#12 Temperatures Risin
In the first week of April, 1999, I visited Canyonlands in Utah. While I prefer mountain photography, the desert has a unique beauty of its own, and when coupled with the arches and deep cut canyons that you see in Canyonlands, it's a trip worth taking.
Once I entered the park, I stopped at the visitors center and spoke with one of the rangers who was eager to inform me of the photographic possibilities in Canyonlands. While beauty abounds within the parks' boundaries, he mentioned the remarkable early morning light that reflects off the canyon floor and produces an orange glow as it strikes the underneath side of Mesa Arch.
For the next two days I visited Mesa Arch in the early morning hours with hopes of produc ing an image that would reflect the beauty of the land and be worthy of selection for my portfolio. Both mornings brought a hazy fog and obscured the deep cut crevasse on the canyon floor below.
On the third morning and in what was still the dark of night, I missed my turn for Mesa Arch. As I proceeded down the road, I saw about five sets of headlights heading in my direction, and while I had the arch all to myself the previous two mornings, the approaching vehicles gave me a sick feeling that photographers were on their way to photograph the Arch. I immediately made a U-turn and proceeded back down the road to the parking area and trail head. I grabbed my gear and ran down the trail as the long caravan of photographers pulled in. Needless-to-say, I beat the pack to my preferred location and produced this image during a beautiful sunrise over Canyonlands... enjoy!
Back to image | Pricing & print sizes available
