Day 42 - Mescal

We've been to Sedona so many times now - and this year I've been trying to present a more intimate view of the trailside landscapes. Particularly I've been interested in trying to represent the incredible textural side of things - in a way that emphasizes or even over emphasizes this quality. Can I make my viewer feel the texture? My most recent ideas have been to explore what I can do with double exposures. My little fuji XE-1 will only allow 2 exposures - so a bit confined there. But sometimes the constraints can make you reach for novel ways. I have to say I've been a bit bemused at the recent "new" photography trend to "ICM", "ICM Workshops" "ICM Contests" etc. The first time I recently heard the initials ICM I kinda went "huh?" So you know - it refers to the technique of "intentional camera movement". There's nothing new about it. Freeman Patterson has spent a career exploring this notion along with multiple exposure techniques. We're talking over 40 years ago. Regardless - it's just fine that it's being revisited in a big way now. Because as anyone who likes to push their skills knows - it's all about what you do with it - and why you're doing it. Keep playing - keep practising.

Our destination today is a giant amphitheater behind that big rock.

The Black Helicopters nervously watch our progress. Something is afoot.

Ella races around the side canyons.

As always, a guardian tree.

Then, we find it: these ancient petroglyphs are thought to be a final gift from those ancient alien visitors. The top line of script is almost certainly Schrödinger's Equation - a gift that would have given the human inhabitants of this area an insurmountable technological advantage over their peers. On the right, there appears to be a chemical diagram for a magical medicine that cures all. It is believed "VM" is the alien visitor's initials.

Ella is onto something. Wendy is onto something else.

Ella's art evolution continues. She's now exploring the idea of integrating "found objects" into her work. She calls this one "little snail on trail".

Never seen anything like these pebbly litle bits before. Quite curious - where is that Dr. Daniel Jackson alien anthropologist guy when we need him?

The edge of the amphitheatre. A giant cactus garden.

Today's water stop.

The Team on the trail back.

Russ approaches the "S" curve.

Do the 3 tips on the cloud bottom somehow relate to the 3 peaks?

Moonrise Mezcal.

Just as we're trying to hurry back to the truck before dark - this whirling cloud vortex appears over us. Darn - we've stirred something up again! The black helicopters are bound to track us down - guaranteed.

Once again, the race is on to the parking lot before sunset.

Finally Tlaquepaque has dressed up for the season.

 

 

 

 

 

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