A View of Arches National Park

    Or, what's all this talk about the light, anyway?

North & South Windows

In all candor, I think I never was as inspired by this view of the North and South Windows (aka the spectacles) as some other views of these arches.  I think the reason may be that I just can't get past the somewhat whimsical notion of just how much this spot resembles a pair of eyes or spectacles.  I want to show it here because one of my favorite cousins is planning a trip to Arches soon.  And, if one is to climb through the arch to the right in this photo and then climb up on a particularly large boulder that is located mid-way up on the other side of the small tower to the far right, then you can get the view of Turret Arch shown in the next photo below. 

Turret Arch through North Window (Frame # 2)

This is a spot that I've visited many times on various trips to Arches, and I'm not sure that any two of my photos taken on different days are quite the same.  A long time ago, I read someone say that when one is photographing landscapes, what you are REALLY shooting is the weather, and the scenery just happens to be there.  I'm not sure that I totally understood that statement at the time, but I've come to appreciate the truth behind it more and more since then.  

The morning that this shot was taken, the light was very diffuse due to some light clouds in the east as the sun rose over the horizon.  It gives the landscape a fairly soft look, with only light shadows.  Now we'll compare the look with the next frame, taken at the same spot, different day.

Tech info:  Mamiya RB67, 50mm, Fujichrome Velvia, exposure not recorded.  Scan of 6x7 cm film strip.

Turret Arch through North Window (Frame #3)

On the morning that I took the image above, the sky was cloudless and the light was very specular (because of the lack of clouds to diffuse it) and also very warm in color temperature.  Notice how the shadows are harsh.  Both frames #2 and #3 above were scans of Velvia transparencies, with no post-processing adjustments.  (In fact, neither image has even had the edges of the transparencies fully cropped.)

Tech info:  4x5 field camera, Schneider 65mm Angulon, Velvia.  (This is a very old vintage lens, and does not have an abundance of coverage, as evidenced by the noticeable vignetting of the edges.  The vignetting would have been improved by a more judicious choice of aperture.  That just gives me another reason to keep coming back to this spot.)

Delicate Arch (Frame #4)

Here is another example of strong, warm light, this time at sunset.  The hike to Delicate Arch involves a mild bit of exertion for someone not accustomed to the elevation, especially if it is hot in the afternoon sun.  But, worth the hike, in my opinion.  I hope I get a chance to do it many more times in the future!

Tech info:  Hasselblad 500 C/M, 80mm, polarizer, Velvia, scanned transparency.

Navajo Arch

Navajo Arch is one of the smaller and less popular in the park, but one of my favorites anyway.  It is reached by a moderate trail starting in the Devils Garden section.  The photo above was taken in afternoon light.  The side of the arch pictured above is illuminated by reflected light, which is what gives it the warm glow.

Tech info:  Canon 40D, 12-24 Tokina at 12mm.  Image processed in Photomatix HDR to reduce contrast between foreground and trees in background.

Balanced Rock before Sunrise (Frame #5)

This image was one of my first experiments with photographing the night sky with digital equipment.  There must have been just a hint of morning sun coming from the eastern sky to provide a bit of illumination on the rocks.

I hope everyone viewing this post has enjoyed this brief tour of Arches, and that all of you get a chance to experience this park someday in person!