Horseshoe Bend is an easy 1.5-mile out-and-back trail near Page, Arizona to a spectacular bluff overlooking the Colorado River. This is a very popular trail with a nominal entry fee, $10 as of this post.
Feature Image Details
- EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera
- Canon 16-35MM F4 L Lens at 17 MM
- F16 seconds, ISO 200 for 1/8 second
Hike Details
The hike is about 4.8 miles outside of Page Arizona on US 89.
You can’t miss it. There is an immense parking lot and except at dawn will be packed with cars.
I was at this location in the mid 1980s. You could drive to the rim and you would have the whole place to yourself. I have been to this location about seven times and this was my first good shot.
In the 1980’s my widest lens was 20 mm. That is not wide enough. 17mm is barely wide enough and then only if you have a full frame sensor.
Finding a Spot
There will be hundreds of people there and the best spot holds a maximum of two people. I arrived 45 minutes early, picked my spot (known from 6 other tries), then waited for someone to vacate the spot.
From experience you only have to wait for about 5 minutes unless someone is in the spot with a tripod.
Anyone waiting for me to leave was out of luck. One person asked and I scooted over to allow that person to have a chance.
Weather Related Luck
You need lots of clouds, but none on the horizon, and little to no wind or dust will ruin the picture.
The 7th time was the charm.
Technique
This is a brutally backlit shot when means you need to take multiple exposures and blend them. Also, if you include foreground, you need to take images focused on the foreground and background so everything is sharp.
Flare can ruin the shot. At f16 you get a very nice sunburst, especially with the lens I used. I took additional shots just as the sun ducked behind the cliff. I needed that shot. Flare on the water was terrible, but pleasant in the sky.
Finally, the sun will set dead center in March and September. So I am just a tad off. Monsoon season in August is the best shot at clouds and I finally got the image I had in mind.
Sunburst
An odd number of bladed in the diaphragm yields twice that number of rays.
I have 18 rays because the lens I used has 9 blades. An even number of blades results in a sunburst with that number of blades.
The 16-35L F4 lens is one of the sharpest lenses ever.
Equipment
Those interested in my equipment and recommendations can find it here: Mish’s Equipment List.
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My next post will be from Great Basin National Park in early June.
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Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Beautiful!!!
Nice diffraction spikes. I like how the sunlight brightens up the sandstone in the foreground.
How’s the water level doing in Lake Powell?
Water in Lake Powell up 48 feet from 2022 low. That’s a lot. But lake still only 42% full.
Beautiful shot – I like that most of the landscape is in moody shadows with the cliffs in the foreground just being lit up by the sun. It’s a bummer jostling through set-up spots with others – it takes away from the connection with the scene and the creative process. I remember getting to Mesa Arch at 5:30 a.m. in the dark, and there was already a tripod set up.
Mesa Arch is tough. I was there once at 4:30 AM and got the last good spot. There are about 6 equally good spots then they get progressively worse.
I got a great shot at Mesa my second try. If there are no clouds, don’t bother.
https://mishmoments.com/2019/10/01/canyonlands-national-park-mesa-arch-sunrise/