4:07 am: Roll out of motel parking lot, luggage-less but for tripod, camera, and gross Clif Bars in backpack.
4:52 am: Arrive at Mesa Arch trailhead parking lot.
5:08 am: Arrive at the arch and plant tripod #6 on the ground under a rising moon. Set up beside a guy there for the 11th straight morning, still trying to get his shot.
5:12 am: First shutter release.
5:20 am: Try to apply The Photographer's Ephemeris app for the first time, to determine whether my angle is good.
...
5:40 am: Two Park Rangers arrive, responding to a 3:45 am 911 call from the Arch, resulting from the first two tripod owners having a verbal altercation over their setup spots. Reportedly, threats were uttered, a 911 call bluff dialed in an attempt to defuse, and cell reception just sketchy enough for the call to go through but not the follow-up calls to cancel.
5:42 am: Names and DOBs taken.
...
5:50 am: Kick myself for not setting up further to the right. Feel dejected from the chatter to my right that I'll be too far left to catch the direct sun. Take refuge in at least having a front-row spot.
6:03 am: Published sunrise.
6:08 am: Sunrise over the mountains. Turns out, my spot is perfect.
...click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click...
...at this point I count roughly 75 people on scene...
6:13 am: Orange glow peaks on underside of arch.
6:30 am: Crowd begins to dissipate.
6:34 am: Move to right and shoot a different angle where there is now space.
7:08 am: Capture a last, tighter angle as the sun crosses behind the arch.
7:16 am: Wide angle shot of entire arch, me now the last person to leave, barely an hour after sunrise.
8:45 am: Arrive back at motel.
Morning total: 141 km, 4h40m Trip total: 6,503 km | Start: Moab, UT. End: Moab, UT. Soundtrack: 575 shutter clicks! |