Moab, Utah. Part One

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."
-Ansel Adams


Moab, Utah is the first grand and glorious destination that I ventured to with a newly acquired, new and fan-dangled digital SLR, back in 2006.  I farted around with a point 'n shoot for a year previous, but was disappointed in the lack of more robust mechanical controls, and the fact that it didn't produce RAW files, a necessity for landscape and wildlife photographers, as I came to know later. This is another one of those must see places for those that revel in the geologic delights that God has bestowed upon us. From the San Diego, California area, it's approximately a 12 hour drive.

This first series of photos were taken around sunrise; before, during, and after what is known to photographers as one of the "Golden Hour" moments. The other Golden Hour are the corresponding times at sunset.

© 2006 Joe McNally

Photograph above taken of me at Dead Horse Point by Joe McNally who has photographed for National Geographic Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and was LIFE magazine's staff photographer - to name a few of his accomplishments. I was participating in a photography workshop in Moab where Joe was one of several outstanding instructors and one of the leaders of modern photography. Joe's assignment was to teach we students the concepts and use of flash in landscape. Some of the magic he pulled off was truly astounding.

On the other side of the precipice where I'm standing is a near vertical drop of 2,000 feet. Watching a 4x4 vehicle traverse the terrain below on a jeep trail brought to mind a flea crawling around on the back of a dog. Needles to say, I didn't venture out too close to the edge.

 South Window Arch.

Trail leading to South Window.

 Temple Arch.

 Dead Horse Point.

Mesa Arch. This arch's claim to fame is not its size, but rather how it captures and reflects the dawn's light as it illuminates the underside of the arch. When standing in front of it, one is surprised at how truly small it is. This arch is actually cantilevered over thin air, the drop to the valley below is roughly 2,000 feet straight down. As sunlight streams over the distant range, it hits the cliff face below Mesa Arch, picking up the reds and oranges of the native sandstones, and bathes the bottom of the arch with this rich and radiant light. It is a spectacle to behold!

If you notice off in the left of the photo, there is a rock feature that looks like an old fashioned woman washing laundry in a tub. It is appropriately enough called the "Washer Woman". I didn't know this at the time until I did some followup research on the Moab area, or I would have gotten some close-up shots of her too.

Next time, we visit Moab once again.