I’m switching gears with today’s “Behind the Image” and sharing one of my first successful outdoor adventure images instead of yet another landscape image. I hope you enjoy the change of pace.
Melissa and I moved to Moab in May of 2006. Our hiking boots were worn out by the end of summer. We were quickly enamored of our new home in the desert and took every opportunity to explore the nooks and crannies of this convoluted landscape, of which there are many. Of course, we hiked Delicate Arch…a lot. I asked Melissa to marry me under the arch on New Year’s Eve, 2004, so it’s a spot with quite a bit of sentimental attachment for both of us. It’s also a fun hike with an incredible scenic reward, even now when you’re typically sharing it with hundreds of other people.
Living in Moab and running off with Melissa to explore the area nearly every weekend gave me ample opportunities to practice adventure photography. Landscape photographers typically operate on the fringes of the day with maybe an hour at sunrise and sunset in which to make quality images. Shooting adventure photography provides an opportunity to shoot outside of the golden hour, with the potential to make marketable images all day long. And, it was something new and fun to keep me interested in photography.
Eleven years ago in February, we hiked to Delicate Arch for sunset after a recent snowstorm left the desert landscape wearing a cool, white blanket. I tried several compositions of Melissa in static positions, standing or sitting on a rock, gazing off at the arch. One of them worked okay, but they were all a little too boring. They certainly didn’t scream “adventure!” We started searching around for other opportunities when Melissa jumped from one rock to another when it hit me: that’s it! She had to do the jump a handful of times before we got one that worked. Good thing she’s got strong knees!
I’ve sold this image several times over the years. It’s been featured in travel brochures, magazines and used on websites. Definitely worth the effort!
Tech Specs:
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Canon 17-40mm Lens @ 17mm
f/8 @ 1/125 second
ISO 100
No filters
RAW, processed in Adobe Lightroom and Nik Software
This photograph may be licensed for commercial or editorial use and is also available as a beautiful fine art print in a variety of sizes. Please visit my contact page to inquire about pricing or to discuss print options.