This morning at Mesa Arch was splendid in it’s beauty but challenging by it’s nature.
You see, Mesa Arch is an incredibly popular sunrise destination with Photographers (and for good reason). As the rising sun crests the La Salle Mountain range to the east, it casts an orange light on the wall below this arch. That light then reflects vertically, igniting the entire arch-way in a powerful orange hue.
It really is a truly breathtaking sight to behold. While that is true, the process of photographing it was chaotic at best and nightmarish at worst.
Location:
Moab, Utah
Date:
October, 2022
Camera:
Fujifilm GFX 100S
Knowing that there would be crowds at the park, I had Sophie and I go there hours in advance. That still was just barely enough. I setup my tripod and began to wait as the crowds poured in more and more on either side of me.
It got to a point where people were yelling at the photographers who’d been here for hours to “back up”. People who arrived late wanted better views. No one moved and soon the sunrise began. The light-show Mesa Arch put on made all of the crowds and stress of finding a spot worth it.
Really I’m also quite happy about the images that I got that morning. Beyond this one there were several others that I was incredibly proud to have captured and call my own. To see some of those images, check out these images I’ve tagged “Mesa Arch” on Flickr.