I’ve been dreaming for a while of taking a trip out to Moab for landscape photography.  After all, there’s 2 famous national parks there in addition to other points of interest.  I didn’t know if or when this trip would happen, but it finally did.  I made the trip to Moab and finally got to test my landscape photography mettle against some of the most famous landscape photography subjects in the world.  Join me as I photograph Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

While I may live in Southern Utah, surrounded by red rocks, there’s still a bit of room in my portfolio for more.  However, I deemed that a trip to Moab would turn into an overnight stay as it’s 4 hours away.  That’s a bit much of a drive for a day trip, in my opinion.  So, naturally, we needed a hotel.

We found a great hotel in Moab to stay in.  This is relevant as one of the hotel front desk managers told me about something to check out at Canyonlands’ Mesa Arch as we checked in.  I didn’t know about it, so I was glad for his tip.  I stored that information away for the next morning as that’s when we planned on visiting Canyonlands.  In the mean time, we went to scout out Arches National Park.

The next day turned into show time.  There was a lot to do and cover.  I set my sights on 2 main photos.  I wanted Delicate Arch and Mesa Arch.  While, I wanted to check out and photograph other sites, I knew time was limited.  So, I couldn’t get everything.  But I needed to come back with those 2 arches or people would question me I didn’t.

Canyonlands National Parks

So, it was an early morning for us.  We drove out to Canyonlands National Park to capture Mesa Arch.  We made our way along the trail in the dark to await the sunrise.  I was glad we came prepared for the cold as it was a bit chilly that morning, but perhaps not as cold as I expected.  As the sun rose, the scene in front of me began to light up so I got to work.  I captured these photos of the traditional view of Mesa Arch.

That tip from the previous day was about a second distant arch visible from Mesa Arch called “Washer Woman.”  The second distant arch became visible with the morning light.  As it did, I told the only other person there (at the time) to look for it.  We both found the formation called “Washer Woman” and I kept my eyes on it as the scene in front of me brightened.

I expected a throng of other serious landscape photographers to join me out there.  After all, I’ve seen a few behind-the-scenes photos taken by others showing this rather small viewing platform filled up with photographers all seeking their version of this iconic scene.  However, that’s not what happened for me.  In fact, there were other people there to see the sunrise.  But they were content to shoot photos with their cell phones instead of full cameras.  My experience at Mesa Arch was far from what I envisioned.  I thought I’d need to carve myself out a tiny spot in with a crowd of other landscape photographers all struggling for an unobstructed view of the arch.  Nope.  Not that day.

So, while I waited for the sun to rise high enough to try for a shot which didn’t work out, I took some time to try a different angle on Mesa Arch.  After all, most of the best landscape photos out there aren’t the first or traditional view.  They are a different angle with some other interest thrown in.  So, here’s my different take on Mesa Arch.  Please remember that there’s sheer steep cliff on the other side of the arch and you’re not allowed to walk or stand on it.

This different angle really features that Washer Woman formation.  I’m so glad that the hotel front desk manager told me about it.  I managed to feature it heavily in this view.

Next, it was back to Moab for a quick nap.  I still had more photos to take and I wanted to start that leg fresher than I was for the early morning shot at Mesa Arch.

Arches National Park

I planned on trying for a sunset shot of Delicate Arch.  Having learned where it was the previous night, I knew how quickly we could arrive.  We had a few hours to kill, so we checked out other features of Arches National Park.  There are many and we didn’t see nearly as many as we could have.  Still, we hit many high points.

Partway through the afternoon, I noticed that the sunlight was becoming less harsh and direct.  In fact, the sun drifted behind some thin clouds.  Those clouds covered most of the rest of the sun’s path for the day.  This was really good news.  It meant that I could shoot in much better lighting conditions all afternoon.  I could actually try for some of the other big features of Arches National Park in good lighting conditions.  So, that’s exactly what I did.  I came home with photos of the Double Arch, the Balanced Rock, and Park Avenue which I didn’t count on.

When the time came, I returned to Delicate Arch for the main event.  It was the 1 remaining photo I planned for and didn’t yet take.  I didn’t want to leave without it.  So, I hurried into place and set up for the shot.

At the chosen viewpoint, the sunlight suddenly graced the scene in front of me and made the already orange rocks simply glow with light.  It was a beautiful scene.  I was glad I was there to capture it.  At the time, it seemed that only a panorama would properly capture the scene it all its glory.

Now I captured something of Delicate Arch, but I wasn’t done yet.  Of course, I still wanted a close-up shot.  I also hoped that sunset would light up the wispy clouds you see in the background.  Indeed, I was hoping for some cotton candy pink before I called it quits.  For a while it seemed I would return home disappointed.  But then, I noticed a bit of color warming up in the clouds behind the arch.  I zoomed in close and got to work.

There.  I finally had it.  The second shot which I came to Moab to capture.  I shot a scene of the Delicate Arch with the cotton candy pink clouds of sunset behind it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I must say that my trip to Moab ended up being much more productive than I ever imagined it would be.  It’s my single most productive photo trip to-date so far.  I came home with several beautiful and iconic landscape photos which I both wanted and didn’t count on.  Now I want to go back.  I found several more shots which I want to try for myself but didn’t have time for this time.  When I do, I will need to carefully time my return visit.  I do want to avoid the crowds if possible.

So, what do you think of my Moab photos?  Do you love them?  Do you hate them?  Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.