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The South West Adventure - Limited Edition Giclee Fine Art Prints on Canvas
| SouthWest Adventure. 2300 miles in 8 days through Mountains, sand storms and vortexes. ... My goal in life : to arrive at the destination with the dust of the journey on my cheeks. This Journey literally put dust on my cheeks and spirit in my blood. I will never be the same and there is no turning back. The images here capture my emotion, my reverence and my epiphanies along the dusty road of my own life journey.
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I had planned to leave for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in the morning but after a great run in the trails at Cathedral Rock the clouds kicked in and made for dramatic photographs as I made my way through the landscapes surrounding Sedona. It was hard to pull away! This place won my heart with the beauty and charm of the land.<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
I love the mesas, buttes and canyons of Arizona. Sedona is surrounded by red rock formations. I was in constant awe here. The landscape changed continuously with the light and the clouds. There are 360 degrees of Grand Landscapes!<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
The colors, shapes, textures and light play created images within the Grand Image continually. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
As the morning light played on the landscape of the Grand Canyon I began to see the pictures within. The walls of the canyon revealed colors that changed with the light. The colors of the rainbow, shapes, textures dance in this abstract image and remind me of the challenge of choosing an ice cream flavor by its color at Baskin Robbins. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Grand Canyon hike to Horseshoe Mesa. The steep drop offs combined with ice in several places made my feet a bit ginger to the trail at first. Moving down was steep and as you see here the trail is not a paved walk in the park. I loved it once I became accustomed to the drop offs. Climbing on rocks to get across the trail was fun, and a little more challenging while protecting a camera. I was told that the hike up would take 2 times as long as it takes to get down. 3 miles down took 2.5 hours and coming back up took 1 hour! I huffed it and really enjoyed the steep climb up to 1.5 mile altitude. Something about that thin air that really makes me feel great! <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
I love puffy clouds - they create dramatic skies to go with the grand landscapes of the South West. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
This gnarly tree caught my attention as I photographed the fading light scenics of the Grand Canyon. I climbed down on the ledge to get a better perspective. This image gives a view of the Colorado River between tree branches as well. I wanted a painterly effect on this image so I gave it a slightly blurred effect to soften and blend the rich colors. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
One of my favorite panorama images of the trip. The vistas were many within the Grand Canyon. I believe you could spend a lifetime here and never see it all. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
The Colorado River has always fascinated me. I white water rafted on it years ago. It is beautiful in itself and its power is the source of much beauty within the canyon. The colors in the canyon walls along with the icy blue hue of the Colorado River make this image a rainbow of rock! <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Sunset and silhouette in the Grand Canyon. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Sunset and silhouette in the Grand Canyon. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
The first of a series of Southwest Images produced for my fine art series on canvas. My first time in the Grand Canyon was this same day's sunrise. I was wowed by the expanse, as most people are when they first come here. I spent the morning photographing and the afternoon hiking down to Horse shoe Mesa. I kept running into the right people who helped guide me to the places that I needed to be for hiking and then again for sunset. I shared the light with many people in this spot as the magic hour came. As it vanished and the sun set, fewer people stayed to marvel at the fading sun. Three of us stood to enjoy the show of the post sunset, which is often more spectacular than sunset. As I turned 180 degrees a storm was brewing and the dark blue hues of the sky and the dark clouds formed a new and inviting scene unexpected after the sun had set. Pockets of light escaped from the clouds and I was able to open up the colors on the rocks below with a very slow shutter. This was the drama, the feel of heart pounding awe and excitement that for me symbolized my reverence of this grand landscape, the Grand Canyon.<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
The light streaming through the canyon changed the colors on the sandstone rock within constantly. In this image the light overhead casts pink and grayish lavender tones. The thin lines of shadows that you see is sand entering the canyon from the very windy day in the "real world" outside the canyon. I was bombarded with sand and came out with the dust of the journey on my cheeks and in my hair!<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
The formations within the lower Antelope Canyon are statues carved by Nature. You see "pools" of sand deposited in the folds of the "statues" you see here. Ironically the best time for photography here is bright, sunny, and high noon - the time of day and situation that generally yields harsh shadows on most situations. Inside the cavern the high noon light casts its magic of color on the canyon walls as it enters through the narrow slits above.<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Manual settings are the only way to go on any SLR camera. Any pro should tell her camera what to do, rather than letting the camera make that decision for her. Antelope canyon gave me many opportunities for some surreal play with white balance settings of my camera. In this image I manually set my white balance to about 2800 K to make this image appear "cool". I absolutely love how the sand settles into the dips and lines of the sandstone, as if Nature added thicker brushstrokes of oil to her painting. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Below the ground lies this beautiful narrow canyon. About a mile long, I slowly wound my way through its cool sandstone walls and watched the light paint color that changed as quickly as it was painted. The canyons echoed a raven overhead and the beautiful guitar solo of one of the Navajo guides.<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Antelope Canyon, Page Arizona. A guide took me out on flat desert ground and said, "there it is." A small hole into a ravine is where I dropped into to stroll along approximately a mile into this narrow canyon. The light at high noon is best here as it plays on the walls of the canyon, changing the colors as well as the exposure with each moment! The shapes, the lines and the colors here fascinated me. The guide went ahead of me and played his guitar which beautifully echoed off the canyon walls. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
