Canyonlands Light

Have you ever been to Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah?

Until the summer of 2015, I had not.

Having visited Arches National Park earlier in the day, we opted to visit Canyonlands in the late afternoon.

On the day we were there, the sky was overcast and appeared to be raining in the distance.

It was quite comfortable with temperatures in the mid to upper 80’s.

As we drove in on the northern route within the park, we’d stop and take a number of images at the different overlooks.

Some, with distant rain, provided a muted background.

Others, with the overcast sky producing no shadows, offered an uninterrupted view into the depths of the canyons.

And then there was the view of Shafer Canyon Overlook on our way out of the park.

Nearing the overlook parking area, almost as if on que, the late afternoon rays of sunshine pierced through the clouds and danced across the colorful striated canyon walls.

The remaining landscape remained bathed in soft shadows.

What a truly impressive site that was.

The canyon just seemed to come alive with its changing colors.

If you’ve ever traveled a great distance, then looked out over the landscape and said “The drive was worth it”, you can relate to the feeling of inspiration we felt.

Of all the images I captured within Arches, Canyonlands, and later that week Rocky Mountain National Park, this image, for this trip, reamins my favorite.

Yes, it made the drive all worthwhile.