SnakeMedicine_Book1

SACRED EARTH SITES: SEEING THE UNSEEN, VOL. 1

The text and photos found in all renditions of this document are copyrighted by Sopensky/Angus LLC © 2006-2016.
ISBN 978-1-5136-1671-1
Design and production by Josie Designs, Ellicott City, MD josie@josiedesigns.com
This book may be purchased for educational, business or sales promotional use. For information please write Sopensky/Angus LLC at info@sacredearthsites.com
For permission to reproduce illustrations by Scott Angus, please write to info@sacredearthsites.com.

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
PREFACE 3
THE ITINERARY 4
SNAKE MEDICINE 5
LOCATION
1 I MONTICELLO, VIRGINIA 6
MONTICELLO SLAVE GRAVEYARD 7
Conversations with the Artist 9
LOCATION
2 I BEAR MOUND, IOWA 10
EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONUMENT 11
Conversations with the Artist 13
LOCATION
3 I LAKOTA HILLS NEAR COLUMBIA, MISSOURI 14
“WINEMAN’S” BLUFF, MISSOURI 15
Conversations with the Artist 17
LOCATION
4 I COLORADO PLATEAU 18
MOUNTAIN RIDGE, COLORADO PLATEAU,
COLORADO 19
Conversations with the Artist 21
LOCATION
5 I STONE CIRCLE, COLORADO 15
STONE CIRCLE, COLORADO 22
Conversations with the Artist 25
LOCATION
6 I UTE MOUNTAIN, UTAH 26
ENDLESS EMBRACE 27
VAST EMBRACE 28
Conversations with the Artist 29
LOCATION
7 I CHACO CANYON, NEW MEXICO 30
UNDULATING SEAMS 31
Conversations with the Artist 33
ETERNAL SKY MEETS AGE-OLD ARTIFICES 34
Conversations with the artist 37
LOCATION
8 I BLACK MESA, NEW MEXICO 38
BEYOND APPROACH 39
Conversations with the Artist 41
LOCATION
9 I BLACK MESA, ARIZONA 42
STAIRWAY TO THE GODS 43
A STAIRWAY 44
Conversations with the Artist 45
LOCATION
10 I SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA 46
VALLEY OF WHISPERS 47
THE STILLNESS OF A WHISPER 48
Conversations with the Artist 49
LOCATION
11 I BORDER, ARIZONA-NEVADA 50
Conversations with the Artist 53
LOCATION
12 I ANASAZI RUINS, ARIZONA 54
EMBEDDED SERPENT 55
THE WINDING WAY 56
Conversations with the Artist 57
LOCATION
13 I ZUNI LANDS, ARIZONA 58
SPLIT TREE 59
SPLIT TREE IN BLACK-AND-WHITE 60
Conversations with the Artist 61
LOCATION
14 I ESCALANTE PLATEAU, ESCALANTE, UTAH 62
ESCALANTE’S ENDLESS ESCAPE 63
BLEAK PLATEAU 64
Conversations with the Artist 65
SAGACIOUS SAGE 66
Conversations with the Artist 69
WAVES FROZEN IN MOTION 70
Conversations with the Artist 73
ESCALANTE PLATEAU – THE FORTRESS 74
ESCALANTE PLATEAU CREVASSE 76
Conversations with the Artist 77
LOCATION
15 I CAPITOL REEF, UTAH 78
THE TOWER 79
THE STRIPED TOWER 80
Conversations with the Artist 81
LOCATION
16 I BRYCE CANYON, UTAH 82
RED POPSICLES 83
PINS AND NEEDLES 84
Conversations with the Artist 85
IN THE SHADOWS 86
A VOID 88
Conversations with the Artist 89
LAKE PROTECTED BY ROCK 90
Conversations with the Artist 91
GHOST MOUNTAIN 92
Conversations with the Artist, cont. 93
LOCATION
17 I HOVENDEEP, UTAH 94
ANASAZI CLOUD CROWD 95
Conversations with the Artist 97
LOCATION
18 I ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH 98
A GATHERING PLACE 99
IN BETWEEN 100
Conversations with the Artist 101
LOCATION
19 I MOJAVE DESERT, NEVADA 102
SKELETAL FINGERS 103
OMINOUS SPACE 104
Conversations with the Artist 105
LOCATION
20 I NEVADA, ON THE WAY TO PALM SPRINGS 106
INDIAN WARRIOR ON HORSEBACK 107
WARRIOR 108
Conversations with the Artist 109
LOCATION
21 I CAHOKIA, ILLINOIS 110
GLIMPSES OF PRIOR GRANDEUR 112
CAHOKIA MONK’S MOUND REVEALED 114
Conversations with the Artist 119
THE WATERSHED 120
REFERENCES 122
SNAKE
INSIDE BACK COVER

P R E FA C E
The snake is both revered and feared
in many cultures, ancient and contemporary.
Like all animals, the snake has a
practical as well as a metaphysical purpose.
For its authors, this book, too, has
dual intentions. Scott Angus is a gifted
photographer, whose talent is just beginning
to gain attention. Emily Sopensky has
earned her living crafting words for others.
This is her first foray into a joint project
with Scott and the art of photography.
With this collection of photographs,
we embark on the first in a series of personal
odysseys that explore sacred earth
sites. Capturing the power of these ancient
spiritual places is an off-sought, illusive,
lifetime goal.
It may be too much to anticipate visions
of the ancients dancing and chanting on
these pages while viewing the accompanying
photographs, but we do hope this
collection conveys what the photographer
sees; why and how he was drawn to each site;
speculation on what force powers the site;
and what was captured in the photograph.
Simultaneously this book was written
with the photography student in mind. As
a teacher of studio arts, Scott Angus gives
subtle guidance in taking photographs
that all can learn from, regardless of generational
differences.
The quality of a photograph, or a photography
technique, is often reduced to
capturing the moment. With a portrait, it
may be about capturing that fleeting smile
as it unwinds. Say you are at a party and
you want to capture the mood. You whip
out your camera, or more likely your cell
phone, and snap away. You learn quickly
the next sober morning how difficult it is
to distill your multiple shots into one that
reflects all that you felt then and now
about the party and the people who were
there. Capturing the moment, the light, the
feeling, the people, the room—all that you
“recorded” while at the party, is a phenomenally
intuitive process that goes underappreciated
because everyone can take a
picture. Similarly, the art of selecting
the picture to be recorded in landscape
photograph is just as difficult as flipping
through the takes you did get. Determining
the subject and its “frame”, selecting the
angle that best uses the light, are important
in making a memorable photograph that
has universal appeal.
We revere the great U.S. landscape
photographers. Sources of inspiration are
Ansel Easton Adams, Edward Weston,
Minor White and Sebastião Salgado, all of
whom were inspired by the great landscapes
of the American West.
In the analogs of photographic history,
Ansel Easton Adams surely is such a
household name that no one in the U.S.
has not heard of him or seen his pictures.
He and several well-known artists such as
Thomas Moran, helped introduce the
American West to the United States and
the world. Capturing the majesty of such
jewels as Yosemite National Park, Adams
also sparked environmentalism in the wild
west.
Older but still a contemporary of
Adams, Edward Weston too was enamored
of the West. More specifically, California
3

