Dead Horse Point State Park

Overview & Quick Tips

This panoramic view of the colorado river, twisting though an arid landscape is yet another Moab regions. Access could not be easier, walk a handful of steps from the carpark and you’ll be shooting form a cliff edged across a spectacular landscape.

Detailed information

Composition
Foreground; concentrate on that! This may sound odd at first, for surely the main attraction is the valley below? Well yes, it is. If you point your camera anywhere down towards Colorado river you’ll frame a some pretty dramatic stuff—so the background takes care of itself— your job is to find an interesting foreground. Without this, photos of Dead Horse Point look as if they’re taken from an aeroplane. An interesting foreground provides perspective and engages the viewer, making them feel as if they’re standing right there at the edge of the scene.
Look for plants along the rim of the cliff and position yourself behind. Green leaves nicely compliment the red/brown landscape below.
The cliff edge arcs around for a good distance, so stroll about and try various spots along it. A wide angle lens is a must! A polarising filter is also useful to cut back haze.

Aside form the valley below
Be sure to spend a some time strolling around the rocky area back from cliff. I found some lovely twisted trees here that were very picturesque in the golden light of sunset. It’s a good lesson for photography in general—always look for features aside from the main attraction!

Times
Arrive at the carpark late afternoon and keep shooting as the light changes past sunset and into twilight. Apparently sunrise is nice here too, but if your time is limited, plan to shoot Dead Horse Point in the evening and drive on to photography the iconic Messa Arch the following morning. There’s a camping ground at Dead Horse Point; better to stay here rather than motor back and forth from Moab.
Avoid midday with blue skies! The light is simply too harsh for good photos. With interesting clouds and thunderstorms on the horizon, any time is good to shoot.

• Contact & Links
• Best Times
• Send To A Friend
• Get Directions