Unfortunately, I wasn't very happy with the photographs I made at Horseshoe Bend - we were simply there at the wrong time of day. It was late mid-day with only a few clouds that refused to block any of the high, direct overhead light. The sun reflected off the Colorado River and wreaked havoc on the exposure. The best photos of the bend are taken at sunset or under the cover of a nice stormy sky.

So, the reason this is a favorite and so memorable was the experience of taking photographs at this amazing place.

In order to get the full view of the Horseshoe Bend, it's necessary to walk out to the very edge of a rounded sandstone cliff that slopes directly to a 1,000 foot drop. The view is staggering and since it's on less than flat ground it's more than intimidating.

As I was setting up my 4x5 view camera (note that I had the tripod tipped backward so that I did not misjudge gravity and lose my camera off the cliff). I got that part accomplished fine and I did notice the cliff swallows swirling overhead...

As I was getting ready to shoot, the swallows had apparently determined that I was too close to one of their nests and they began divebombing me. Not really the best place to be as birds are swooping down randomly trying to scare you away.

Although I knew that I was okay, I was probably in more danger than I realized with the risk of ending up off-balance. I could tell that Sheryl was becoming terrified and I ultimately called it a wrap, backing way off from the edge.

I think I took a good 5 years off her life that afternoon. But she did grab a couple shots of me doing my thing there!

Canon EOS-1, Tamron 28-105 f/2.8, SP Aspherical LD @ 28mm, Exposure data not recorded, Fuji Velvia, EI 50, handheld