Five equestrians stand by as Noah Wetzel methodically checks flash triggers, then checks them again. In just a few moments, the moon will slide in front of the early afternoon sun, all will go dark, and the wild west scene in the Texas Hill Country that Wetzel has mapped out in his head for months will become reality.

In the surreal world of Wetzel, nothing is ever quite as it appears. Whether concealing wireless flashes behind bushes or dangling a high-powered headlamp from a drone to replicate midnight moonlight, the 38-year-old Salt Lake City, UT-based photographer has been known to dress natural landscapes like a Hollywood set.

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