Sometimes it rains.......... in Moab

Much to my surprise, though not really. I felt pretty lucky to get some "weather" when I was in Moab, as opposed to clear and 85. Every year I make a trip to southern Utah, and invariably I pass through the little hamlet known as Moab. In my lifetime this small town has changed radically -- one only needs to cite Ed Abby to get a sense of this. In a way, Moab has become the Manhattan of Utah. First, lots of people trying to occupy the same small space. I know there is infinitely more room in Moab than the island of Manhattan, however, an afternoon trip to the Delicate will demonstrate the cramming I allude to. Secondly, the good stuff, there is something for everybody in Moab. Hiking, biking, climbing,rafting, kayaking, all varieties of off-road driving, (lots of -ings actually),shops, food and even people watching. I think Manhattan, the city that never sleeps, also has something for everyone. Third, there are the icons -- Moab has its landscape icons like the Delicate, the Windows, Mesa Arch, Deadhorse, etc and NY has its.
I decided on this trip I would spend all of my time in the Moab area and try (really) to not shoot icons, but to really look for more. Partially because its time after about 7 years to move past those icons and partially because I wasn't in the mood for tripod fights with workshoppers -- in know way am I disparaging worshops, there are just a lot of them. So I tried, and I enjoyed myself much more. I wasn't worried about getting up a 3:30am to be the first to Mesa Arch
Anyway, a few images....

#2

#3

#4

nice shots Paul.... desert storms are great.

seen the bumper sticker? - New York....Paris....London....Moab

#4 rocks. Best light, comp and clouds. The wide angle on this scene really works for me. Who needs crowded icons?

I'm with Joshua, #4 is fantastic! Congrats on getting amazing conditions on this trip!

#4 is great.

Jack

#2 is my favorite (nice collection) I would crop some off the bottom. Good stuff!!!

You definitely got some nice, interesting skies in these shots. Unfortunately, other than #4, the landscapes are a bit uninspiring. I'd maybe look at cropping these in a more panoramic aspect, retaining a much smaller strip of landscape. This would emphasizing each shot as more of a skyscape. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I think I may try and rework the shots that have a lot of foreground. The last shot I took with my newest lens, the 70-200 f/4L IS and this was its first trip out in the field. So far I think it might be the best lens I own.

Really nice mood lighting, Paul. Those clouds add a lot of drama to all. I think I like #2 best, but it's a toss-up.

Nice work Paul. I'll go with 4 as my fave, and two is pretty cool also.

I like # 4 the best, but I do like the clouds in the others. Nice work.

#3 as a pano would be sweet. Great stuff. We all wish we were there.

RichieV