The very first time I came down to this area of southern Utah, I learned of these “tunnels” as a possible landscape photography subject. When I saw them for myself for the first time, I raised and eyebrow at the word “tunnel” to describe them. They look far more like arches to me. Still, it took me a bit to try them as a photographic subject. I’m glad I put out the effort. So, is it a tunnel or an arch?
It took seeing another photographer capturing one of those “tunnel arches” for me to give them a second look. I had put them aside with no definite plans to take them back up again. That photo inspired me to try again. I simply needed an opportunity.
Thanks to the snowfall lately, I’ve been getting out to Bryce Canyon much more. I felt I needed to branch out and tried something a bit different. The roads to other locations were dangerous. So I reached way down on my list and found the rock formations of Scenic Byway 12 in Red Canyon.
It didn’t feel like a good day for landscape photography but it didn’t feel like a bad day either. The sun was shining diffusely through some clouds so lighting was soft and even. Shadows were light. I simply needed to stand in the right spot of road without interrupting traffic. Thanks to light winter tourism in the area, there was very little traffic on the road so I could get my shot relatively quickly and uninterrupted.
The fresh snow added a third color to an otherwise very two-toned landscape scene. I am glad I waited a day as the roads might have been more hazardous for me to stand in the middle of.
So, what do you think of this latest landscape portfolio addition? Do you think it’s a tunnel or an arch? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
