Picture of the day - June 8, 2008

"Delicate Arch"

Photo courtesy of Winston Rockwell. Photographer Winston Rockwell captured this stunning image of Delicate Arch while on a recent vacation in Utah. He kindly offers the following information about the photo: "The Arches National Park, just outside the town of Moab, Utah, is home to a large number of natural stone arches formed over centuries by the action of wind, rain, heat and cold. This one, named Delicate Arch, is the most famous such arch in the U.S., and possibly the world. It is unique in that it is free-standing, not simply a "hole in the wall", or "window", as are most other stone arches. To reach Delicate Arch, one must hike about a mile and a half, including a long climb up a steeply sloping face of "slickrock", which is what the locals call bare sandstone. Here there is no trail... the way is marked by stone cairns, or simply by following the worn, slightly smoother surface where countless others have trod. The strenuous hike is worth the effort, however, as one traverses a rocky ledge, rounds a bend, and sees this natural wonder. I had originally intended to shoot this scene at sunset, but there were some clouds moving in, so I went a bit early, and even at that, barely made it in time. I had perhaps 20 minutes to take photos before the clouds obscured the sun and ruined the light. This shot was taken with a Canon 40D and Tamron SP 17-35 lens  at 35mm, 1/100 second at f/11."   --Winston Rockwell You'll enjoy lots more of Mr. Rockwell's gorgeous images when you visit him at www.northwestnaturalimagery.com.     Visitor Comments... Name: Phyllis Helton Town: Bristol, VA Marvelous photo. I wonder how many millennia it has been standing.   Click here to comment on this picture.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!                                 Place the "Picture of the Day" on your website, for free! Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"