THE ITINERARY
1. MONTICELLO, VIRGINIA
2. BEAR MOUND, IOWA
3. LAKOTA HILLS,
MISSOURI
4. COLORADO PLATEAU,
COLORADO
5. STONE MOUNTAIN,
COLORADO
6. UTE INDIAN MOUNTAIN,
UTAH
7. CHACO CANYON,
NEW MEXICO
8. BLACK MESA BUTTE,
NEW MEXICO
9. BLACK MESA, ARIZONA
10. SUPERSTITION
MOUNTAIN, ARIZONA
11. NEVADA-ARIZONA
BORDER
12. ANASAZI RUINS,
ARIZONA
13. ZUNI LANDS, ARIZONA
14. ESCALANTE PLATEAU,
UTAH
15. CAPITOL REEF, UTAH
16. BRYCE CANYON, UTAH
17. “HOV”, UTAH
(DRIVE BY)
18. ZION NATIONAL PARK,
ARIZONA
19. MOJAVE DESERT,
NEVADA
20. ON THE WAY TO PALM
SPRINGS, NEVADA
21. CAHOKIA, ILLINOIS
and Point Lobos gave him the solitude for
inspiration. Weston made kelp and windblown
trees appear sensual and alive.
In the mid-20 th century, Minor White’s
passion for the mundane brought the art of
landscape photography to a new height.
Rows of furrowed ground compete with
natural wonders. A mid-Westerner transplanted
to the West Coast, White is remembered
for his intellectual curiosity
and philosophical pursuit of truth.
At last count, the Brazilian Sebastião
Salgado has visited 120 countries. He uses
his talents as a photographer to enlighten
the world about the age-old war between
nature and man. The former will ultimately
win out, but Salgado is often in the
midst of causes to protect or restore the
environment.
Unless the photographer has declared
a moratorium on cropping the photograph,
the photographer’s job is not done without
employing editing options. For example,
should the photo remain untouched? How
is it best displayed? Landscape photographers
have a complex job of determining how
much should be left as is it is in nature,
what should be “interpreted” for the
viewer with a few discreet crops, or how
much the photographer wants mood and
environment to be reflected. Should he
return on a cloudy day, or a sunset or
sunrise, or at a different time of year?
The landscape generally doesn’t change,
but the photographer’s goals and attitude
inevitably do.
In this volume, Scott Angus shares his
art as well as his thoughts about the photographs
he took on his cross-country
odyssey. Recorded in 2006 and 2013-2016,
his recollections are poignant and remain
fresh. But just as important, he gives you
a look at the photographs from a photographer’s
view. We hope that his sight,
becomes yours as you seek your own
spiritual places—hence, the play on words
“site” and “sight”.
Placing the photos into context, Emily
Sopensky describes the historical significance
of the sites. Her conversations with
Scott Angus trigger some of the more
significant insights to the photographer’s
eye and the ability to “see” his subject.
This collection of photos is organized
by site, chronologically by Angus’ itinerary.
After a practical description of the site and
its historical significance, each picture is
presented first in color than in black-andwhite.
The photographer points out the
difference between the two. In Conversations
with the Artist, he answers some of
these questions:
What attracted you to the site?
What makes it a sacred site?
What is sacred in this photo?
Why take this photo?
Why this angle?
What is the focus in the color photo?
In the black&white?
What color(s) are dominant in this
photo? What object is the focus?
Where do you want the viewer’s eyes
to go?
Would you recommend crops?
If so, where? What would you leave
out if you had to crop it?
There are many decisions to be made of
which the observer is unaware.
4

S N A K E M E D I C I N E
In some Native American traditions, the snake signifies transmutation,
a shedding of skin as a life begins. In this debut album, the
photographer embarked on a cross-country road trip that ultimately
transported him to a new career and a new life. In part this is a record
of his trip.
Regardless of the importance of the
snake in Native American culture, remarkably
and without intent, the snake is the
subject of many of his photos.
The trip culminates when the photographer
visits Cahokia, one of the 23 UNESCO
World Cultural Sites in the United States,
and located in southern Illinois across the
river from St. Louis, Missouri.
Exploring the surrounding universe is
fundamental to any inquisitive mind. For
a photographer, discovery is a way of life,
and the anchor of his calling. The photographer
in this record was already familiar
with visiting sacred sites as far ranging as
those on Navajo reservations and Anwar
Wat, the ancient mystical Cambodian temples.
Attracted to powerful landscapes as
well as ancient symbology, the photographer
conceived an itinerary that took him
from Washington, D.C. to Orange County,
California via a non-traditional route. Visiting
with friends and family along the
way, some even joined him in his quest for
spiritual earth sites.
The first odyssey ends in St. Louis,
Missouri, where Scott Angus teaches at
Maryville University. Again, without
conscious intent, he is learning how propitious
St. Louis is to his own quest for
sacred earth sites. Some archeologists
pit Cahokia city, established in the first
century just across the great Mississippi
River from current day St. Louis proper, as
the heartland and homeland for the ensuing
cultures of Native Americans that
spread throughout the Midwest, the Great
Plains and the South of the United States.
Seeing the unseen is the theme that
runs throughout the book. Invoking the
owl’s mystical role as gatekeeper to the unknown
realms, we spy on the great natural
landscapes, and intuit their inner secrets.
What a coincidence that by chasing
the spiritually powerful, but dormant Native
American sacred sites, the quest ends
where it all began—in St. Louis!
5

