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| Ted's background and inspiration Ted Crawford grew up in Southern Utah in the 50’s and 60’s traveling with his grandfather who was an avid photographer. Al worked for Mine and Smelter Supply Company and had several accounts to visit in the area. Many of these visits evolved over time into lengthy photographic sojourns. They often stayed with A. L. “Doc” Englesbee, a retired dentist and well-known rock hound in Fruita, Utah.  (His residence is now a state park located next to the Capitol Reef NPS headquarters.) Using Doc’s as a base camp, they shot both still and 8mm B&W images in and around Moab, Canyonlands, Escalante, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Goblin Valley, Kodachrome Flats, Glen Canyon and more. Although a very accomplished photographer, the images they developed later in the darkroom never quite captured the dramatic, expansive landscapes and dynamic lighting they remembered. Inspired by these memories and knowledge of the area, Ted now uses the latest panorama photographic techniques and software and is able to capture viewing angles as wide as 180°. This is evident in many of his images where objects on one side of the image are in direct sunlight and in shadow on the opposing side. “It’s been a quest of mine for many years to revisit and capture what eluded my grandfather all those years ago. He would be so happy and impressed to know that I’ve been able to come just a little bit closer.” Ted now lives in Denver, Colorado and owns a small web site and graphic design business. With the exception of a few college years on both coasts, he has been a regular and frequent Moab visitor most of his life. Since 1983, Ted has been regularly biking, hiking, camping and shooting in and around Moab. As a member of the National Mountain Bike Patrol and part-time tour guide, he visits southern Utah several times each year. “Thanks to Al, Southern Utah will always be a very special and personal home away from home.” |
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Image background, location and inspiration |
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 Long Canyon On a hot, dry day in Moab, clouds can often be your best friend. Typically though, photographers like to see them in the sky and not necessarily casting shadows on their subject matter. Fortunately I have both in this set of images and they help make it such a dramatic image. As I waited, the shadows in the foreground helped to really define the shape of the canyon. Just past the last small shadow at the bottom of the canyon in light, a small patch of green denotes Tamarisk growing along the Colorado River. Looking up from there is Amasa Back, the fin-like Behind the Rocks formation and finally the La Sal Mountains with more interesting clouds hovering above helping to populate the sky. This was taken on the big switchback just below Pucker Pass. |
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 Bowtie Arch/Corona Arch One of the most popular hiking destinations in the area, also known as "Little Rainbow Bridge". I love seeing these two very different arch formations in a single image where millions of years of geologic erosion are evident from left to right. Taken in a spot just after the cable hand rail and before climbing the chiseled stairs, the erosion process continues right to Bootlegger Canyon. |
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 Deadhorse Point Another view from this famous overlook shot from the west side of the point. I like this set of images because the foreground elements of trees and rocks lend a sense of scale to the view. This was taken by hiking to a ledge just below the elevated viewer's perch and captures what a visitor sees as they approach the overlook. |
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 The Portal Perhaps better than any other, this set of images illustrates the capabilities of the panorama process I use. Taken from the northern edge of the top of the Moab Rim, the junction of Highways 128 and 191 is visible on the left where the Colorado River enters the Grand Valley. Arches National Park lies in the distance. The Colorado River flows toward the camera next to the Potash Road, disappears as it flows around Poison Spider Mesa and then reappears flowing southwest toward Williams Bottom and Kane Creek. The Island in the Sky District and Airport Tower are visible on the horizon on the left. |
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 Castle Valley If you have been to the top of the Porcupine Rim Trail on a bike or on foot, you know this view of Castle Valley. Porcupine Rim is on the left as it travels northwest toward Parriott Mesa and the Colorado River. Castle Tower and the Priest and Nuns formation are visible above the Castle Valley Road.as it runs behind Round Mountain (center). Pinhook Valley and the La Sal Mountains are on the right. |
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 Moab Rim Half asleep and driving down from camping overnight near Slickrock, this view of the Moab Rim woke me up. Over time, my eye know sees vistas in "panorama mode" and I was stunned to realize I'd never seen this entire view of the Moab Rim and Grand Valley before. I parked and hiked along the fins above the dump and caught this set of images before coffee. Typically, I don't like to manipulate the reality of the subject matter. But in the spirit of full discloser, you will notice I took out the network of off-road trails and the radio tower lower right. I felt these man-made features distracted from the overall beauty of the natural landscape. |
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 Arches National Park Man-made features can spoil views of nature. Strategic camera location is then the challenge. I've been told not to mention this, but I sat behind a large bush to hide a parking lot with cars and buses in the center of the image.This series captures a group of formations found in The Windows area of Arches National Park. On the right is the Parade of Elephants and Double Arch. Right of center are the North and South Windows and finally Turret Arch. |
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 Professor Valley Taken from the Fisher (Fissure) Towers hiking trail, this was my first successful panorama series. On the left is Castle Tower and Porcupine Rim is the most distant ridge on the horizon. The Colorado River and Hwy 128 run just below the bluffs of Dome Plateau (center and right) . |
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 Monitor & Merrimac Hiking up to a high rocky ridge before the scenic viewpoint on Hwy 313, these two dramatic monoliths are always good landmarks from almost any location north of Moab. Shooting north east, Klondike Bluffs can be seen in the distance between the two butttes. Formations in Arches National Park are visible just right of the unique broken clouds. |
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 Grand Valley/Moab Another familiar viewpoint from atop the Moab Rim but captured using panorama technologies now make it unique and encompasses more of the valley. The Colorado River enters the valley on the left with Swiss Cheese Ridge and the Sandflats Recreation Area located above town. The La Sal Mountains are right with the south end of the Moab Rim. |
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 Washington Park, Denver, Colorado One of my first panorama images taken in 2008 is still one of the best. One late afternoon, I was riding my scooter up Downing St.when the fall sky opened up and I got soaked. I huddled up under the roof of the Volunteers-Outdoor Colorado building on the north side of Smith Lake. I really had no choice but to wait out the storm. Storms in Colorado don't last long and soon the sky cleared to the wet and illuminated the boat house and trees as the rain and clouds drifted east. The contrast between the bright trees and the dark storm clouds was as dramtic in person as it is in this image. |
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