This is an image from May 2015 while visiting four of the parks in Utah. Whenever I go to Canyonlands, the Island in the Sky district is always a treat for me. Many times the light conditions have been far from ideal, and for a while this afternoon was touch and go. I was there around 5 PM when some squalls were threatening, and so did a decent job of taming the glare that’s often encountered on afternoons.
Granted it’s an iconic location, but I’d be interested to know how this presents itself in terms of composition, exposure, contrast and any other input you may have.
7D Mk II 24-105 @24 on tripod
Full frame ISO 100 f/9 1/200 -2/3EV
Nice image, Bill. I might tweak some more contrast and drama out of the sky and maybe a little more contrast to the foreground? Fine takeaway from the great overlook.
Bill, the textures and subtle colors in the foreground look great. The canyon also look good, especially with the river showing up. I can see the edge of the rain, which is always fun when you’ve got lots of open space for viewing.
I like the way you placed the canyon horizontally, Bill. For the stormy sky, it might have been interesting to remove some of the foreground in favor of the sky, but it’s impossible to tell from my point of view if it would have worked.
I do like this as posted.
The image has a good feel to it… as if I were there watching the weather move in. I think a 16x9 crop, keeping all of the sky and enhancing more of the cloud detail would increase the impact even more.
Excellent Bill! I’m looking at this one in a couple of different ways, in part because of the comments so far. As a grand landscape, wide open spaces with a complimentary, thank-you-very-much, storm passing by, I like this very much as presented. The context of the expanse of the foreground works with also showcasing the eroded river canyon.
I also think as an alternate and different reaction, a more pano crop would work too. Tweaking contrast and processing to emphasize the storm and you’ve got a different image.
No right or wrongs here.
I have a question for Bill or anyone who can answer. It appears to me that the eroded canyon either ends, or begins here (lowest point of the canyon), OR the bottom is a side canyon. But what I resolve in my head is the river. You get the impression here that the river is flowing either to or from this lower point of the canyon. It’s like, where does the river go? Am I making any sense??? 
I see your puzzlement on the river, Lon. I’ve never been there, but it looks to me like it does a horseshoe around that rock formation to the right of the most visible part and then leaves the image on the right side through a canyon that’s edge on to us and doesn’t show well. Bill may have a better answer.
Outstanding color and light. Very nice composition. The oranges of the ground and the stormy sky created a wonderful contrast
To @Lon_Overacker and @Dennis_Plank, interesting questions you have. I’m currently disabled because I’m in the process of setting up my new PC. However without looking at Google Earth the Acme Mapper site shows that the topography is called Soda Springs Basin to the SW of the overlook. I like the option of a panoramic, however the more attractive aspect for me is the assortment of dry washes and trails on the great expanse of plateau above the inner canyon. FYI the plateau is several hundred feet above the rim at this overlook. Thanks to all for your comments on this.
Dennis is correct about the course of the Green River. The headwaters are in the Wind River Mtns. in Wyoming. That “rock formation” at the center of the horseshoe is Turk’s Head, a great campsite area with lots of ruins to explore for those on canoe trips.