ON LOCATION
1 I M O N T I C E L L O , V I R G I N I A
At the beginning of the quest, while Angus was residing in Washington,
D.C., the very first photograph was taken at Monticello,
near Charlottesville, Virginia. This photo marks the beginning of the
journey. The picture is of a simple grave marker that sits under the
great trees surrounding Thomas Jefferson’s famous home. Only recently
discovered, the marker reveals the eternal resting place for the household’s
slaves.
As with many sacred earth sites, this
graveyard is unobtrusive and almost hidden.
It lies at the base of a heavily wooded,
steep hill crowned by the majestic Monticello
plantation. By comparison, the humble
graveyard, overlooked by most visitors,
is situated in a lightly cordoned area of the
Monticello visitor parking lot.
Before Scott Angus left on his crosscountry
trek, he intended to photograph
the site where the ever-prolific Jefferson
had written about his excavation of an Indian
mound. Indian mounds still abound
in much of Eastern U.S. No one really
knows why they were built. Their purpose(s)
remain a mystery to this day,
although many theories have been postulated.
Photographing these sites from the
ground so that they would be meaningful
was intriguing to Angus. Even in aerial
photographs they are difficult to discern.
Yet when we arrived at Monticello and
asked to be directed to the site, we encountered
bewilderment. Even the knowledgeable
people at the nearby Kenwood
Institute and the Robert H. Smith International
Center for Jefferson Studies said the
site had never been located. It is quite possible
that the site identification was locked
in a trunk of Jeffersonian papers that was
part of the cargo now lying at the bottom
of the ocean when the vessel carrying
them sank during a storm. 1 The date of excavation
is also in question, although there
is some agreement that Jefferson organized
his archeological expedition prior to
the Revolution but wrote about it in the
early 1780s.
Robert H. Smith
International Center
for Jefferson Studies.
(Charlottesville,
Virginia)
[Sopensky photo]
With the elusive Indian mound evading
us at Monticello, Scott and I concluded
that it was fitting that the end of one career—as
a commercial photographer in
Washington, D.C.—be documented by a
photograph of a sacred site, a graveyard.
In death there is life.
1 “The original manuscript delivered to Marbois in 1781 has never been found and may no longer exist, and it is known that Jefferson continued work on the 1781 manuscript.”
6
In “Jefferson's Excavation of an Indian Burial Mound,” Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia « Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello; http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/
jeffersons-excavation-indian-burial-mound [11/6/2016 3:23pm]

Monticello Slave Graveyard. “African-American graveyards are considered the first black institutions in North America, and were expressions of
the separateness slavery created. This burial ground became a sacred space that reinforced the human ties that bound together the members of
Monticello’s slave community. (Source: Plaque found at the site.) [Sopensky photo]

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
The history of the forgotten is a profound sentiment. Monticello is part of the birth
of our country. At one time, it was the dwelling for Native Americans. We looked
for the Indian mounds, and instead we found the resting place for the slaves of
Monticello.
This is the resting place of the inhabitants here. There is a circle of light piercing
through the trees which creates a sense of spiritual peace. The idea of its dark past
is coming full circle. I think it tells a story of sadness and experience that has been
uplifted in death.
Notice how the focus brings out the green which represents life and the brown of
the earth represents death. Out of death comes life, the plants grown out of that
which has died.
The black-and-white photo shows the starkness of a sacred resting place. It reveals
the reality of death and life. But the center of the focus is the immovable rock
that is surrounded by light.
There is nothing here to crop. The picture is complete as is. I wanted to capture
the stillness of the air and the sight—to be sure that the shadows were not moving;
no winds played with the picture I had in my mind.
9

ON LOCATION
2 I B E A R M O U N D , E F F I G Y M O U N D S
N AT I O N A L M O N U M E N T, I OWA
The Great Mississippi River is the backbone of the United States,
its watershed draining approximately 40 percent of the entire
continental United Sates. The river stretches 2320 miles from Upper
Mississippi until the Lower Mississippi spills out from its delta where
Louisiana meets the Gulf of Mexico.
The Upper Mississippi Region, includes
parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin; and the Lower
Mississippi Region lies below the confluence
with the Ohio River (excluding the
Arkansas, Red, and White Rivers) and
coastal streams that ultimately discharge
into the Gulf of Mexico. This region
includes parts of Arkansas, Kentucky
Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and
Tennessee.
Roughly due north and 400 miles from
Cahokia (the last destination in the Snake
Medicine itinerary), another significant
and ancient sacred site is found. Effigy
Mounds National Monument is 10 miles
south of Harpers Ferry, Iowa. Dozens of
effigy mounds shaped like birds or bears
are found in the park, which President
Truman signed into existence in 1949.
Outside the park, it is estimated there are
dozens, if not hundreds, more mounds in
the “Driftless Area” (an area around the
Mississippi River that comprises northeast
Iowa, southwest Wisconsin, southeast
Minnesota, northern Illinois). The topologic
area is so named because the Pleistocene
glaciers stopped short of flattening
the terrain here. One scholar estimated
that there are 206 mounds of which 31 are
effigies within the park boundaries in
eastern Iowa.
Archeologists believe the effigy mounds
were built during the Late Woodland
Period (700-1300 A.D.). These mounds take
five different shapes: birds in flight,
reptiles with tails (lizards or turtles),
mammals (panther, wildcat, elephant, and
others with a tail) lying on their right
sides; tailless animals, also lying on their
sides and generally called “bear mounds”.
The fifth type effigy mound is built in the
image of humans. Effigy mounds in the
park, take the shape of birds or bears, all
heading south along the river.
The region was inhabited by the Upper
Mississippians, who were also called the
Oneota. The tribal name evolved into the
Ioway, Oto, and other Siouan-speaking
tribes that inhabited the Midwest when
the first Europeans arrived. The general
assumption is, however, none of these
tribes has a cultural memory of building
monuments; therefore they are not the
mound builders. But in the Winnebago’s
ancient lore, a chief had a dream to build
a mound to use for refuge when the tribe
was under attack. Perhaps the Winnebago’s
forefathers built the effigy monuments.
We will never know for certain.
10

Bear Mound, Iowa. Bear Mound – Effigy Mounds National Monument, south of Harpers Ferry, Iowa

