The Monsoon - Horseshoe Bend - a photo on Flickriver

This was the first stop on my Arizona Trip with photo buddies Aaron and Shirley. We landed in Phoenix that morning and drove for 5hrs up to Page. I figured with two nights in Page we would get two opportunities to catch that killer sunset at Horseshoe Bend. Much to our benefit it was also monsoon season in Arizona. We arrived at Horseshoe Bend around 5pm. To our dismay the clouds were mostly cloudy with a few patches of blue skies and some sunshine beaming through those pockets of cloudless skies. After scoping out spots for half an hour it seemed as if the thunderstorm on the horizon was heading our way. With lightning raging in the clouds we decided to head back to the car for cover until 6:15 and then head back out to shoot sunset. Luckily we made the right move. As soon as we got back to our car it started to pour for a good 15-20 minutes. After the rain ceased we hiked back out to Horseshoe Bend and setup our gear.

We chose a spot slightly to the right of where most people take their photos for a different take on this epic scene. The two rocky cliffs point towards the center Horseshoe Bend. Soon after setting our gear up we noticed what seemed to be more thunderstorm patches on the horizon moving our direction. As the sun began to dip towards the horizon the light show commenced. The incoming thunderstorm moved closer to us and exhibited vertical columns of rain and clouds that lit up beautiful streams of red, yellow, and pink. The colors were truly phenomenal but only lasted for a matter of minutes. I quickly snapped photo after photo to catch the perfect lighting. The colors disappeared just as fast as they arrived and soon the sky became a dull grey yet again.

I could not have asked for a better way to start off the trip! Stay tuned for more shots from Arizona.

Canon 7D
EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5

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Taken in: United States / Arizona / Page (show map)

Taken on: August 18, 2011

Tags:

page

arizona

bend

horseshoe bend

sunset

colorado

river

landscape

canyon

scenic

monsoon « less

Sets appears in: • Southwest • Explored more » • My Favorites « less

Groups appears in: • [ Wonders of Nature ] • Landscape Masterclass

Stats: 46,948 views / 141 comments

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