The Colorado Plateau is replete with out-of-the-way places of stark contrast and immense beauty. The San Rafael Swell between Utah 24 and Interstate 70 is just such a place. The Sinbad Country, south of the interstate and just north of the San Rafael Reef is a magical kingdom of Red Rock, managed for us – you and me – by the Bureau of Land Management. Our voices ultimately decide the uses to which this kingdom will be put. There was a time in the late-40s and early-50s when uranium was mined here, overwatched by the majesty of Temple Mountain and its gargoyle of white rock. History says that Marie Curie, the first person to be a two-time Noble Laureate, visited these digs at the height of its activity. Today they slowly return to the desert as the Temple watches.
A focal length of 48mm, perfectly in normal-land, gave me an intimate landscape and the angle-of-view I wanted. An aperture of f/22 provided depth-of-field; and a shutter speed of 1/8th second at ISO 100 gave me an overall medium exposure. Since the day was essentially cloudless, I chose to concentrate on the lines, shapes, forms and patterns at hand.
If these walls could talk, there are stories they would tell. I am satisfied to allow them to spend their days in silence.
Really like the double framing aspect of this. First the window then the rocks at an angle. Also enjoy that you had the rocks on the ground in front of the window to bring us into the frame (pun intended). About the only question I have is why did you include the little patch of sky in the top right corner? For me it was a little distracting, especially since it was not the same shade of blue as the rest of the sky.
Hey Kev. Always good to have you with me. I really appreciate your thoughtful words. The idea for this image came from wandering through the old ruin and noticing Temple Mountain in the window frame as I passed by the opening. Then it became a matter of being “fussy” as I created the alignments and relationships, including the fallen blocks of building stone from a compromised part of the structure. If you’ve ever noticed the western sky, which is generally more open than the eastern version, there is a visible shading change from pale blue to darker blue as you look from west to north, or from east to north especially when polarization is introduced and/or wide angle lenses are used. My idea in bringing in the patch of blue in the upper right was to call greater attention to the blue already in the frame. I think that the shading difference in this instance is actually due primarily to the presence of some thin cloud forms above the mountain in the frame. Good observations and questions. Stay safe and be well.
I really liked the framing of the peak in the background. You always seem to find the best way to present an image. I am constantly learning from your images and look at the environment in a new way. As always, thank you for sharing with us.
Hi Chris. Thank you for joining me. It’s good to have you with us. I am very honored that my ways of “seeing” the world are helpful for your own creative journey. One of the things I have learned to consider as I make my own way through the world is to always be asking, “I wonder what would happen if…?” and then to try to answer the question by acting it out photographically. Sometimes I get, “Oh, so this is what happens…That works pretty well; or “Nope, not so good, let’s make this change and see what happens.” That way the world remains a wonderful and mysterious place that is always teaching me curiosity and never to take it for granted. You and Sue take good care and stay safe.
It looks like you had a LOT of fun with camera position and focal length to get this one just right. I love all the geometric shapes and how they all work together to form the frame for the temple… starting with the square rock in the bottom left to the blue triangle in the upper right holding it all together. You must have been “in the zone” for a while creating this one, and loving every minute of it. The finishing touch is the shadow going diagonally across the door; keeping it real. It was probably moving so you would have considered that in your composition. Thank you for sharing this one. It’s another one for the books.
Hi Nancy T. I’ve just been thinking about you. It’s great to have you with me! As always, your deconstruction of the image into a wonderful story has revealed the essence of the attraction to this place. This is, indeed, a story of geometry: shapes, lines, angles, repetitions, and how all of those can be assembled into something visually interesting. I was struck by the juxtaposition of this place on the presence of the desert itself and how mankind had superimposed its geometry over the land and yet the land looked down on all of it with disinterest and abstract curiosity. The diagonal shadow was a roof beam and it did change position as the sun moved. It was a visual reminder of the sounds of silence. We’ll talk soon. Walk in Beauty and be safe.
Portal to the romance world
Hey Lynne. What a wonderful analogy! Thanks for sharing it and for being with us. It’s always great to have you join us. Be safe, be well and walk in Beauty.
This image takes me visually to the same place as a familiar phrase from C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia” — Further Up and Further In. It’s so inviting to enter and ascend, to see what new, surprising adventures await beyond the next ridge.
Hi Donald. It’s great to hear from you! I hope all is well with you. What a wonderful phrase. I haven’t thought about Narnia in many years. Thanks for the reminder. I hope we can talk soon. I’m looking forward to catching up with your adventures.
Good afternoon Everyone. Thank you all very much for joining me for this conversation. I appreciate your thoughtful comments and kind words. The desert country of the Colorado Plateau is a mysterious land that is, by turns, harsh and unforgiving as well as beautiful and inviting. It is approached with caution and respect and it gives up its secrets only to careful persistence. Those who who sought to extract its treasured resources certainly learned this even as they lived within the Beauty it shared.