Sandstone Window – Teardrop Arch displays a common composition from David Muench, the frame within a frame, known as his windows. It seemed to be a game for him to find interesting views through obscure viewpoints. Muench often returned to Teardrop Arch as evidenced by the several versions of this shot from different years, always seeming to get a different feel out of the same composition. The high angle of the light allows Muench to capture a lot of detail, casting a dark rim around the edge of the window where it meets the sky and ensuring that he keeps the defined edge of the rock formation.
Sandstone Window is a variant of a more popular Muench photograph called Dawn Teardrop (P-3144), in addition to being very similar to one titled Teardrop Sunrise (P-5785). This image was selected over Dawn Teardrop due to the visibility of Monument Valley through the window, obscured by the rising sun in the other photograph, as can be seen using the comparison slider below.
Sandstone Window – Teardrop Arch is one of three original Muench-produced framed prints in the physical exhibit displayed on a temporary basis due to preservation concerns. The frame for Sandstone Window complements those of Limestone Window and Prometheus – Ancient Bristlecone.
This image was displayed in the exhibit Boundless Vision (2008) at the G2 Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico and included in David Muench’s Arizona: Cherish the Land, Walk in Beauty (1997).
Taken in Monument Valley, Utah.