Spiderock Clearing Winter Storm
Linhof Master Technica, 75mm Lens, Fuji Velvia

To me this is the quintessential Canyon de Chelly photograph. All is there: the immensity of the canyon, the primevalness of the location reinforced by the fresh snowfall, the grandeur afforded by the majestic clouds parting above the canyon. It was taken a short time after sunrise on a January morning.

Living in Chinle, at the mouth of Canyon de Chelly, was instrumental in being able to record this image on film. The snowstorm took place during the night and I knew I had to get to Spiderock overlook first thing in the morning because by 9-10 am the above-freezing daytime temperature would cause the snow to melt. I was there shortly after sunrise and could see the snow melt as I was photographing. By the time I was done most of it was gone. This image was one of the first I created.

The Window
Linhof Master Technica, 75mm Lens, Fuji Velvia

The window is a large rock opening in the upper part of Canyon de Chelly. It is accessible only from the bottom of the canyon and requires a steep climb up a talus slope. This photograph was taken late in the day yet still retains details throughout the image thanks to light reflecting off the rock face behind me. It was taken with a 75mm lens on my 4x5 field camera and yet the immensity of the location make the wide angle of view offered by this lens hardly noticeable.

Tsegi Overlook, Spring Panorama
Fuji 6x17, 90mm lens, Fuji Velvia

Perhaps my first rewarding photograph of Canyon de Chelly this image may not have been created if it wasn't for a spur of the moment change of plans. I was on my way to pick-up my wife when I noticed dramatic storm light in the Chinle Valley. I realized the possibilities this light would offer if the sun was to break out of the clouds and shine into the canyon. I had a camera in the car and decided to drive right away to Tsegi overlook which is only 10 minutes from where I live. The sun broke through a few minutes after I got there. The dramatic effect depicted in the photograph lasted only a few minutes before the entire landscape was bathed in sunlight. This photograph was the second or third one I took.

Arrowhead Moonset
Linhof Master Technica, 210mm Lens, Fuji Velvia

This photograph was created along the rim of Canyon de Chelly in a location which by daytime may not generate much attention. I had photographed the canyon at sunset and had already packed-up my gear when I noticed the crescent moon setting between two buttes in the Western sky. I immediately unpacked my equipment and went back to work. I used a short telephoto lens (the equivalent of a 75mm lens for a 35mm camera) to emphasize the size of the moon and to simplify the composition. The resulting image contains only four elements -the moon, the black rock shapes, the colored gradient in the sky and the bush at the bottom of the image. It is a study in positive and negative shapes.

Blade Rock, Winter
Linhof Master Technica, 150mm Lens, Fuji Velvia

Blade rock, located just East of Tsegi overlook, is a thin band of sandstone extending from the North Rim of Canyon de Chelly. From this angle its semi-circular shape is reinforced by the line of snow-covered trees which seem to prolong it. The cloud above, which bears a shape reminiscent of Blade Rock, strengthens the composition and help bring all the elements together.

Hogan in the Fall
Hasselblad 500CM, 150mm lens, Fuji Velvia

I am fascinated by Hogans, the traditional Navajo dwelling, because they merge so well with their surroundings. This one was photographed in the fall when the Cottonwoods were reaching their peak colors. The early morning backlight added drama to the scene and saturated the color of the leaves.

Hogan Under Rock Overhang
Hasselblad 500CM, 150mm lens, Fuji Velvia

This hogan, located under an 800 foot high canyon wall, is still used as summer home by a Navajo family. It is man-made and yet does not appear to intrude upon the landscape. Built out of squared logs piled upon each other and caulked with adobe it may outlive many contemporary homes.

Riders Panel
Linhof Master Technica, 75mm Lens, Fuji Velvia

This is a little known pictograph site dating from the post-Spanish era since there were no horses in the Southwest prior to the Spanish expeditions. This panel was most likely created by a Navajo artist and may represent a Ute or a Spanish raid. It seems to have been painted only yesterday being perfectly preserved under an overhang by the dry climate and the secrecy of its location.

Russian Olive
Linhof Master Technica, 210mm Lens, Fuji Velvia

A very delicate photograph of a subject not necessarily associated with Canyon de Chelly since Russian Olives grow along streams throughout the Southwest. I was attracted by the contrast between the black branches and the lichen-coverd sandstone. I decided to place the tree off-center to create a stronger composition. I also cropped the top of the tree to reinforce the feeling that this is an intimate landscape.

