Mesa Arch A84P1271_2_3
Jun, 2023Views
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Awards
Winner in Sunrise/Sunset Lens Flares Photo Challenge
Summer Views Award
Flawless Summer Award
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PhotoWux
June 04, 2023
Thank you so much. It was a fun shoot. If you ever go, just make sure to get there EARLY! 😉
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PhotoWux
September 29, 2023
It's really an incredible place. So many wonderful colors light up the arch.
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Eddieuuu071
September 30, 2023
Congratulations on your challenge win! Love your positioning to be in this spot!
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PhotoWux
September 30, 2023
Thank you. I had to get there EARLY! I'm absolutley loving your work too. I doled out many awards. ♥️
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken at the Mesa Arch area of Canyonlands National Park in Utah.Time
Mesa Arch really shows off it's colors in sunrise light, so we were there long before sunrise to get out spots, scene composition and settings adjusted. Then we just waited for the light.Lighting
Mesa Arch is a very interesting piece of topography. But if you want to see it in all its splendor, you need to get there for sunrise. Depending on the sunrise colors, Mesa Arch can light up to a vivid orange or red. Even without spectacular morning color, the arch will still light up when hit. Of course, a colorful sunrise helps, and we were fortunate in the respect. The morning light is key for this location, and everyone seems to know that. lol. At a certain time, huge tour busses roll to a stop and hoards of tourists depart and gathers at the scene. This is in addition to the may photographers there as well. Best to get there very early (even hours before sunrise there were already a few photographers there) so you can get a prime location. Bring some coffee and a good friend, sit around and talk story, and wait for the light.Equipment
That camera used to capture this image was a Canon 1D-x, using a 24mm 1.4L lens. Multiiple images were taken at different settings and were blended using luminosity masks. A Gitzo tripod was splayed low to support the rig.Inspiration
I hadn't been to Moab in over 15 years. My photography/hiking friends had been talking about scheduling a trip for a tour of several of the National Parks on the loop, but nothing had materialized for years. One of the group was reading an article on the collapse of Landscape Arch in 1991, and a major section of Mesa Arch collapsing, along with the collapse of at least 43 other arches since the opening of the park in 1971. Upon hearing this, one of the people in the group spearheaded the adventure, as it was on her bucket list to see Delicate Arch before it collapses, or her time here on Earth is done.Editing
Yes, landscape and lower light photography usually involves quite a bit of post processing. I usually shoot landscapes with a mismatched white balance, so that I can get very warm or very cool tones - whichever mood I'm trying to portray in an image. Also, longer exposures gobble up all the light and color, so I have to play with white balance first. In this instance, I actually had to desaturate, which I prefer to having to saturate in post. The longer exposures also require noise reduction to be applied. In such a beautiful place, you are understandably going to have many tourists, many of whom many don't respect the view of the photographer who was there long before them. :-) So cloning tourists out of the shot was necessary. I had actually planned to shoot (and did) multiple images and used Photoshop's algorithm that blends multiple images and keeps what's stationary and blends out things that move. This usually works wonders, but many of the people there were sacked out for the duration (as was I) so they weren't moving much. Oh well, off to the clone stamp. Also as mentioned, multiple images were blended using luminosity masks. The normal basics were taken care of in Lightroom, then sharpened and cleaned up.In my camera bag
It really depends on what type of shoot I have planned. My adventures usually involve hiking and camping, so I have to pack light. In that case, I have a camera backpack that I take either a Canon 1D-x or a 5D mIV with my 24mm lens and either my 24-70mm or 24-105mm for landscape and Milky Way or aurora photos. Wildlife requires a much longer lens so I will pack those accordingly. A tripod is essential, so I carry a lighter one if hiking and camping, a much heavier one if the car is going to be nearby. I am a big fan of long exposure, so I always carry multiple neutral density filters. Extra batteries and memory cards are always packed, as are a cleaning kit and knee pads and a mini tarp.Feedback
Planning is generally key, but I've had plans go completely awry and have had to shift gears and do something else. For instance, this trip with actually during monsoon season, so we were prepared to get some awesome moody shots with storms and lightning. Not a cloud in the sky for the first couple of days and last couple of days. But in that time, we got many incredible Milky Way images. So always try to be adaptable. Also have patience, and allot more time than you think you'll need. The right light often takes time to develop, and Golden Hour may be surpassed by Blue Hour. You might be surprised. Also, look behind you! So many times I've been focused on what I've planned for, and I miss the wonder that is behind me until it's too late. Lastly, don't think you need the most expensive gear, or even a lot of gear. You can take great images with the bare minimum. Your creativity and imagination are far greater tools than any equipment you might possess.
