The ANP contains more than 2000 natural sandstone arches carved by wind, rain, and carbonic acid over millennia.  Some of the arches that we visited include the Landscape, Skyline, Turret, Double (as seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Turret, and Delicate Arches,  as well as features such as the Balanced Rock, Windows, Courthouse Towers, and 'Park Avenue' Overview.  

In April of 2023 the NP Service will limit the number of cars entering the park each day to ensure everyone can find a place to park - so book in advance to ensure access on the day you visit, Or, schedule a visit in winter for fewer visitors, colder weather, and to experience snow contrasting with the salmon-colored Entrada Sandstone. After climbing 600 feet by car onto the ANP plateau it is easy to move from one viewpoint to another with conveniently located car parks or roadside pull-outs. To see some of the features a short walk may be required; whereas some of the more spectacular views require planning to cope with the heat of the summer or the cold of winter before setting off on a hike.  

The attached photograph was taken as the sun was setting on the 'Delicate Arch,' arguably the most famous arch in the park, and after a 1-1.5-hour, uphill hike to the arch. We were grateful for the micro-spikes that we attached to our hiking shoes for the last 200 yards before the arch, as the path faces North and is in the shadow of a large rock shielding the snow and ice from the daytime sun.  After taking some time to view the arch, the roundtrip will take about three hours.

Here is an example from Mesquite Flats of an early morning scene taken this day four years ago during a shoot in Death Valley, California. I like this image and the reason I re-edited it is that it provides a sense of calm when I look at it.  The Mesquite Flats sand dunes sourced from the sand eroded from the mountains seen here in the North are known for their dramatic shadows at sunrise which enhances the ripples and edges of the dunes.  A rainstorm came through just a few days earlier soaking many of the dunes sloping sides but leaving many of the ripples intact with the rising sun highlighting them against the shadows in the foreground. The leading lines of the dune ridges create a sense of permanence and calm as they guide the eye toward the dune's ancient parent mountains in the North.

Many photographers admire the work of other photographers and attend their workshops. The idea is to have fun, visit places that you may not be familiar with, and learn from them.  I did this for astrophotography in Joshua Tree with Casey Kiernan, Death Valley with Dave Harris, and just recently with Serge Ramelli and Riccardo Fracassi in Italy in May 2023. Serge took this photograph of me in Venice near the Rialto Bridge. In addition, you get to meet fellow photographers who in this case were from across the USA and many countries in Europe.  Almost every photographer brought a significant other, and in a few cases, both were avid shooters, which made the excursions more of a vacation - for the shooters; the significant non-photographers should be described as 'tolerant'.  But, I will say that my significant other got up for all but one early morning shoot. The reason was simple, if you want to experience vacation cities in Italy without the crowds then between 5-7am are the best times to do it. It is both peaceful and quiet and

the sights are almost always best seen at sunrise or sunset. For the photographer, it is twice as much fun as you only have to navigate crowds half the time, which is during sunset.  We visited Venice, Florence, and Tuscany; so heck out some of the photographs coming soon to the Italy Gallery on this site or here

on my blog.

Italy 2023

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