The images change from solid to ethereal when the blowing sand blows in with the light. Here you see the blowing sand shadows against the canyon walls. There are shapes and images to be made everywhere here. Look up, down, forward - and don't forget to look back from whence you came. Things always appear new from a different perspective. Such is in life as well. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Horseshoe Bend, Page AZ. Just looking at this image takes my breath away and brings back the feeling of awe, thrill and vertigo that raced through my veins upon first contact with theis scene. A long walk through the sandy desert brings a person to this scene and you really don't see it until you are right up on it! The expansive scene is breathtaking and you look down 1000 feet to view the bend in the Colorado River below. I scooted carefully on my butt and laid on my stomach to look down and photograph this stitched image. My 18mm lens made four vertical images that were stitched to make this final image. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
I had a great time on these cliff trails in Death Valley. I pulled in to Stovepipe Wells after a 5 - 6 hour drive from Zion National Park - avoiding Vegas as much as possible (inside joke). I was looking for a hike in Death Valley and this one was great! This is the place that told me how much I would love to climb! Well, after doing so on a solid rock wall formation, I felt confident and scaled down the cliffs you see here. Though they were not SUPER huge, they were pretty steep and NOT solid. Once committed though, there was not any going back. My hands were well pumiced from the decent.<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
It took the Grand Canyon to rid my slight fear of heights, due to lack of heights in the midwest. ... At this point I was climbing up and around like a mountain goat, camera in tow. What a blast! I love the very vast array of topography and landscape in this great country I call home. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Death Valley Morning Dunes. As I began my immersion into the language of the dunes at Death Valley, it seemed that they went on forever. From the road they appear easily accessible and they are. But if you have ever experiences walking through sand dunes the journey is not all that swift! With every few feet the scenery changed - the light, the lines, the shapes, the texture. The scale of these dunes intrigued me and I hiked up to the very tips of many of them as the temperatures climbed from 47 degrees to over 80 in just a few hours time. Here I enjoyed people added to my image to show the "bigness" of the dunes.<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
The curves and shapes in the sand are constantly changing and evolving here in Death Valley, another reason to stay here for a lengthy time and photograph the evolution of the dunes. Stepping two feet forward or two steps to the side created a whole new perspective for pictures. I felt this also to be a very good metaphor for life - a different perspective will change the way that we see. <br><br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
All kinds of mammals set their tracks in the dunes here. The crest of the dunes in this image is laden with human tracks. While I have tried most of the time to keep human elements out of my images I no longer strive so hard to do so. After all, we are animals too. The mix of wild animal and human animal tracks here shows my hope for a cohesive and mutually beneficial relationship between man/womankind and the land and her wild creatures. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Shapes, twists, and patterns in the dunes of Death Valley. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
The waves, shapes and colors in the sandstone at Zion National Park had me hovering over places I stood to capture the colors to share. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Zion National Park. The color in the sandstone was amazing, as it represented the amazing colors throughout all that I saw in the Southwest. Rainbows were everywhere, though mostly woven into the sandstone and rock formations. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
The Critically Endangered California Condor in flight near the Navajo Bridge. One of eleven Condors I counted here, as he flies over water and land, he represents, in his own scarcity the message of conservation. His numbers were down in 1987 to only 22. As of April 2009 there are 322 condors known to be living, including 172 of them in the wild. We see the numbers on the wild condors here. As he flies over beautiful water and beautiful land, he sends a message to take care of the land we are blessed with before it is too late. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
California Condors have the largest wing span of any North American bird and it is one of the heaviest birds as well. Unlike other birds of prey, the female condor is smaller than the male. Condors can weigh up to 30 pounds but the average is 20. <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
California Condors mate for life. They build simple nests in cliffs like you see here. I saw a family while here in the cliffs, a juvenile and two adults. They can live to be 50 years of age.<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
I felt a very spiritual knowing while photographing the California Condors on the Navajo Bridge in AZ. This one cast his wing tip shadow directly behind him and his head and wingspan directly behind that. There is something very reverent to me in this image, something representative of what our Native American brothers and sisters shared with us from the beginning. The shadow is bigger than the bird and it cannot be contained. There is no thing as ownership - that is illusion. The great spirit of a person, an animal or land cannot be contained. It always was and always will be a great fallacy of humankind.<br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>
Zion National Park Sandstone formations. The topography here is incredible. The large rocks of sandstone are "in your face". I hiked quickly up one of these sandstone cliffs. I was up fairly quickly as the grip on my feet was sweet! It was quite steep and like any mountain climbing gave me a good workout. It was when I looked back towards the road I realized just how steep and how far I had climbed! <br>See all of my<a href="http://www.wisconsinphotos.com/gallery/journeys/southwest"> Southwest images online</a><br><script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#tabs=web%2Cpost%2Cemail&amp;charset=utf-8&amp;style=rotate&amp;publisher=f2a5553a-3955-454f-b46f-4dd0c939f090"></script>