Sedona & Oak Creek, Arizona
'Cathedral Rock - From the forest...'
Red Rock State Park, Sedona, Arizona. Not the iconic view shot while standing in the water of Oak Creek Crossing... Rather we walked into the meadow to the north and found a forested foreground we liked. Note: If you venture to Sedona seeking to shoot Cathedral Rock from the Crossing, make plans for an evening shoot. Yes, the park closes well before sundown and you may have to be creative, but the Cathedral will be front lit and your sky's behind will be darker. And if you go in the fall rainy season, you may be rewarded with some rainbow action.. A three exposure compilation. Canon 7D, 1/250 s, 1/125 s, 1/60 s @ f/10, ISO 100 EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM @ 70 mm.
PS5 Raw, NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 - Custom Profile, NIK Viviza selective adjustments to recover hidden backlit earth tones.cathedral rockred rock canyonoak creeksedonaarizonahdrdailysw
'Split-rail Meadow...' That's Cathedral Rock to the right.. From Verde Valley School Road, Northwest of the town of Oak Creek,
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'Montezuma's Castle...'
Really a must-see while in the Sedona area, this easy-to-access, native American wonder was so worth the side-trip.
About a half hour south of Sedona near Camp Verde, along Bever Creek, this National Monument (since 1906) is one of the best preserved Cliff Dwellings in North America. Built and used by the Pre-Columbian Sinagua people, It was occupied from approximately 1100-1425 AD, it's occupation peaking around 1300 AD. A sofisticated complex, the structure comprises 20 rooms on 5 levels (floors) and was likely occupied by about 50 people. Carved in the limestone cliff, the Sinagua were courageous builders - using primative tools for construction and accessing the entire site by ladders. We really do not know exactly why the Sinagua abandoned the complex, but their ancestors still live in the region. Several Hopi Clans trace their roots to the Sinagua and the Beaver Creek area. Neither part of the monument's name is correct. The Sinaqua dwelling was abandoned 100 years before Montezuma was born and the Dwellings were not a castle. It was more like a "prehistoric high rise apartment complex". ~ Paraphrased from Wikipedia
A three exposure HDR, 1/800s, 1/400 s, 1/200 s, ISO 100, f/9, EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM @ 26 mm' A Sedona Double...' From upper West Ridge Park Drive, shot southeastward with the sun over our left shoulder...
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'Ever heard of a Hot Spot...?'
Sight of a Paranormal Vortex, or 'Hot Spot.' In the lower right portion of this image at the flat rock on Oak Creek at Red Rock State Park, there's an encounter underway.. We followed this group from the trailhead and discovered they were being 'guided' by a lady who's apparently more in touch with the paranormal than the general population... Seen in the larger sizes, she's laying a hand on his head as they stand in a 'vortex.' My guess is there's alot more money for tour guides than there are real vortexes in these red rocks - but it's good for tourism and the local economy... Wonder if he made contact....
A three exposure HDR Compilation
Canon 7D, 1/640 s, 1/320s, 1/160 s, @ f/10.0, Raw, EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM @ 24mm, ISO 100, NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 - Custom Profile, NIK Viviza - control point adjustments.