Mesa Arch at sunrise is another one of those truly iconic shots that every photographer would love to take. Most photographers I know, myself included, tend to visit the National Parks off season for landscape photography because there are usually less crowds and more dynamic weather. Somehow Mesa Arch didn't get that memo! I have been there quite a few times, always in winter, but never without a lot of people (photographers) doing exactly what I was doing. This involves arriving before sunrise, hiking with all of your gear a quarter mile to the canyon edge, staking your claim with your tripod among the crowd, and then waiting in the blistering cold for the sun to make it's appearance. It is worth it! When the sun hits the canyon walls and the golden glow lights up the underneath of Mesa Arch, it is breathtaking. On the day of this photo, I had the added element of high winds whipping up the sand and sending it sailing over the canyon edge which gives this iconic image my own special twist.
If you are interested in seeing a video of how I achieved this image, you can watch it on my YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsayRnFlwWs