Chasing the sunset at Canyonlands one evening, I turned from my tripod to get a glimpse of the full moon rising directly behind me. I took off in pursuit of placing the moon with a strong rock formation. Unfortunately, by the time I reached a suitable location, it was too high in the sky. I did capture some images of the full moon that evening, but the setting moon the next morning presented itself with greater potential.

The Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands near Moab, Utah is best described as a stage on which you can pick the direction you want to peer out from. There exists an infinite selection of rock structures eroded from the plateau on which you stand. Photographing here has the distinct advantage, in most months, of catching a sunset over its vast canyons to the west then turning 180 degrees to capture a full moon rising in the east. You can do the opposite (sunrise/moonset) in only a few hours.