Shiprock Trip.

[D. Bryant]

Framed this guy today. From the 90s. That's the morning shadow, pretty early, from the North buttress, along with the West Dike. 5X7 and TX and HC110. Probably a 120 Super Angulon.

Ever notice the small arch at the top of Shiprock?

I visited a few years ago and took open roads to a point where I could not travel any farther. Never had an issue. I was surprised to find garbage, empty beer bottles, and old furniture tossed into a ravine.

Don Bryant

[Robert Langham]

There are enough radial tires scattered around to...well...make a big stack of radial tires.

I haven't noticed an arch up on Shiprock. There is a pretty terrific little hook formation. It's in the top middle of this shot. I wouldn't be surprised at anything.

[Cletus]

I'll be headed toward Shiprock today. After reading through this thread I'm excited about getting up there and giving it a go.

Robert - check your mail and give me a call if you want to hook up.

[Andrew Plume]

Upcoming run to Shiprock for a few days. I will sleep at the rock most nights to be set for the next morning's photo. Taking 5X7 and 8X10. I can't enlarge 8X10 but there were a couple of places I thought I might try and tease out a dyptic or tryptic. I've got three little spots I've never been to that I plan to visit. Never foot-walked around the end of the famous South Dike, (and never seen a photo from down there), never climbed around the base of the white tower on the North West corner- there is a little cleft tucked in behind it that I want to get into, and never been one other place that I'm curious about: the fabled bone shrine.

Compared to what the rock climbers experience, none of us photographers have ever seen Shiprock at all. I'd love to shoot the shadow from the summit or on top almost anywhere, but very hard to climb solo with a big camera even in pack. I have climbed to the memorial to a fallen climber up in the black bowl and past a bit, but that is a spooky place by yourself.

I've got two specific shots of the West Dike I want to work on, my old friend the Meteorite and the three little towers on the very end where Navajo go and sing some mornings. There is also a scenic crack on the north side of the South Dike that needs some attention about 9:00 am. Schedule starts getting busy.

Oh yeah, maybe tease out a view of the grave on the back side where someone, (I suspect climbers), have buried someone under a stack of rocks up against a solid wall.

The more I shoot at Shiprock the more there IS to shoot, it seems.

Attachment 94914

that's a great image Robert

regards

andrew

[Robert Langham]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]95829[/ATTACH

Thanks. We had made a little middle-of-the-day run up to Monument Valley and coming back in drove down the West side instead of going through town. There were wildfires out in Arizona that were hazing up the light and the air. That grove of cottonwoods is one of the VERY remarkable places near the rock. They are in the bottom of an old stock tank, seven of them, and the tank fills and evaporates, making a flat bare ground under them we call the Dancefloor. I go there every trip but have never gotten an image out of them. 450 Nikon on the 5X7. I'm sure I polarized to take the shine off the leaves. We were there several times during the trip, usually using them for the shade through mid-day. There are parts of an old Dodge around, including a couple of fenders. (I found a little Dodge hubcap once, brought it home for a decade, then took it back). Always run a Great Horned owl out of the trees. Couple of them are easy climbs. My friend puzzled a really nice image of an old corral under there with the cottonwood limbs hanging over and Shiprock in the background. Last time there was an empty gallon jug hanging from a string with a few coins and bills in it. I reload filmholders, fix lunch, take nap. You are off the road and out of sight, though I'm not sure I would try sleeping there.

[Robert Langham]

Three shadows at Shiprock.

[Robert Langham]

Shot when I was a child. Never gotten a satisfying print. Boulders in the foreground pretty grafittied-up these days. I've tried it big and I've tried it small. Shot some variations. Rainstorm over the end of the dike. I didn't realize how rare that was to see. Just 50 yards below where Clift shot Desert Form #1.

[Robert Langham]

Packing to hit the road. Going to take 8X10 with some diptyics in mind. Mostly 5X7 as always. Nights are running coolish still but the trend is warming.

Attachment 95835

Road, shadow, Shiprock, 2010. 20 seconds between the two shots. Off the top of 4-runner in the wind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRlTt_S00zM

[Robert Langham]

East dike over the years.

[Robert Langham]

Wall work.