Solar Mesa [explored]

Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park at sunrise. Just one of many iconic locations shot on western road trip with Kevin Benedict. Mesa was one of my favorites, and it's as close to a sure-fire bet that you will get an interesting shot as you will find outdoors. There were not too many people there that morning, which meant everyone had time to move around and try different angles. The nice thing about Mesa is that you have a pretty good time window for composing sunrise shots. Note that the sunburst here is above the horizon, with the sun coming through the underside of the arch. The best reflected light on the underside of the arch comes a bit after sunrise.The temperature was perfect in the early morning making for a nice relaxing time to set up and concentrate on executing the shot.

 

Taken with my trusty Pentax 12-24mm, which has a simple starburst pattern but which can shoot in to direct sun pretty reliably. I also had my Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 which has a beautiful starburst pattern, but it doesn't shoot in to the sun very well and the results were pretty messy.

Done