Bear Mound in black-and-white

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
We drove from my cousin’s house in Ottumwa, Iowa for two hours. When I asked
him if there were any sacred Indian sites in Iowa, he remembered hearing about a
park with Indian mounds. We located the Bear Mound park on the map.
The drive gave us a chance to catch up on our families’ activities.
When we arrived, I immediately caught site of the Bear Mound. This shot was
taken shortly after arriving. I liked the framing by the trees. After taking many other
angles, I realized they were all boring. Unless you are taking an aerial photo, it’s
hard to get a sense of the mound. This is the center of the energy of the area,
I thought. It is also the only place where there are trees. There is new growth here.
The focus is the middle of the mounds, where the grass is. There are different textures
because the grass has not been cut but is the same type of grass surrounding
the mound.
I would crop closer into the mound, cutting most of the trees out of the picture.
The dark green of the trees lets the viewers see the mounds without being distracted
by the intensity of the green. I want the viewer to really see the mounds.
13

ON LOCATION
3 I L A KOTA H I L L S N E A R C O L U M B I A , M I S S O U R I
West of Columbia, Missouri, which is home to the University of
Missouri, Interstate 70 crosses the Missouri River. It is here
that the bluffs overlooking the river are called Lakota Hills.
The seven bands of the Lakota tribe speak
variations of the Sioux tongue. The
Lakotans roamed much of the Upper
Mississippi basin, although there is evidence
that their origins are from the
Lower Mississippi. Before the horse was
introduced to them in the 1700s, the
Lakotans drew their strength from the
land as agriculturists, not as nomadics
following the wild herds. After their migration
to The Dakotas and the Badlands,
the Lakotans found their strength in the
land while on horseback. Two of their legendary
members Sitting Bull and Crazy
Horse, are remembered as emblems for the
buffalo-chasing horse culture. In the vast
region within the boundaries of Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri and the
Dakotas, the Lakotans and the Sioux
thrived. But their territory was also the
path of the western push by a culture and
a civilization ultimately emanating from
Europe. The history of this clash between
the established culture and the brash
movement of Easterners moving west is
legendary. A new respect for the land
evolved that did not accommodate the
Lakotans reverence for the land and its
assets. The epic battles that ensued are
inscribed in the literature of the Wild West
and stereotyped and fictionalized by
Hollywood.
14

“Wineman’s” Bluff, Missouri. Missouri River from Lakota Hills, Arrow Head / Arrow Rock, Missouri.

Missouri River from Lakota Hills, Arrow Head / Arrow Rock, Missouri.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
When I was an undergrad at the University of Missouri, I used to drink wine on the
bluffs of Lakota Hills overlooking the Missouri River. My friends and I would talk
about life, philosophy, and the makings of great political leaders. Our musings probably
bore little resemblance to reality, and the wine was of questionable merit, but
we certainly enjoyed the moments.
Before the Civil War, the last of the slave trading camps that remained on the
Missouri River sat on top of those hills. The bluffs of the slave trading are just to the
right.
We talked about changing the world and making it a better place. We all wanted
to be senators and congressmen. The energy flow is mesmerizing. No, it is not a designated
site—but I know it is sacred.
This photograph was taken while standing on the east bank of the river, looking
west. I took several angles because I wanted to capture the hills and the flow of the
river and the sunset. I knew it would be tricky to capture the reflection on the water
without its dominating the picture. The water is flowing south towards me. The bend
in the river with the hills curving around it makes this spot sacred to me. The hills
seem to be bottling up the energy as the river flows through.
The dominant color is white. The dominant object is the river. I would crop the
sides so that the trees are not interfering with the line of the river. If I look at this
long enough, I think I can feel the spirit of Native Americans that is then reflected
as an African American sacred site.
Viewers should see the curve with the white, and imagine what the sun does on
the river. How the reflections create another world, another space. It’s a solemn place.
It’s the end of their journey.
17

ON LOCATION
4 I C O L O R A D O P L AT E A U
The Colorado mountain ridges are near the Utah border in Colorado
near the Four Corners area, which is embraced by the Colorado
Plateau. New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Colorado meet here, where the
Navajo Nation, Hopi, and Ute claim this region as their homeland.
In this area, there are more national parks than anywhere in the
U.S. except perhaps in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. One
mountain ridge stood out for the photographer.
18

Mountain Ridge, Colorado Plateau, Colorado. Colorado’s Mountain Ridges, near the Utah border and Four Corners.

Mountain Ridge, Colorado Plateau, Colorado. Colorado’s Mountain Ridges, in black-and-white.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
The cloud formation was awesome. I’ll never forget the moment when I laid eyes on
this expanse. The blue mountains appear remote, but in their presence there is no
doubting their dominance and influence. I saw this picture and immediately stopped
the car to capture the moment. My attachment to this site is distant, but it was a
moment I could not disregard. I had no idea where this site was. After I took the shot,
I looked it up on the Internet. Blanco Mountains are sacred to the Ute Tribe; the
mountain range is simply “Blanco” or “white”. The red ridge provided a nice framing.
At some point I’ll return and go up in the mountains. But here, when I took the photo,
I was far from it.
The focus for me is the massive white cloud. In retrospect, perhaps it is a reflection
of the mountain range’s name.
What does it tell me? I think there’s a spiritual omnipresence with that cloud.
There is great energy coming out of the mountains. Maybe the clouds always are
“captured” trying to go over these mountains.
If I were to crop it, I would remove some of the ridge in the foreground. I want
to force the viewer’s eye to the mountains above and in the middle. Do I get the sense
that I’ve seen this before? I do, in a way. I think there is a sadness there. I think that’s
why I stayed away.
21

ON LOCATION
5 I S TO N E C I R C L E , C O L O R A D O
In southern Colorado, near the New Mexico border, this site is near
the San Juan range that is the southern tip of the Rockies. Chama,
New Mexico is just south of this location. Historical records do not
record any turf wars or other signs of tumult. Yet this geologic formation
drew the photographer’s eye. Seemingly remote, there are hints of
ancient civilizations yet to be unearthed.
22

Stone Circle, Colorado. Stone Circle in southern Colorado.

