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20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Hikers Near Lighthouse Rock in Palo Duro Canyon

I was touring Palo Duro Canyon in Texas and photographing various features in the canyon. One of my interests was in getting a few good shots of Lighthouse Rock. After some time driving around and checking different views of this feature, I settled on this vantage point. Unfortunately, the rescue team was occupying most of the parking area as they were carrying out a person who had become severely dehydrated while hiking this area. Once they had cleared out and while the light was still good, I began snapping a few photos using only the viewfinder on my camera. I did not notice until later when I was viewing the images on my computer screen that there were hikers at the base of Lighthouse Rock!

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Canyon, Texas, United States of America
Camera: X-S10
Copyright: © James Robertson