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.
Bookmarks