The Mesa Arch

Gallery: LandscapePosted October 25, 2016393 views7 comments

Sunrise at Mesa Arch, Canyonlands, Utah
Just back from a great 2 weeks at Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, and Kodachrome Valley.

Be kind! I am primarily a BIRD photographer, and haven't picked up the wide-angle for more than 2 years.

(All critiques and suggestions for improvement solicited)

2016:10:20 07:24:17
D800
14-24mm @ 24mm
1/200 sec, f/10
Mode: Av
Metering: Multi-segment
Exp comp: +1 1/3
ISO: 400
AF mode: AF-C
White balance: AUTO1
Flash: Off

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Allen Brooks on October 25, 2016 at 12:26 AM

The Mesa Arch was one of the highlights on our Utah trip. We had a few minutes there alone and the solitude in this magnificent setting was wonderful. Nice capture of the sun lighting up the bottom of the arch.

Registered on July 27, 2011, 262 Posts, 2597 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lowe on October 25, 2016 at 12:48 AM

No nits from me. Like how the detail really pops in the larger image. Great job filling up the featureless sky with the arch.

Registered on February 11, 2004, 777 Posts, 5252 Comments

Comment posted by Igor Doncov on October 25, 2016 at 1:14 AM

I would make the following suggestions:

1) Crop off the top to remove the sky.
2) Crop off the right about 1/4th of the way in.
3) Warm the image overall
4) boost the oranges so that they become border line red.
5) darken the distant sky so that the very far mountains are a bit more distinct.

It looks like a great subject and you have all the elements here. I would just play around more with the interpretation. An interpretation that emphasizes heat.

Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on October 25, 2016 at 10:00 AM

Great to see you post in the landscape area. The image is spot on for capturing the feeling of place. The only thing I might suggest is cropping out the sky, but I am on the fence about it because the way it is it presents why the whole with the nice light is there. Also I might add just a bit of saturation to the image.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Walt Sterneman on October 25, 2016 at 12:09 PM

One of my favorite places Sandy. Good job getting there and capturing the sun on the bottom of the arch. You must have arrived early to get the angle you did here!

For me I think the overall image is too bright for a sunrise. I'd try darkening it down to give it that early morning feel. Right now it kind of feels mid day to me. I'd also try to add more mid tone contrast in the tonal curve to pop the colors a bit.

Registered on March 24, 2010, 73 Posts, 1268 Comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on October 25, 2016 at 1:19 PM

This is beautiful, Sandy, especially in the larger version. The warm orange light under the arch, framing the interesting scene beyond is great. There is plenty of detail in the shadows and the comp is just right. No need to go easy!

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on October 25, 2016 at 4:43 PM

Nice take on the iconic view. I am thinking the same as Walt, feeling it is a bit bright for my tastes. It is a classic scene!

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments