The Fins – Arches National Park, Moab, UT
This is a section of Arches National Park with natural sandstone sculptures that remind me of a school of sharks swimming through the desert with just their dorsal fins breaking the sand (or snow in today’s photo!). To change my perspective, I got down low to show how towering the rocks really were. This requires a tripod for the best results. In fact, most landscape shots do. The tumbleweed to the left gives some depth to the photo and a sense of reassurance we are still in the desert. I wasn’t sure about the lens flair (star shaped sun and floating lights) , but combined with the snow cover I think it adds a mystical feel . Who knows, maybe if I had stuck around long enough a unicorn would have appeared. That would have made the trip!
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great nature and great photography
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I like the framing of this one, it’s very nice
Amazing picture! I’ve never felt drawn to the desert, but this makes me want to go there!!
I love Arches. heading that way this spring!
Wow. . .
Thanks for liking my recent post! I love this shot–it looks like the rocks are snow-capped, but I know it’s really sand. I land in the “keep the sun flare” column as well. Keep it up–you take great photos.
nice pict.
I saw that you had stopped by to read my recent posting from Grand Junction, CO and clicked the like button…. Thank you – my other love is photography and I am out to see & learn as much as I can to improve my skills…. I really like what I see here and I will be a regular visitor. Thanks for sharing.
I live a couple hours from here, in SW Utah, but I haven’t been to Arches in a while. Thanks for reminding me how pretty it is in the snow.
Awesome shot!
Really like the light and the way it touches the rocks
I love the lens flare–totally unique in desert shots.
I lived in UT for a couple of years and there are some breathtaking views there. The rocks and the wide sweeps of sage. Gorgeous colors and big skies. This photo is a gem.
This look like a fight scene from Star Trek
Surreal beauty!
Stunning picture!
really nice.
This photograph makes me want to visit there. Unique perspective, too. Thanks for sharing.
This is a wonderful picture that makes you look longer at it. It spreads tranquility and peace and the sun tops it off. You should keep the sun like it is
No, no – keep the sun flair. Without clouds the sky would be an uninteresting background to the great landscape whereas now it has a cool point of interest to balance all the other elements. I do like the way you evened out the tones across the image to keep detail in the shadows and highlights. It is what causes that mystical sense because our eyes wouldn’t see it that way. Your interpretation, though, really makes this an appealing image.
Truly stunning! Thanks for sharing your artistry with us.
Great shot! Arches is a wonderland of rock sculpture. You need more than one day to explore it all. And better schedule some extra time if you want to hike the mile plus to Angel Arch, the park’s most famous arch. Double Arch is pretty cool, too. Late spring is a good time to go before it gets really hot.
You sure do get around. Another favorite place of mine is Zion National Park, right down the road from Arches. Well, may not right down the road, but nearby, anyway. There’s some great photo potential there. A study in contrast compared to Arches. Majestic is a word that comes to mind. And it has a tunnel in the side of a mountain that occasionally lets you look out of. I’ve never seen anything like it.
I don’t know why your blog won’t let me Like you. It asks me to sign on. I do and it still won’t let me Like you. Several other blogs are like that as well. Most sites I have no trouble Liking.
Thanks Cris for all the info. Here is a link to an early photo from Zion! http://photobotos.com/2011/11/12/playing-in-the-shadows-zion-national-park-ut/
In fact it is taken from near the tunnel in the mountain that you talked about. I will check with Tom about the Like button situation.
Beautiful! I love those rock formations!
The lens flair adds the perfect touch–beautiful!
Star-fish shaped flair around the sun was created by the diffraction on the
corner of the iris-blades. To reduce them, some good lenses using
odd numbered iris blades (7,9— even more) and the round shape.
But anyhow, the picture looks so dramatic, almost man-made film-set in Si-Fi.
It gives even more “out of this world” touch.
Good picture I like it.
Beautiful formations — and a beautiful photo!
Thanks Judith! Your words are always very encouraging!
I was enjoying being a magnifying lens checking out all of the different textures and colours when I suddenly saw the sun with its flares and was quite taken by it. I thought that it added to the overall variety of mood. I then read your sentiments and have to agree; it adds a certain charm due to the sharper perspective it adds to the overall.
It was the only part of the snow my dog hadn’t trampled through, so by default it was the direction I shot the photo. I guess it worked. Thanks Carolyn!
Hi,
A very interesting photo, from the rays of the sun, to the snow on the desert, and I agree, they do look a bit like shark fins.
I love it when observers point out more than one thing that they like about a photo. Ok actually I am glad when they just say nice shot too. Either way we have connected in a 1/500 second in time. Thanks and I love your site. I reminds me of Seinfeld where you never know what you are going to get in the next episode.
How do you find these places? It’s amazing to me how much of America I know nothing about; and they do look like sharks.
Susannah
Ok! Everyone out of the desert, there are sharks in the sand. Thanks Susannah!
One place I have never been, the desert. I flew over it once and it was beautiful but I envy you for being there right in it and thanks to your camera, I can seee the sites up close!
We are always glad to be the tour guides for your 2 minute trip of the day!
-Photobotos Brothers
And the trees are barnacles?
You are dead on Ralphie. Thanks for the comment!