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Delicate Arch getting some sunset light

The delicate arch is the flagship of the Arches national park in Utah and accordingly quite crowded. However, most visitors only stayed there for a few minutes,...
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The delicate arch is the flagship of the Arches national park in Utah and accordingly quite crowded. However, most visitors only stayed there for a few minutes, took a picture and moved on. To be honest, I thought that was pretty crazy, because where else do you have the opportunity to admire such an incredible nature?

But I don't want to complain. So I had this beauty for myself :)
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Sep, 2018

Views

2017

Likes

+403

Awards

Creative Winter Award

Curator's Selection

Legendary Award

Judge Favorite

Contest Finalist in The Wonders of the World Photo Contest

Community Choice Award

Honorable Mention in The Natural Planet Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in The Natural Planet Photo Contest

Peer Award

+483

Absolute Masterpiece

+27

Superb Composition

+21

Top Choice

+18

Outstanding Creativity

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Virtuoso

Superior Skill

Emotions

Impressed

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo is showing the Delicate Arch, a 52-foot-tall freestanding natural arch, located in Arches National Park, near Moab in Utah, USA.

Time

When I was hiking in the Arches NP the Delicate Arch pretty much stood out for me and I was planning to shot a sunset shot there. So I went there quite some hours before the actual sunset to make sure I get a nice framing and find a spot I enjoy.

Lighting

Honestly there was some very good light that illuminated the (from the perspective seeing) right side of the arch. So I made a couple of other shots from the far right side but was not satisfied with the overall look of the composition and the way the landscape flows with the arch. So I moved back to my original position and did a series of photos, watching the sun moving down and changing the colors of the arch frequently.

Equipment

The photo was done using a Tamron 10 mm ultra wide lens on a Canon 60D which has an APS-C sensor. The tripod and head used is by my favorite tripod manufacturer Sirui.

Inspiration

Since the Delicate Arch is one oft the most scenic places and the main attraction of the Arches NP, naturally there are a lot of hikers. Given that fact its hard to get a clean shot of it without any tourists or other photographers in the frame. I did a couple of photos over a time frame of an hour from the exact same position, to be able to get the best light and also to combine some shots to get rid of tourists that might be standing in the composition. It turns out that was a good plan because "non-photographer" tourists did a couple of close up shots standing right next to the arch or just going there to witness the beauty on a very close distance. The strange (or maybe not so strange) thing though was, that once the sun was down the crowd moved away in masses. The last half hour or so there was roughly a person in sight and that's always a great experience at such a famous place. My goal for this photo was to show the arch in all its glory but I also was fascinated by the "pool" shaped rocks next to it and the way it seems to make a curve and connects the whole scenery. I also was lucky to get some clouds that also seems to drag right to the sunset and give this whole composition some very good guidelines. I think the way you're eyes can travel through this picture are very natural and even.

Editing

Even if I planed for doing a stacking of multiple shots, this photo is the result of only two photos combined. There is a little timeshift from the arch itself and the clouds and sky you see in this photo. The arch was captured maybe 15 minutes before the actual sky you see in this shot. The reason doing this was that the illumination of the arch looked better while the sky was still to bright for the look I wanted to achieve. By using a later sky (from the exact same position) I was able to get a little more drama to the scene.

In my camera bag

I always travel and shoot with two cameras. Most of the time one camera is locked into a composition I like the most on spot but I have a secondary camera to roam freely and adopt to stuff that happens just in time.

Feedback

It seems really hard to get the Delicate Arch without tourists and if you look up photos of the spot you will find almost all photos framing the arch from another perspective. Even when I was there all the other photographers stood at that position and I was kind of facing their direction which feels a little strange sometimes. So, in the end you really should focus on your own goals and try to find your way of interpreting the scenery and find a way to capture your personal mood.

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Delicate Arch getting some sunset light

The delicate arch is the flagship of the Arches national park in Utah and accordingly quite crowded. However, most visitors only stayed there for a few minutes,... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow flipstar

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The delicate arch is the flagship of the Arches national park in Utah and accordingly quite crowded. However, most visitors only stayed there for a few minutes,...
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.