This photograph is a great example of "moment" as it presents itself to the photographer. I had been shooting with the Haselblad in Zion most of the day, but found the light conditons frustrating. Blank skies, dark canyons, and a lack of depth and definition to the sunlight that fell on the slopping walls of Zion's great landmarks made for dull subjects. I was driving back through the park in the early evening, as the sun slipped quickly behind the canyon and the stars began to twinkle on the distant horizon. It was so dark, I could barely see, but the headlamps of the climbers scaling the walls of the majestic canyon caught my eye. I set up the Haselblad and shot this with an aperture of f5.6 at a timed exposure of eight minutes. On the last second of my shot, a car drove up, shining its headlights directly into my lens. I thought I would have nothing, but when I made the print in the lab, the most incredible light quality emerged. Deep warm rose of the canyon wall stood out in full relief against the cool indigo of the early night sky. The rotation of the earth captured the moving stars as they appear in streaks of gold just above the horizon. The long exposure also recorded the intriguing effect of a climber's headlight in a brilliant ribbon of illumination as he repells down the canyon wall.

Prints are available in the following sizes and prices:

To order please e-mail me at kpe55@mcs.net