the best time, it allowed for a long exposure which made the whirlpool more pronounced. The after glow color in the sky reflecting into the pool of snow-melt is the icing on the cake.

Wild Thoughts

This is one of those scenes that seems like it can only exist in my imagination. I remember walking out to this ridge yesterday and seeing a magnificent buck staring right at me. At first I didn't realize there was a second one to the lower right, as luck would have it the one with the majestic antlers was in full view. A moment after this photograph was taken they vanished as though it was just an illusion. Its moments like these that remind me of why I do what I do.

As 2009 comes to an end, I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a great new year!

Last Clouds Of The First Winter Storm

Here is another image I captured after the first snow storm in Zion this year. I took it only a couple days ago and the snow has already disappeared except for a little dusting left on the high sandstone peaks. The clouds you see here are the last stragglers of the opening winter storm which left Zion white for a few short days..... until next time.
-David