Open Edition Photo Photography With A Story.... Horseshoe Bend had always been on my bucket list and I was quite happy when the opportunity arose to capture this magnificent wonder of nature. In preparing for the shoot, I learned that I needed to set up the tripod right on the edge of the ledge overlooking the canyon in order to prevent an underlying rock from taking over the foreground. The terrifying part of all of this is that there is a drop of over 1,000 feet straight down into the canyon; the worst part...there are no guardrails. In all sincerity, I was not sure I would be able to muster up the courage to go through with this shoot., I don't generally have a fear of heights but this shot put that to the test. I wanted a sunrise shot of Horseshoe Bend in order to catch the early morning light burning the rim of the canyon with vivd color. I'm not a fan of sunset shots that I've seen since you have to shoot directly into the setting sun and the light is much too harsh. I began the 3/4 of a mile climb up to the location at around 3:45 AM. It was quite warm even that early in the morning. Sunrise was around 5 AM and I wanted to be set up and ready to go by 4:15. Once up the steep hill, there was another 1/4 mile to go to get to the edge of the canyon. The adrenalin was flowing and my heart was pounding from the trepidation of this dangerous shoot. I really wasn't sure I would be able to go through with this. I approached the edge of the canyon ever so slowly and all fear and anxiety left me as I gazed down at Horseshoe Bend. I stood in complete awe; it was one of those aha moments in life that stays with you forever. As the sun rose, the rim of the canyon was aglow. The light intensified and the rim appeared to be on fire. The water below turned from inky black to cobalt blue as the light filled the sky. Was I on the edge of a precipice? No. In reality, I witnessed one of the most spellbinding and exciting marvels of nature a person will ever get to experience. Original Photography For Sale
