The Arches

[ Delicate Arch at winter sunset, with La Sal Mountain in distance ]

I have always dreamed of hauling the gears to the rarities of nature to photograph the magical moments. The grand loop trip to the southwest canyonlands we just came back from was a dream come true adventure to me. The spectacular landscapes that can only be seen in this region of the world offers far more than meets my eye. I am completely awe-inspired by the power of nature, water and time, still carving away deep into layers of soft sandstones, leaving us mankind with these amazing art of canyons, bridges and arches.

A winter snow storm had just passed through the area when we arrived at Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. On the way, I started fantasizing one photo in my head… Delicate Arch in winter sunset. The trail to the arch was horribly icy and treacherous, but all I was thinking of was what could be the color of sandstones in snow, orange? pink? …Until we hiked up, I saw this scene that was better than anything I have conjured up in my mind. The arch was side-lit by the sun, so the colors were divided into two parts that changed subtly different as the sun went down. The parts facing the sun got a warm golden glow, while the other parts reflected a deep reddish orange. The snow on the ground had a tiny pinkish cast from the arch. In distance, the snow-capped La Sal Mountain also picked up some lights on peaks beckoning the eye. We stayed till the sun completely dropped down the line and there’s no interesting lights anymore… It was darn cold. My hands were freezing and legs were shaking, but I feel thankful to be able to capture the unique moment of this most photographed landscape, then all safe and sound back down…

[Delicate Arch and the last rays]

[ Balanced Rock ]

[ Turret Arch ]

[ North Window and South Window ]

[ Three gossips ]

[ Salt Valley Overlook ]

[ Delicate Arch from Upper View Point ]

[ Double Arch ]

[ Double Arch close up ]

[ Landscape Arch silhouette ]

[ Photographing the delicate arch ]