Southern Utah forces you to think bigger. When the land stretches for miles and the sky takes up half the frame, small compositional mistakes get exposed fast.
Coming to you from Andy Mumford, this thoughtful video follows Mumford through Valley of the Gods and the surrounding Utah badlands as he tackles the challenge of photographing true grand scenics. He focuses on wide angle views where the sky often occupies at least a third of the frame. That means cloud cover, sunrise color, and the direction of light can make or break the image. Clear blue skies can work in the Southwest because the rock formations are bold and colorful, but Mumford shows how medium and high clouds bring depth and drama that flat light simply cannot. He also pays close attention to forecasts, watching for conditions that allow the sun to break under the clouds at the horizon.
You see how quickly conditions shift the possibilities. In one location, the spires are strongly backlit and blend into the landscape because the rock shares similar tones with its surroundings. Without side light, separation disappears and the towers lose impact. Mumford adapts by changing perspective, often sending up a drone to gain elevation and shoot slightly downward. That higher angle reveals layers of formations stepping back into the distance and a thin road cutting through the scene, adding scale. He experiments with panoramic frames to capture entire rows of buttes when a single frame feels cramped, and he explains why some dominant rock structures demand a centered composition rather than a strict rule-of-thirds approach.
Foreground becomes a tool, not an afterthought. Mumford searches for ridges in the rock that act as leading lines, guiding the eye from the bottom of the frame toward mesas and towers in the distance. In some cases, the landscape is so vast that even a wide angle lens cannot contain it, so he shoots vertical panoramas to stack foreground, midground, and sky into one cohesive image. Harmony matters when massive rock formations carry heavy visual weight, and he adjusts drone height carefully when low clouds drift near the tops of cliffs, looking for that precise moment when solid rock contrasts against soft vapor.
Not every scene cooperates. At one massive formation of repeating chevron patterns stretching for miles, the scale becomes intimidating. From the ground, the best angles are blocked, so the aerial view becomes essential. Even then, the composition feels one-sided, with strong diagonals pushing the eye across the frame instead of through it. Mumford shifts the drone incrementally, searching for opposing lines that balance the flow. Later, standing on the edge of a high mesa, he shows how easy it is for an epic view to feel flat. Without foreground rocks or cracks in the stone to lead the eye inward, the scene loses depth despite strong light and a good sky. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Mumford.
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