If I were to pick my top 5 favorite places to shoot in the US, Monument Valley would be in it. Located on the border of Utah and Arizona, it is part of the Navajo Nation and should be on every photographers bucket list. I have been there many times and it still is a destination I would like to revisit. If you haven’t visited there before, you still may recognize this scene. It has been in countless movies, television shows and commercials, advertisements and even rock videos.
This photo from 2016 was of my favorite sunrise, as we had the best conditions and light that I have ever encountered on my many visits there. What made it even more special was that I shared it with two of my very best friends, Jeff Clow and Jaki Good Miller. This was the very first time that I stayed at the View Hotel (which is aptly named). Although it is not the best hotel I have ever stayed in, the ability to roll out of bed, walk down the hall and step onto the back patio to see this view makes it a must-stay spot. We were treated with the best Mother Nature could offer: great clouds, great light from the blue hour to the sunrise and, most importantly, the famed sandstone rock formations known as "The Mittens" and Merrick Butte for obvious reasons.