“Delicate Arch (1)”

Location: Arches National Park, Utah (2018)

Moments before sunset, Delicate Arch radiates with an orange glow intensified by the setting sun.

Around this time, an interesting phenomena occurs at Delicate Arch. No, it’s not the glowing orange of the rock. It’s instead the behavior of the humans visiting the arch.

Being such a popular destination, there are countless tourists posing underneath the arch for a photo opt. (To the left of the arch was a long line of people waiting to take a selfie).

Undoubtedly this perturbs the photographers wanting to take a picture of the arch without any people in the photograph.

With the best light right before sundown, an irritated photographer bellowed, “CLEAR THE ARCH!” “CLEAR THE ARCH!”. Others joined him through laughter and jeers, and so the arch was cleared just in time for this shot to be taken without fear of the moment being ruined.

I can’t imagine anyone needing to yell “CLEAR THE ARCH!” before the popularity of smartphones.