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When reality looks surreal

Nov 6 2026 | By: Jim Zuckerman Photography

This surreal and unlikely landscape looks like AI, but it's real. This is the San Juan River flowing past sedimentary rocks that comprise the Raplee Ridge a few miles from Mexican Hat, Utah. From the road, there is a limited view of the interesting geology, but from a drone you can see everything: the shapes, colors, and texture of the sandstone and siltstone. I waited until the sun dipped below the horizon to take this shot because I didn't want harsh contrast and pronounced shadows. In addition, the golden light of a low-angled sun would have eclipsed the natural colors in the rocks. Plus, I wanted the beauty of the graphic design in the rocks to be prominent, not the bold shadows from direct sunlight. My settings were 1/25, f/2.8, and 100 ISO, and I used a 70mm focal length.

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