Spiderock Snowstorm
Hasselblad SWCM, 38mm lens, Fuji Velvia

This image was created right during a December snowstorm. The snow was very wet and by the time I was done myself and my equipment were drenched. The good news was that this wet snow clung to everything and was responsible for sticking to the branches of the dead tree.

I had seen this tree many times before but had never been inspired to use it in a photograph. On that day I decided to use it as a foreground element to bring contrast to an otherwise nearly completely white landscape. I had to wait for a break in the storm to make Spiderock visible in the picture since most of the time anything farther than the tree was hidden by the snow.

Arch near Canyon de Chelly
Linhof Master Technica, Schneider 47 mm lens, Fuji Velvia

This photograph is a good example of a near-far compositional relationship . The yucca in the foreground counterbalances the interest provided by the arch and the sky. Created on an overcast day this image represents one of my first attempts with the Schneider 47 mm lens. This is an extreme wide angle for the 4x5 and being used to the field of view afforded by the 75mm lens the 47 was quite a change. I was thus careful to use the extra angle of view wisely and to utilize every area of the image in a meaningful manner.

Dancing Rocks
Olympus 35mm, 24mm lens, Fuji Velvia

Taken at sunset this photograph carries some of the mystery that I sometimes sense on the Navajo reservation. The loneliness of the rock formations seems to be counterbalanced by their physical presence, a presence which is almost human in some way.

I went to this location only once and was asked to leave by local residents shortly after taking this photograph. Navajos consider the landscape around their houses to be part of their home and sometimes resent visitors although they may be a considerable distance away.

Pictograph in Canyon de Chelly
Linhof Master Technica, Rodenstock 150 mm lens, Fuji Velvia

Canyon de Chelly is known for its abundance of rock art sites which feature images created by both the Anasazi in prehistoric times and the Navajos in historic times. This figure dates back from the Anasazi pueblo period and may be 850 years old. It was painted on the back wall of a rock overhang for reasons which are unclear to us today. Many possible interpretations of its meaning are possible all of them debatable since the original intent of the culture who created it is unknown to us.

Sand Dunes at Sunset
Linhof Master Technica, Schneider 75 mm lens, Fuji Velvia

Sand dunes present a fascinating and ever-changing subject. This photograph was taken the day after a hard rain in the Chinle area and I was worried that the downpour had ruined the sand ripples and caused them to loose their crisp edges. When I got to this location I was pleasantly surprised to discover that such was not the case. Certainly millions of small impact points were present on the sand but if anything the rain had softened the landscape and created a scene unlike any I had seen before.

This is one of my favorite photographs. I originally wanted to create a near-far relationship with huge sand ripples looming in the foreground and leading the viewer's eyes to the mesas in the background. Instead I ended up composing a far more complex image whose elements are brought together by the beautiful golden light which bathed the scene for a few minutes that evening.

Yuccas in Bloom
Linhof Master Technica, 75 mm lens, Fuji Velvia

This photograph was created in the Spring of 2001 during an incredible display of wild flowers. Yuccas do not bloom every year this event being subject to abundant snow and rainfall. The 2000-2001 winter being rather wet we were treated to a wonderful array of wildflowers in the spring of 2001. I saw these yuccas on an afternoon visit to the south rim of canyon de Chelly and was stunned by how many were in bloom. I did not have a camera with me so I used my time to scout for a location which would afford me a view of the canyon with a spread of yuccas in the foreground.

I found three promising places to which I planned to return later that day. Unfortunately, when I went home I realized I had only four sheets of 4x5 Velvia left. I had just completed a long shoot and had almost ran out of film. Since I order my film from New York I knew the yucca flowers would be gone by the time I could get more. I thus had to do my best with the four sheets I had.

Back on the rim of Canyon de Chelly I took a second look at the three locations I had previously selected. I went as far as setting up the camera and composing a photograph at each place before concluding that only one location offered the combination of elements, light and composition I was looking for. I could see both a vertical and an horizontal image there although the horizontal photograph seemed to carry the composition better. I shot one vertical and three horizontals being careful to bracket the exposure of the horizontal image to make sure that at least one sheet of film was perfectly exposed.