Canyonlands

I had hoped for that classic shot of the arch at sunrise to get the sunstar beneath the arch. However, cloudy skies prevented that from happening. I decided to take a few exposures and play my cards when I got home to process them. No, this isn't what it looked like in person, but because of stacked GND filters and blending I was able to achieve a look that I admire in some southwest imagery. I love storm like atmospheres and high contrast over desert scenes. Some boost in contrast and I had a scene that looked like it came from mars. At first I was disappointed that the mountains were not as detailed as I would prefer, but because it had been so windy and overcast it created a haze that gave the scene some depth. For me the overall feel of the image portrays the rugged terrain perfectly. Red rock canyons and arches in the desert with the heat. It just seemed fitting. I still wish I had the sunstar shot, but even more reason to head back again. Comments and thoughts appreciated!

Mesa arch, canyonlands national park- Utah