Dead Horse - Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab, Utah

The new reality these days is that travel is likely to be very limited at least for the rest of this year and maybe into the next year. This reality has had a bright spot for me and probably for many other photographers. I have over 100,000 photos in my archives and have not had the time to really spend time culling through them to find the best ones that I may have missed. This effort also allows me to remember each and every experience I had while taking them and the many friends that I shared these experiences with.

This photo from 2014 is one of these photos that I remember like it was yesterday. Of course, shooting one of the most iconic scenes in the American Southwest (at least in my opinion) is easy to remember. Eastern Utah is home to two wonderful National Parks (Arches & Canyonlands). Tucked in between the two is Dead Horse State Park which is often overlooked. The signature image of the park is this one, where the Colorado River has carved the rock over thousands of years to leave us with this spectacular view which rivals any in the area. The park itself was named after the mustangs that used to run wild in the area. The overlook from which this image was taken from, acted as a natural corral where cowboys would drive the herds so they could be captured for personal use or for sale to others. According to legend, a group of mustangs remained on the overlook and were somehow trapped there. As there was no food or water available, they supposedly died of thirst within sight of the Colorado River.