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As we drove west through north-western New Mexico, on Indian Service Route #36, this uniquely towering, volcanic rock formation slowly came in to view. “Shiprock”, as its called, stands alone on the desert plain, at 1,583 feet above the valley floor and 7,177 above sea level, it can be seen from 60 miles away. It is an “oddity” about it because it doesn’t match the surrounding landscape. As we drove around, looking for a place to park our RV, we quickly discovered that the Navajo Nation owned and governed the lands that surrounded Shiprock. That stated, not only could we not find a place to park, but we also couldn’t find a good spot to take a photo either. As luck should have it however, we happened upon a local, rough and rocky gravel road that lead led us through a Navajo community and towards Shiprock. With some trepidation (we wondered if we were trespassing), we continued on. After taking a few shots, an uneasiness began to set in, so we turned around; sensing this was a sacred place and we didn’t belong. Shiprock got it’s name because of its formation, which resembles an enormous 19th. century merchant sailing ship. Note: There are two other versions of this photograph on this site, search “The Towering Shiprock” and “Exceptional Shiprock"
Finding and planning photographic locations takes time and physical effort but the reward can yield the best memories and photographs. Scoping out a location is never a chore, it’s a joy! When I’m engulfed in my passions (early morning starts, cycling, hiking and photography); it truly is my “happy place”. What could possibly be more enjoyable than traveling and discovering spectacular locations. I feel blessed. When cycling, on this early morning at Brown’s Ranch (north-east Scottsdale), I noticed how this dark hillside made the foreground saguaro trees stand out and this particular tree was stunning. Saguaro trees come in many shapes and sizes; some have no arms (they don’t grow an arm until they’re approximately 60 years old), while others have so many arms that I wonder how it can possibly stand upright! If you need a dose of humor in your day just look at the saguaro trees as humans, and you’ll notice that some configurations are incredibly hilarious! I viewed this saguaro tree however was model material (so perfectly formed). The color version of this photograph is also a winner however I love how the de-saturated colors created a more powerful and demanding scene. I named this photo “On Stage” because it has all the necessities of a desert “stage” (a perfectly formed saguaro tree, a dark background and the sun’s rays of light).
