Feast your eyes people! This is a rare photograph I captured of Delicate Arch, the iconic symbol of Utah, in Arches National Park. Okay a simple search here on Flickr or Google and you’ll find more photos of this freestanding natural arch then all the inhabitants of China.
Why is this a rare photograph of Delicate Arch?
Because there are no tourists posing under it!
No, I didn’t “clone” anybody out in post-processing, I simply did it the old fashion way...I screamed at them to get out of my frame (I had some help too).
A 1.5 mile hike from the parking lot will deliver you to the signature arch of the park. The 45 minute hike is easy to do but carrying two camera bodies, five lenses, a point and shoot camera, tripod and water made for a challenge. But if you get here right at sunset you will be rewarded with one of nature's best light show.
You will also be in the good company of hundreds of budding photographers and oblivious tourists. Of course, many of those tourists want to get a photo op under the arch thus angering many of those budding photographers which included myself. In unison we politely asked them to get out of our frame momentarily but to no avail.
As I was standing shoulder to shoulder of what looked like a firing squad of photographers with our tripod mounted cameras, I grew frustrated by the moment. So I took the initiative and grabbed my tripod to get a closer shot and a couple of photographers followed me (I love playing follow the leader). I then politely asked the “Arch” models if they would please move temporarily and again they ignored my pleas.
Finally one of the other photographers next to me pointed out that they were European tourists who didn’t comprehend my English speaking pleas (in reality most Europeans speak and understand English perfectly so they probably just wanted to piss off another American).
So the German photographer to my left said something in German and the German tourists moved. The French photographer to my right said something in French and the French tourists moved. I then said something in my parents native language, Tagalog (the national language of the Philippines for those not in the know), and the rest moved (okay I made that last part up...I’m an American and I only speak one language).
In the end everybody left happy. Hiking back to the parking lot with Bud, the German photographer (yes, that was his name), he shared with me his travel stories of four months of traveling solo in America.
“This was the first time I was traveling to America and I was confident my English was good enough to communicate with the locals,” Bud paused for a moment to reflect “but what I wasn’t prepared for was all the Spanish speakers I’ve encountered.”
“Bud, this is America,” I replied “Spanish is our national language.”
Adios my Flickr amigos!
Equipment used:
Canon EOS 5D, Tamron SP AF 17-35mm f/2.8-4 Di LD IF, an overpriced Manfrotto tripod
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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This photograph has been in my hard drive since 2007. For the longest time I hesitated to post this since I didn’t want to give away the secret location.
I had to leave my motel two hours before sunrise to reach the trailhead and then hike for about fifteen minutes to reach this point. Once there I had this magnificent arch all to myself. So how did I find this undiscovered natural landmark? Patience, hours of hiking and cash incentives for the locals (otherwise known as bribes).
So to all my Flickr friends I offer you this secret arch which will probably soon be a classic of the American Southwest. National Geographic I await your phone call!
Okay before you call me delusional, yes, this is Mesa Arch located in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. There’s only a million and one photos here on Flickr and all with similar composition. Either way, this is a “must photograph” American Southwest icon.
And no you will not be alone, there will be plenty of company with you! Get there early and choose your spot wisely because once your fellow photographers arrive you’ll be boxed in.
Nothing will prepare for the amazing spectacle that will soon be unveiled. When the sun appears the underside of the arch will glow a vivid red. Hearts will pound and your camera shutter button will get a great workout.
So Mesa Arch isn’t a secret to landscape photographers. That should only embolden you to find the next American Southwest classic natural landmark. Just have patience, stamina for hiking and lots of cash!
Happy Travels!
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Spruce Tree House, the third largest cliff dwelling, in Mesa Verde National Park. Located in Southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park offers insight into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years.
One can enter the world of the Ancient Ones through this ladder, going down into a Kiva, or ceremonial chamber.
As I captured this photograph with my old Canon 5D, I was fortunate enough to have the Kiva all to myself (which is normally crowded with tourists) for about 10-15 minutes. This led to this photograph and a moment of spiritual reflection.
Merry Christmas!
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Mesa Verde National Park, located in the southwestern corner of Colorado, is a great interactive place. One of the more adventurous cliff dwellings of the ancestral Puebloan people is Balcony House. This cliff dwelling is only available on a ranger-guided tour and involves climbing a 32 foot ladder, crawling through a 12 foot-long tunnel, and climbing up a 60 foot open rock face with two 10 foot ladders to exit the site.
While on the tour I waited in line to crawl through a narrow 12 foot-long tunnel, a woman in front of me froze up and screamed she was claustrophobic. After making a scene she turned to me commanded that I go before her. I happily obliged and squeezed my way through the tunnel being careful not to damage my Canon 5D camera all the while listening to the woman behind me continue to whine and complain.
At the conclusion of the tour we had to climb two ladders to exit the site. I stayed behind the rest of the tour group to get some unobstructed views of the cliff dwelling before heading up. I then spotted the annoying and claustrophobic woman approaching me so I decided to get to the ladders before she did.
As I approached the first ladder, I paused for a moment to adjust my camera around my shoulder and not before Ms. Claustrophobia shrieked, “What’s the matter?! Are you afraid of heights?!”
“No, I’m just adjusting my camera so it won’t swing unnecessarily against the wall and break into pieces” I calmly replied, “you do realize the entire tour group scaled a 32 foot ladder to begin the tour?”
“Oh, you must be one of those types really obsessed with photography!” she snorted.
I turned my back to her and started to climb the ladder.
“By the way please stay behind me at least 150 to 200 yards. Annoying people make me claustrophobic. Thank you.”
She yelled back some expletive but I kept a smile on my face the whole time.
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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Crater Lake, at 1,943 feet deep, is the deepest and bluest lake in the United States.
This is from a recent trip to Southern Oregon where I visited my good friend, Kevin, who lives in Grants Pass, Oregon.
I thought I also would post this photograph of Crater Lake National Park since Ken Burns just came out with his new documentary, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea." It features Quang-Tuan Luong, a landscape photographer that I have been following online for quite some time. He was the first photographer to photograph all 58 national parks with a large format camera. I have that life long goal too, but I still have a long way to go and many miles to drive!
Happy Travels!
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