Stone Circle in southern Colorado in black-and-white.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
When I saw this artificial ridge, I thought it would be like a mound. The whole thing
is a ruin. I would hope that someday the site will be excavated and we will find out
what is in it.
My focus is the grass. I wanted to show what’s possibly coming up from the
ground. Grass represents energy, the life after death.
The viewer’s focus are the mountains in the background. The dominant colors are
golds and browns.
If I were to crop it, I’d like to see less of the wall. It dominates the picture too
much now. That is not what I want to be the focus. Turning it vertically, would also
diffuse the rock wall’s dominance.
Were there other angles for this photograph? I don’t think so. I took more shots
below the wall. They didn’t show enough of the grassy hill. The trisects of colors—
yellow grass, green bushes, blue grey sky/mountains—I want them all to be in
balance.
25

ON LOCATION
6 I U T E M O U N TA I N , U TA H
The Colorado Plateau is the ancient home to the Ute Indians. This
is the notable Four Corners, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and
New Mexico are joined.
The rich grasslands attracted buffalo, rabbits,
antelope, deer that the Ute hunted.
Nuts, berries, roots and greens were plentiful,
providing an enviable diet for the nomadic
Utes. Today, Interstate 80 dissects
Colorado and Utah on the way to the Bay
Bridge in San Francisco.
26

Endless Embrace. Scruff in the foreground and a slight rise embellish the level-headed range in the background.

Vast Embrace. In black and white, the bland color photo is transformed into something for more menacing.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
Here is another instance when I was simply arrested by what I saw from the highway.
I was driving by myself when I saw such an amazing height. It seemed to rise from
the ground instantaneously. I don’t know if it is officially a sacred site but it is for
me. The pull was too strong to resist. I stopped and took this head-on picture.
The colors are subtle. They run up the slopes so gently and softly that if feels like
this is a huge giant resting peacefully. The energy was strong. I took this shot with
the road behind me. I wanted the brushes to help frame it in the foreground.
This dead-on angle resulted because the hill is so big. The focus is on the mountain.
I wouldn’t crop this at all. See the quad-band? I like the equal balance among
these bands of color and weight. The gold dominates foreground. But the mountain
is overwhelming in its immensity. The viewer’s eyes go to the big ridge and the big
slope.
This is very powerful resting energy. I think the mountain looks like it can get up
and move.
With the black-and-white photo, there is a mysticism to this that suggests layers
of history from ancient to modern times. It’s almost as if you can insert yourself
within each fold of earth’s history. It trends toward a darker history.
29

ON LOCATION
7 I C H A C O C A N Y O N , N E W M E X I C O
Chaco Canyon is both an archeological and spiritual landmark.
Chaco Canyon is one of UNESCO’s twenty-one U.S. sites, joining
the World Heritage Committee’s list of recognized sites in 1987.
The name “Chaco Canyon” is ubiquitous
in the U.S. Southwest. Commercially it is
attached to products attractive to visitors
eager to take something back home that is
of mysterious origins. Everyone has heard
about Chaco Canyon, or at least is familiar
with the name. Yet it is remote enough to
be elusive to many who visit Santa Fe.
To experience the remains of the Anasazi
civilization, most are satisfied by touring
Bandelier National Park, not far from Los
Alamos, an hour from Santa Fe.
Chaco Canyon on the other hand, is at
least a four-hour westerly drive from Santa
Fe, much of it on unpaved roads. There are
no services close by the park—no gas stations,
no restaurants, no hotels. Even
drinking water is available only in the visitors’
center. Getting there is a mission in
itself. About 170 miles west of Santa Fe,
travelers there opt for a very long day trip
or campout overnight. One of the beauties
of the site is its relative remoteness from
twenty-first century comforts.
The 10-mile, high-desert canyon has
fascinated archeologists, archeoastrono mers,
scientists and visitors for centuries. The
excavation of the many villages and buildings
in the canyon has raised many questions
about solar and other astral alignments.
The Chacoan roadway system, discovered
by NASA’s flyovers using thermal multispectral
scanner (TIMS) in 1982, is of such
exacting linearity despite topographic
obstruction that it confounds current roadway
technology. Intensely studied for over
a century, the lure of Chaco Canyon only
raises many unanswered questions.
30

Undulating Seams. Shot at high noon.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
I like the sound of the name. There is something immediate and enduring about
Chaco Canyon. Even though I’d been to Santa Fe many times before, I had never
heard of it before I went with my friend, Stu who had a house in Santa Fe.
This is the one angle that struck me as the best because it emphasizes the tremendous
energy. It has volcanic energy. The other angles were too grand and vista-like.
The real object of interest is the rock ledge. There is no one dominant color that
calls out to be emphasized. Instead, it the balance of them that is of interest. Viewing
the ledge, the green takes the eye to the ledge, which I consider a sacred vein. I was
new to Chaco Canyon, and knew nothing of its history when friends brought me here.
In the black-and-white, the ledge is dominant too.
We could crop blue sky because it is too contrasting, too distracting. By cropping
close to the ledge, the picture would be far more horizontal.
33

Eternal Sky Meets Age-old Artifices. Stones waiting for a thunderstorm.

35

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
In Chaco Canyon, there are many buildings and rooms outlined by still-standing
rocks. Here the rocks outline the rooms in what once was the Great House. The pueblo
and the canyon were abandoned many years ago for reasons that are still undetermined.
Perhaps the reason is a climate change of the past millennium.
I like the geometry, that is, the square of the rocks left standing. I like the
“unnatural” in this photo.
This is sacred because this is where people lived and had their community. Lots
of energy passed through there. Are those life forms still there? Are there ghosts?
Most certainly! I think there are spirits floating in and out. It’s their home. They
didn’t want to leave. Some did not. Some did but were forced to leave.
Are there other angles that I liked? Oh, yes! But in this photo I like the division
between the rocks and the landscape. The dominant objects are the old house, the
rocks, and the wall.
The dominant color is the rock red. It yells out the energy that remains at the
ruins.
I would crop nothing.
37

ON LOCATION
8 I B L A C K M E S A , N E W M E X I C O
Just north of Santa Fe, in the Espanola Valley, the San Ildefonso
Pueblo guards the base of Black Mesa. Standing alone in the middle
of the high desert in northern Santa Fe County is a mountain with a
flat table-top summit. One of the eight northern pueblos, the tribe is
part of the Tewas.
In 1985, the movie Silverado, starring
Kevin Kline, Kevin Costner, John Cleese,
Danny Glover and Scott Glenn was filmed
with the mesa in the background. The
Black Mesa summit has an elevation of
about 4000 feet. It is most noticeable as a
stand-alone feature in the middle of the
high desert about 20 miles north of Santa
Fe, New Mexico. It is closed to hikers, isolating
it even further from intrusion to
this sacred space.
38

