The natural cave-like windows have been carved into the rocks through weathering over hundreds of thousands of years

Stratton explained how he captured the shots: 'When you go on location your life is only about those moments. You connect with the earth's elements.

'You need to know when and where is the sun rising and setting, what the moon phases are and what is the weather doing.

'The light hits these rock formations at certain angels at different times a day. My job is to predict which of those angels is going to be best before it happens.'

This knowledge has not come easy to him.

Stratton has been trekking across Arizona and Utah for three years discovering the perfect spots to set up these shots.

And he has no regrets he says.

Stratton added: 'Photographing and exploring these natural places is food for your soul.

'The more I do it, the more I am experienced [in] these places, the more I crave to be out there.'

Stratton said: 'Photographing and exploring these natural places is food for your soul.' Above, an arch captures the sky at twilight in the American Southwest

The photographer says the light hits these rock formations at certain angels at different times a day. Above, an icy desert landscape