Visiting Monument Valley was one of many highlights from my trip to the Southwest U.S. It straddles the border of Arizona and Utah but is officially in the territory of the Navajo Nation. It has been featured in numerous films dating back to the earliest Westerns and is, perhaps, what most people think of when they imagine the American West.

There is a scenic 16-mile dirt road that loops around and in-between the numerous sandstone buttes. One stop along this road is named Artist's Point, and it was my favorite place to watch the sunrise. The overlook faces northwest and is shadowed by a large mesa. While you cannot see the sun, it provides a perfect vantage point to watch the 1,000-foot tall rock formations light up.

I went there expecting the red rocks to become saturated in the soft morning light. I did not anticipate having wispy clouds in the dry climate, but they were a welcome addition. As I stood there watching the light make its way to the valley floor, another surprise developed. Slowly, interesting patterns of light and shadow emerged as the sun touched the top of the small dunes in the foreground. This combination of elements provided a unique moment to capture.

Lastly, an unforeseen benefit of this overlook is that it draws a relatively low number of visitors. I spent the entire morning here completely alone, allowing for an incredibly peaceful, monumental sunrise.

This is a wall of blue shale rock that rises nearly 900 feet from the desert floor in central Utah. During the day it is far less vibrant as the sunlight mutes the colors. At dawn and dusk though, the cool tones shine through and create a striking scene next to the surrounding wastelands.

The color near the top of the formation changes from blue to brown, with the very top section being orange sandstone. I mostly cropped these colors out of the image to focus on the blue ripples. However, I love the sparse orange boulders that have fallen from the top creating interesting subjects and color contrast.

This is a panorama made from 5 images stitched together. I stood about 1 kilometer away from the wall and used a 150mm telephoto lens to zoom in and capture as much detail as possible. It is hard to describe the scale of this formation, but if you look closely, you can see me standing in the bottom center of the image.

You may have to click on the image and view the larger version to see me more clearly. But trust me, I am there with arms outstretched…soon to be enveloped by the blue wave.