Grimes Canyon Road Overlook

I took the featured image on an overlook that has a perfect view of Grimes Canyon Road. Follow Grimes Canyon Rd and pull over at the side of the road at the GPS coordinate (which sits above the curve as seen in the featured image). You will find a small path leading to the overlook. Walk down the path and you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world, away from the city, with only nature and car sounds around!

All months of the year are suitable to photograph Grimes Canyon Road. I've always went in the winter and you can get some really cool colors in the sky, but it could even be better in the summer!

At sunset you'll get a lot of commuting action for your light trails. Surprisingly, there’s quite a bit of traffic on this road! You’ll have a lot of cars to work with for a long exposure. I got there an hour before sunset to set up for my photo, but also to appreciate the surrounding nature. If you’re going to make an effort to drive 75 minutes outside of the city, give yourself sometime to enjoy it.

This was one of the first spots I visited when I got my first camera. A year later, it's funny to see how much I matured as an editor, how I play with tones and handle raw photos. Revisit old places and surprise yourself!

You'll have a lot of space on the overlook so walk around to find your perfect composition.

With long exposures, play around with your aperture, ISO and shutter speed until you get it right.