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I cheated! In full colour this photos has nasty greens in the lens flare and a terribly overexposed sky. It works much better in monotones. Sony NEX 7, 12mm Zeiss Touit, f16, ISO100, 1/13 sec.
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Cropping out the overexposed sky was the only way I could salvage this shot. Here the morning sun is being the arch, but still it’s glowing golden - but not from much longer! Sony NEX 7, 12mm Zeiss Touit, f22, ISO100, 1/30 sec.
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I promise to do better next time! Sony A7r, Zeiss 24 to70 mm at 24mm, f20, ISO100, 1.3 sec.
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Once again converting to black and white saved this shot from the dust bin. I didn’t manage to get a photo at Messa Arch that I was really pleased with, but at least I learnt some lessons...that’s photography! Sony NEX 7, 12mm Zeiss Touit, f22, ISO100, 1/30 sec.
Overview & Quick Tips
Messa Arch is a 50 foot stone span at the edge of a 500 ft cliff, in the Islands In the Sky region of Canyonlands National Park. A shot of the canyon below, famed through this natural stone bridge as it glows golden with the early morning rays, is the park’s iconic image.Detailed information
Messa Arch is 32 miles (51 km) from Moab. From the car park it’s an easy half-mile, 15 minute hike to Messa around a looped track. Take a flashlight, walk there in the dark, and be at Mesa thirty minutes before sunrise. After sun-up, the underside of the arch is bathed in light for about 20 minutes.
You’ll need to be right up close to the cliff edge to get the classic shot of Messa’s underside bathed in morning light. Fortunately, there is a natural lip at the cliff edge, so it’s not intimidating, but be careful all the same!
At dawn the ledge is often crowed with photographers all vying for a spot, go there early and claim your spot before the run rises.
Make sure you look around the entire frame when composing photos! I made the mistake of focusing my attention on the arch and didn’t notice I’d cut off the top of the distant stone peaks in the canyon below, hence I ruined most of my shots!
You’ll need to adjust your lens angle to minimise flare when shooting directly at the sun—but again—don’t forget to pay attention to the background!
Another easy mistake is over-exposing the sky above the arch. If you expose for the rock—which you should—then unless it’s overcast, the sky is going end up as one ugly blown-out patch. To get around this problem, use a graduated ND filter or bracket your photos and merge then later with software. Otherwise, point your camera down slightly to get less sky and more foreground detail into the frame. You don’t need to show the top curve of the arch to get a decent photo. Use an aperture of around f16 to increase the depth of field. You’ll want to keep the foreground ledge, then arch, and the distant valley all looking sharp.
You’ll need a tripod and a wide angle lens—at least 18mm for a full frame camera—and preferably a high quality prime that doesn’t create nasty flares when shooting directly into the sun. Good luck!
Converting your photos to black and white can help disguise lens fare and an overexposed sky – but then you don’t get to see the golden morning colours.
Contact Details
- Address: messa arch
Best Times of day to visit
- Best time of day: Sunrise
- Alternative time: Morning
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GPS coordinates:
Get Directions
Mesa Arch is on 32 miles (51 km) from Moab, but allow an hour for the drive. From the Island in the Sky Visitor Centre, drive south for 6.3 miles and turn left into the parking area for Mesa Arch. If you reach the intersection with Upheaval Dome Road, you have gone too far.