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Antelope Canyon is a slot Canyon situated on Navajo land; slightly south-east of Page Arizona. There are actually two canyons; the upper and lower Antelope canyons. The southern upper canyon is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, which (at certain times of the year), produces beautiful beams of light inside the canyon. Lower Antelope on the other hand, is much smaller at the bottom, and wider at the top. On this day, we chose to enter the upper canyon. To view the canyon, we had to purchase a tour. The tour took us on a 2-3 mile open jeep ride through a sandy wash and to the entrance of the Canyon. Once there, we were split into groups; luckily for us we were in a tiny group. We were assigned a vern informative guide who explained that the sandstone canyon was created by years of erosion and flash floods. These flash floods he said, can be deadly so they watch the weather forecast closely. It was a sunny day in February when we visited, and it had been nice for days so we didn’t have anything to worry about. That said however, although we thought we’d see the beams of light that enter from above, we didn’t. Unaware of the sun and canyon’s orientation, we discovered they are only visible from the end of March to early October. Oh well, regardless it was amazing! We left feeling blessed with the intimate experience of this, one of Mother Earth’s greatest treasures. In reflection, I remember how thrilled we were to have shared our day and how pleased we were with our photographic memories too; including this photo. We had a blast!
I love seeing the "earth in abstract"; with eyes that see so much more. When I view Mother Nature's gifts I see beyond a glance.... I see lines, repeated patterns, mixed patterns, vivid colors (obviously!), textures, unique shadows and lighting, just to mention a few. These natural and unique abstracts often go unnoticed, unless you're looking for them. These colors are just as I saw them however some might think they're too vivid, or perhaps unreal. That said however I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to photography but I am also the artist. If "art is in the eye of the beholder", then I have artistic editing choices to make (and it doesn't matter what other's think). We all have our own personal preference(s) in art. I arrived early at the south rim of the Grand Canyon and although it was cold (well below freezing) I wanted to catch the first rays of sunlight. It wasn't long however before the sun filled the canyon and the warm reflective rays felt so amazing! At 7000 feet the sky was exceptionally blue and the sun was so bright that I could hardly see into the canyon. As held my hand over my eyes to see into the canyon, this is what I saw! Wow! The bright yellow cliff-side was being illuminated by the reflective light from the cliff-side I was standing on, and the early morning haze accentuated the colors within the canyon. I suspect most people wouldn't have noticed these vivid colors but I sure didn't! Wow!
"Granite Mountain" Scottsdale, AZ Finding and planning photographic locations takes time and physical effort but the reward can often yield some fantastic memories and photographs. That said, scoping out a location is never a chore, it’s a sincere joy! This photograph was taken on the Granite Mountain Loop Trail (north-east Scottsdale, on the Senoran Preserve). As we approached the park's entry gate we heard a beeping noise and discovered that the gate's automatic opener was malfunctioning. As we waited (along with other guests) for the gait to correct itself my partner graciously volunteered to wait and stay with his vehicle so I could cycle off. I had noticed this hillside scene on a previous ride but now (with the early morning sun and the passing storm clouds), it was even more stunning! 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. When I’m engulfed in my passions (early morning starts, cycling, hiking and photography), it is truly my “happy place”. That said, what could possibly be more enjoyable then traveling and discovering such spectacular places like this!