skermy
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Contest Finalist in 80 Stays Around the World Photo Contest
Macro Lens
Contest Finalist in Desert Views Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in The Creative Landscape Photo Contest
Runner Up in Covered In Dust Photo Contest
Honorable Mention in Desert Vistas Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Covered In Dust Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Desert Vistas Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in Sand Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Peaceful Sunrises Photo Contest
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Pegertler
March 15, 2014
Exquisite! Love the mood. What would we ever do without interesting weather events?
richgreene
July 01, 2014
Really cool -- although it must have been hell on your camera. We went through a sand storm much like that on the way to Monument Valley serveral years ago...
skermy
July 13, 2014
was a crazy morning with the wind, great for my skin complexion but not for changing the lenses on the camera ;)
kristigott
August 01, 2016
I love the way the closer part of the scene is sharp and the farther part fades gradually to the blurred shadows of the giant rock stacks. Captures the eerie beauty of the place so well.
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken at Monument Valley, I am a self taught photographer, learning loads from 1000's of duff imagesTime
This has been one of my most successful images to date, it was taken at sunrise on the Utah Arizona border at Monument Valley during "the worst continual winds and sandstorm for 40 years" - Navajo guide at Monument Valley. Beth and I had arrived nice and early to get the sunrise, we checked our watches/phones for the time after working out which time zone we were in (Utah one time zone, Arizona another) we were getting nothing, and I mean nothing (apart from sand blasted). we hopped back in the car just about to leave the parking lot when the sun decided to pop up between the East Mitten and Merrick Butte, stopped the car grabbed our kit and set up, probably the quickest ever, i wanted to find somewhere with a different view then the generic Monument Valley shots, found this point at the edge of the parking lot and fired off about 6/7 shots.Lighting
At Monument Valley, never bank on the lighting, nothing is ever guaranteed...... have been there at sunset, getting lovely light on the rocks then a cloud comes over and blocks the setting sun. My advice, sit it out and have lots of patienceEquipment
Canon 500d, Canon 18-55 kit lens (wasn't going to switch in that sand) Benro TripodInspiration
Have loved Monument Valley from the very first time I ever went 5 years ago. I always try and get something different out of it each time i have been, I really didn't think I was going to get anything on this trip, but with a bit of patience and perseverance it paid off and I got this shotEditing
The only piece of post processing I did on this image was to clone out some-ones garbage they had let fly around this lovely place, and tweak the contrast slightly, everything else is as is.In my camera bag
Canon 70-200USM Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon 18-55 kit lenses x2 (one only works on MF, face planted on first trip out to the desert) Canon 70-300 Kit lens Batteries x 8 Canon 50D Spare body of Canon 500D (spare batteries and charger)Feedback
Wrap up warm when you go here for sunrise/sunset shots, with a 6000ft elevation it gets cold very quickly, and the last thing you want to be doing is changing lenses with icy cold hands. my second piece of advice is to try and stay at the View Hotel, it is a little pricey but well worth it, every room faces towards the rocks and has nothing blocking the view of sunrise between the rocks every morning, and with each room having its own balcony perfect for startrails of nightscape photography