Photography is a lumpy road

I got up just as the sky was lightening in order to drive through Monument Valley and take photos in that nice dawn light. I wasn't the only one with that plan.

These guys had been waiting a while, each hoping to get pretty much the same shot of the Mittens. Something like this, but maybe with a little more sunlight:

Okay, but what else might I shoot. Down the ragged dirt and rock road I went, looking for interesting light and compositions, whether there are buttes involved or not. Along the way, a group of motorcyclists and I kept passing each other.

After a while, the guided tours started showing up. I waited for them to pass.