The Island

I took the first shuttle into The Narrows at Zion and practically sprinted upstream to reach a spot I had scouted earlier. The canyon narrowed around me, with towering walls on either side and a large boulder sitting in the middle of the river, splitting the current as water flowed around both sides. With no one else around yet, I set up my camera and waited.

For a while, the canyon was still in shadow. Then the morning sun finally reached over the rim and struck the right-hand wall, setting the sandstone ablaze with warm orange light. The contrast between the illuminated wall, the cool shadow of the canyon, and the flowing water made the scene feel almost theatrical.

I called the photograph The Island for the obvious shape at its center, but also because of the experience of being there. For a few minutes, tucked deep inside the canyon and completely alone, it felt like I had found a small island of stillness before the day's crowds arrived.