This is another of my images from the recent trip to Moab, UT.
In a competition with about 130 other images, it took Best Of Show. What was particularly satisfying was that two of the three judges almost instantly scored it 99 (top score). After some deliberation, the third judge wasn't quite so kind, but still scored it well above most other images. Oh well, you can't please everyone.
When the sun breaks over the horizon, its rays strike a sandstone cliff below Mesa Arch. The red from the sandstone reflects up into the bottom of the arch. This phenomenon is visible for about 45 minutes each day. Without the red reflection, it's just another beautiful arch.
Rarely will a photographer find himself alone at this spot during sunrise. This is one of the most popular, and therefore one of the iconic, images of the American Southwest.