Beyond Approach. Cliffs drop off to reveal the black topped mesa sandwiched between earth and heaven.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
When I was visiting the outlook overlooking the Rio Grande at White Rock, a town
that looks like it should be in New Jersey, I saw this anomaly way in the distance.
There is no question that this mesa is sacred. Its prominence radiates emotion and
stored energy. It is a powerful presence, even seen from this distance.
I like the mesa, despite not being able to drive up to it. There is no other angle,
although a zoomed shot is not out of the question. The mesa is the focus.
You can crop out most of the streaky cloud, and the bottom rock. Why? Because
both the rocks and clouds are distractions. I would like to go to the mesa, but can’t
because it’s on an Indian reservation. Nobody can without disrespecting the tribal
laws and sacred energy.
The dominant color is blue. The dominant object is the mesa. It’s like an atoll.
The viewer should take away a sense of mystery, intrigue.
41

ON LOCATION
9 I BLACK MESA, ARIZONA
Rising like a black giant high above the flat grasslands of northeastern
Arizona, Black Mesa, or “Big Mountain,” is a land feature easily
recognizable from hundreds of miles away. A mesa, a geological table
in arid clime, is often vast, uncharted, and barren of most signs of
human habitat. Over 8,000 feet high, Black Mesa is located near
Kayenta, Arizona, due west of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The town of
Kayenta is a Navajo settlement on the Kayenta Formation plateau. This
plateau is the foundation for Zion National Park, Capitol Reef National
Park, and Canyonlands National Park.
Kayenta is also the home of the Monument
Valley Film, Blues and Arts Festival,
created by Navajo Nation citizens.
Not a true mesa, the plateau is rich
with veins of coal. Hence, the popular
name of Black Mesa. Coal mining began
in the 1960s by Peabody Coal Company.
Subsequent owners, continue the lucrative
process, despite cultural and environmental
protests.
As early as 1900 B.C., corn was harvested
here by ancestors of the Hopi Indians.
Later, the Anasazi, too planted their crops
along the river. But without irrigating
channels, they, too, were forced to abandon
their agricultural endeavors at Black Mesa,
leaving around 1150 A.D. In “Conversations
with the Artist” below, Angus has a lot to
say about the picture. The power of the
site clearly impresses him.
Today the Hopis still farm in the
southern and central parts of the region.
Yet their reservation is surrounded by
Navajo lands. Long-seated tensions remain.
42

Stairway to the Gods (Black Mesa, Arizona). Clouds represent the spirit of change, movement and creativity. Here, the clouds are contrasted with the
stark and geometric, but beautiful adobe stairs most likely used in spiritual ceremonies.

A Stairway (Black Mesa, Arizona). Stairway to the Gods – in black-and-white.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
We were on the way to the Grand Canyon, but it was closed because of a fire. We
detoured to Black Mesa.
Just the name attracted me to this site. The two names together are stark and
powerful. Black absorbs all light and energy. I felt a sense of powerful anger, male
of energy, war, like the God Mercury. These lands had aggression in their collective
spirit.
I wanted to divide the image in half—half manmade and half with the spiritual
energy of the clouds. Like two different energy beings. This view faces into the sun.
There was no other angle to take this photo from. Behind the steps there is whiteness
and clouds. The best way to visually describe its energy is to rotate the picture to the
left, so that the diagonal of the rock steps is directed vertically. With the weight at
the top, you can feel the energy force of the site and from the rocks. The lower left is
where the spirit is. I have a connection to the site but no history with it.
The site is about strength and the power of the steps. I did not climb it because
it wasn’t inviting. Were ceremonies held there? Yes, I’m sure of it. I felt like a lot of
things happened there at one time. Can you see the figure of a snake flowing
through in the steps—like waves in the ocean? This is meant to be a flowing energy
to a temple.
The focus is on the center of the photo. The white clouds abut the dark earthbound
mass but they do not intersect it.
Try spiraling out from the photograph’s center. See the curve in the clouds? It’s
the same as the patterns of the bricks. If I were to crop this photo, it would be tighter
all the way around. I would accent the white cloud in the center. Make it as white as
it can be.
Look at how dominant the orange rust color is in the color photo.
In the black-and-white version, notice the contrast between the angularity of the
stairs and the softness of the clouds.
45

ON LOCATION
10 I S U P E R S T I T I O N M O U N TA I N S , A R I Z O N A
As long as nine thousand years ago, the Superstition Mountains
have been an attraction to those seeking fortune or simply to pass
through the region. Salado, Hohokam, and Apache Indians; Spanish
explorers; gold miners; trappers; cattlemen; farmers—all left their
marks for archeologists. Intrigue about the mountains’ real and
rumored treasures is augmented by persistent rumors and ghost stories
that are passed from generation to generation.
The most famous stories of recent vintage
place the Lost Dutchman Mine within
these mountains. The German immigrant
Jacob Waltz was the Deutschman said to
have discovered in the nineteenth century
a [gold] mine of vast potential. Guarding
the location of the mine, several versions
of the legend suggest that Walz cursed in
perpetuity any who dared to rob from his
find. Whether myth or reality, the story of
Jake’s lost gold mine continues to attract
the curious.
46

Valley of Whispers. Less than a day-trip east of Phoenix, Arizona, is Apache Junction, where the Superstition Mountains are bounded on the south by
US. Route 60. Northwest is Arizona State Route 88. The mountain range was also called Sierra de la Espuma. Fossil Creek and Oak Creek are tributaries
that feed lakes, like Canyon Lake, in the Superstition Wilderness Area.

The Stillness of a Whisper. Apache Junction in greys.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
At a gas station at the New Mexico-Arizona border, I quizzed customers and clerks
alike, “Are there any amazing sights to see around here?” The consensus pointed me
to Superstition Mountains.
Located on sacred grounds on an Indian reservation, they were inaccessible to
me on foot. But prospects for me with my camera were not dimmed once I found an
excellent vista off a little road near Cortez. Of the many photos that I took, I chose
this one because of the clouds sitting on top of the mountain. They reflect the importance
and energy at that site— like a crown on top of the mountain. The focus is the
river. Others might focus on the cliff rocks, which are quite dominant and dramatic.
I took this angle to get the rock and river flowing through the setting.
A river always represents life. The life force of the river is underscored by its
placement within the picture, and framed by the rocks that represent the principles
on which we stand and what is left behind. The rock is at the end of life. The river is
the beginning of life.
To alter this picture, I would crop out the sky to reveal a tighter panoramic shot.
The blue above the clouds is distracting. I would keep the sky and a little of the [bottom
of the picture]. As the river travels through the valley, I want the eyes to follow
it to the mountains. The rock edge provides a balance. It’s a fascinating landscape
because there is no trace of human elements in it.
49

ON LOCATION
11 I B O R D E R , A R I Z O N A - N E VA DA
On an unmarked road, fifteen miles north of the Grand Canyon National
Monument, this outcropping caught the photographer’s eye.
50

Arizona-Nevada border, north of the Grand Canyon.

