Mobius Arch

• Frank Lloyd Wright.

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While I have photographed the Mobius arch at Alabama hills a couple of times over the years, it never occurred to me to look for other arches in the area. For some reason, I assumed the basis of the fame was due to its unique view of the Sierras it provided. But on our last trip, I realized the ease of access made the modius arch such an easily identifiable destination online.

On our last trip, while on the hike to Mobius arch, I came across a location that had a beautiful view of Mt. Whitney. Since I was already late and sunrise was in full swing, I decided to take my images there. I saw the lathe arch while setting up and scanning for any potenetially hidden rattlers. The first thought I had was its size, and it was tiny. To get the shot, I had to get into a very awkward position, but the mountains' view was perfect.

I didn’t think I could set up my tripod here in the limited time I had, so the image was taken handheld with the focal length set to 15mm. At 15mm, everything in the foreground has increased size prominence, which should give you a clue about the size of the arch. I didn’t have high expectations that day of getting an exciting shot due to my tardiness, but the short hike revealed a wonderful surprise.

• William Wordsworth.

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Mobius arch at Alabama hills area near Lone Pine, California. I have been to this location multiple times but my attention was always drawn to the larger than life presence of Mt Whitney. Its only quite recently that I was aware of this stunning arch and the view through it. So the last day of our tip to Big Pine while we were coming back we started well before sunrise and hiked through the small hiking path to reach this stunning location.

We had the company of two other photographers and it was fun to realize that we were all from the same neighborhood in LA. We waited for the sun to light up the mountains and then shot this beautiful rock formation. It’s a really easy location to get to and an absolutely must visit if you are ever in the Eastern Sierras.

• Tertullian.

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As you embark on the drive north on Rt 395 one f the first towns that appear is the Lovely little town of Lone Pine, CA. The problem with such an early appearance is that it often ends up being a quick pit stop to us as we drive on towards our final destination. So, while its closer to us than almost all other Eastern California destinations we have spent precious little time exploring Lone Pine.

Now that doesn’t mean that the little town of Lone Pine is short of spectacular scenery. The town itself is a wonderful example of a classic western outpost and provides the closest access to climbers hoping bag the tallest peak in the Contiguous United States, Mt Whitney. But one of the most stunning scenery is actually before you reach the sheer granite walls of the Sierras, there is a patch of otherworldly rock formations known as Alabama Hills. As far as I know, they are part of the same geological formations that constitute the Sierras. The difference in shape and pattern of these granite peaks is accounted to different patterns of erosion rather than their means of creations. There are tons of little dirt roads to explore and well over a dozen natural arches hidden between the potato-shaped rocks. Plus, you will recognize many of the rocks if you have ever watched any of the iconic movies that were shot here.

This particular shot was taken at the most famous arch in the Alabama Hills area, the Mobius Arch. We were there during sunrise and after taking the customary panorama shot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, I went with a tight crop through the arch and bought the almost vertical face of Mt. Whitney a bit closer. The fantastic golden light was just a bonus.