Arizona-Nevada border, north of the Grand Canyon on an unmarked road.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
Traveling on a back road near the Arizona-Nevada border, I found this craggy peak.
I was drawn to this site because it has the look of such durability—as if it has been
here since the day of creation.
I took the picture of the amazing swirl in the rock, because I liked the forms. It’s
clear that the big towering rock dominates. I want the viewer to see the form of the
tower rock and to see how it’s reaching up into the sky.
The color is the earth-red that dominates the region. Here the tone is so deep and
rustic that the color adds to the sense that this rugged mount has been here for a
very long time.
There were other angles, but this one really spoke to me. I would crop it so that
it is less centered—maybe in a portrait frame to give more focus to the towering
rock.
53

ON LOCATION
12 I A N A S A Z I R U I N S , A R I Z O N A
Traveling in the U.S. Southwest, the word “Anasazi” evokes many
emotions. The Navajo interpretation means “ancient enemies”. But
to many others, Anasazi refers more simply to the “ancients”. The
Anasazi civilization collapsed centuries ago and the name retains a
sense of mystery. Even though it has been commercialized, the name
sustains a mystical highbrow allure. It is associated with the ancient
bloody Aztec and simultaneously with the peaceable Pueblo Indians.
The name draws a sentiment of respect and awe perhaps because little
is known of the lost civilization.
How is this so? How did the Anasazis
come into being? Where did the civilization
go? Who are the Anasazi?
One of the best known ruins of the
Anasazi is in northwest New Mexico. The
remains of the public spaces and complex
buildings at Chaco Canyon are well chronicled.
It is a huge complex. One of the 21
World Heritage Sites in the United States,
Chaco Culture National Historical Park is
captured elsewhere in this book. Great as
this site is, remnants of the Anasazi dot
the much larger area now known as Four
Corners, U.S.A. in southwest U.S. This is
where the quadipoint, or the corners, of
New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Colorado
meet on the vast Colorado Plateau. The
Navajo Nation, Hopi, and Ute also claim
this region as their homeland.
The Anasazi prairie homes built on the
grasslands were above ground, made of
mud and stone and constructed in squares
or rectangles. According to some archeologists,
this type of Anasazi building was
typical for the period between 900 and
1100 A.D.
54

Embedded Serpent. Arizona Anasazi Ruin. In northern Arizona, about one hour from Interstate 40, lie these Anasazi ruins. Atypical in that they are not
the dramatic cliff dwellings in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, these ruins are reminiscent of prairie and grassland dwellers.

The Winding Way. Arizona Anasazi Ruin. Undulating, the rock fence in the foreground leads the eye to the man-made structure in the middle of
the picture, minimizing the gigantic mesa in the background.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
I was attracted to this site because of the history and its renown. Black Mesa is a sacred
ruin, which can be seen in the photo as the background. In this picture, the angle
minimizes the preponderance of the mesa. In fact, it appears rather insignificant. To
me, what’s sacred is the formation of the wall, which looks ancient. The fluidity of
the wall’s construction makes it look like it is moving. There is great energy in the
wall. I could feel a soothing peaceful flow when I touched it. Then, too, adobe is a
powerful magnetic force.
Foremost in my thoughts was to show the snake formation. I like the way the
“snake” veers off in movement showing the snake god-form. By focusing on the very
first stone of the wall at the bottom center to get a sense of what I saw. I took other
shots from a perch on top of the wall. Other shots look at the building or the flower.
The snake line is apparent. See how the flowers anchor the line and serves as
snake’s eye? In the background, the mountains provide reference, context and flow.
In the vast magnificent blue sky, the few clouds huddled together yet unanchored allude
to an independent life form. Clouds represent the spirit of change, movement
and creativity. The snake, which represents wisdom in journey, is warmed on the
stone. The flowers are the manifestation of earth’s magic—birth and rebirth. Like
the rock at the bottom. The “scales” can also pass for the head of the snake. This
snake looks like he’s slithering and not sunning.
The shot is draped in earth colors, with the most dominate being blood red. The
central focus of this photo is defined by weighting the center for balance. To further
enhance and frame this photo, I would like the eye to follow the snake to the clouds.
I would crop the shot tighter on the left. Then I would remove the green grass, which
is distracting.
I think the black-and-white version of this photo loses some of the power and the
warmth of the sunburnt red that invokes the feeling of intense energy of this site.
Cropping the black-and-white, I would make the adobe structure the center; in color
the photo is more about the snake. In black-and-white, I might also zoom in on the
far flower, then crop it.
57

ON LOCATION
13 I Z U N I L A N D S , A R I Z O N A
Zuni Tribal land, or what Zunis call Schwinnaqin, is parceled across
several political jurisdictions in western New Mexico and Arizona.
Most Zuni Native Americans who live on tribal lands of the Pueblo of
Zuni are situated along the Zuni River, a tributary of the Little Colorado
River. From the Continental Divide, the river flows westerly and joins
the Little Colorado River in Arizona. The Pueblo is in western New
Mexico, and was the first pueblo that the Spanish saw as they campaigned
across the western United States in the 1600s.
Ironically, the tribe owns non-contiguous
lands in Apache County, Arizona,
which is separate from the Pueblo.
The Zuni culture was based on agrarian
needs. Maize dominated their spiritual
rituals as well as being the main stable
food crop. The Zuni language is considered
an isolate, with no base in other Native
American languages. The purity of
their language is reflected in 7000 years of
customs, rituals and crafts.
58

Split Tree. A Zuni mesa in Apache County, Arizona. This land is isolated from the main Zuni reservation in New Mexico on State Highway 53. Access to
this view was from a small road north of I-40 heading toward Utah.

Split Tree in Black-and-White. A Zuni mesa in Apache County, Arizona.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
Dad wanted to see some of the Zuni’s land. We were travelling together for a few
days. We stopped here because I love the landscape of the red soil with the green
trees. It was so green in such a parched area that I thought they must have had some
rain recently.
The shape of the tree is the focus. It automatically draws the eye through the
tree. The limbs alone look like the tree should be dead, but the leaves show that it is
well and alive. The rocks look so uninviting and dead. Such a contrast! To me, it is
obvious that the rocks are sacred.
There were no other angles to this shot—the split in the tree had to be right in
the middle. There is great energy with the red lines. The life and death energy is
cyclic—such a contrast between the green of the tree and the red of the rocks
contrast. There is a flow between the rocks, trees, and plants.
I would crop it tighter on the tree in the center of the photo, and cut out some
of the clouds. Viewers’ eyes naturally go through the tree to the rock. It is a very
complete picture, framed by the tree.
Can you see how the power of this photo is intensified in the black-and-white
version?
61

ON LOCATION
14 I E S C A L A N T E P L AT E A U , E S C A L A N T E , U TA H
About the time that the thirteen original states were organizing as
the United States, a Franciscan monk, Silvestre Escalante, became
the first European explorer in this region. Much of Escalante, the town,
is surrounded by the national monument.
62

Escalante’s Endless Escape. The Escalante Plateau is like a sea of rock, with endless swells hitting an unseen beachhead.

Bleak Plateau. In black-and-white, the endless plateau may not be quite as bleak as a moonscape, but nearly so. Imagining hiking across this terrain
certainly requires a rigorous mind—and body to so.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
The Southwest seems to have an abundance of vast uninhibited landscapes, but this
one drew my attention because it flows into a vortex. There is a lot of energy passing
through. First of all, it is difficult for anyone to get down there. I can feel a lot of
inspiring energy: spirits flying around and passing down to the center crevasse. I’m
not sure I know how to express the feeling—it was very undulating.
I would crop the lower left out so that it’s not as grounded; so that the flow goes
in and out more readily. There’s an excitement here, a dancing energy. Can you imagine
a dance performance here? It’s a celebration. Believe it or not, it is very positive
energy. It is a positive vortex. There is a little road, like a hog’s backbone. Impossible
to perch there; there is no place to pull off.
For me, this was a very special place.
65

Sagacious Sage. A backward glance caught the mound in the middle of this portion of the Escalante Plateau.

67

Sage Glance. The black and white takes away any noise of the color, showing the depth of the energy, with the trees emphasizing
the movements of spirits. It looks like the earth is ready to boil over. Makes it look otherworldly.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
Thirty or forty miles away, I saw this picture with a very pronounced mound in the
center. It is a critical juncture, a sweet spot of condensed focal energy. It appears as
a softer compared with the rugged land around it.
This picture could be cropped all the way around and closer to the mound, but
not too close. This site is interesting to me because I was looking in the rearview mirror
when I saw the mound; I had already driven past this area.
If feels much heavier and serious here. Not the jubilance of the previous Escalante
site. It gave me a sense of reflection, and served as a pause for me. The calmness
here feels darker and full of deep contemplation and conviction. It’s not evil, but
sagacious.
69

Waves Frozen in Motion. This image looks as if the rocks are waves coming to the beach and crashing on shore beneath the viewers’ feet.

71

Holding Pen. So much more depth shows up in the black-and-white. It looks less like waves and more like a canyon-like holding pen for rocks.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
Actually this is the first place I found in Escalante. It is much further down the
plateau from the other two Escalante photos. This is an unforgiving environ, even
more so in the black-and-white version. Forbidding, outlaw country, where even humans
are not invited in. Only the desperate find themselves wandering around down
there. But this foreboding place serves as a gate to a very sacred site. It is as if the
rocks are waves caught in motion, petrified to exclude entry into their midst. In blackand-white,
it looks like a huge fortress has formed around a subterranean nest.
I would not crop a thing. I like the light on top: it balances the darker foreboding
energy in the bottom half of the photograph.
73

Escalante Plateau – the Fortress. So much more depth shows up in the black-and-white. It looks less like waves and more like a canyon-like holding pen
for rocks.
s

75

Escalante Plateau Crevasse. The contrast between the green and sandstrewn rocks outlines sharply the past and present.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
I was fascinated by the crevasse and the angle. I was attracted to the magnitude of
the rock basin with the sharp cut inside it. The cleavage separates two distinct but
sacred parts of the plateau. I can easily imagine the two sides being zipped together
seamlessly were it not for the river.
The soft overcast light enhances the detail of the rock formations. This angle
shows the basin growing up, large mass of rock bulging from the base. It’s the sense
of overwhelming enormity that this angle depicts.
The mundane cream and stark green colors dominate. The severity is enhanced
by the colors. The focus is on the mountain behind—it is large and towering. That’s
where the viewers’ eyes will go—to the mountain’s topline and then to the gorge
below it.
The black-and-white shows the surface of the structure, the shear massiveness of
the earth formations.
I would recommend cropping out more of the sky to give more focus to the rock.
77

ON LOCATION
15 I C A P I TO L R E E F, U TA H
Utah is gifted with many natural wonders. Five U.S. national parks
in Utah are physically related in what is known as the Grand
Circle: Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National
Parks.
In addition, there is Moab, Monument
Valley, Grand Canyon (crossing over into
Arizona), and Escalante (the Grand Staircase-Escalante
National Monument) that
are absorbed in the incredible mix of
natural settings in southern Utah and
northern Arizona.
The sandstone wonders of Capitol Reef
National Park in Utah have long been recognized
and protected as a national park
since 1971. On Highway 24 between Torrey
and Hanksville, the landscape is filled
with spectacular rock formations eroded
by weather and time. The Chimney Rock
is very reminiscent of the Chimney Rock,
New Mexico at Ghost Ranch. The geological
strata has its own domelike rocks,
hence the name Capitol Dome. And like a
lot of places in the US Southwest, there are
petroglyphs that dot the canyon walls.
78

The Tower

The Striped
Tower
The Striped Tower
s

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
This highly eroded landscape immediately attracts attention. The towering rock is
so powerful that it dwarfs the landscape and underscores the importance of the people
who lived here. Yet in the foreground, the plants draw your attention away from
the dramatic rock formation. I purposely photographed this vertically to emphasize
the rock spiral. By doing that, you can see that the contrasting green life in the foreground
draws attention and dominates the photo. The focal point is the plant which
leads you to the chimney rock.
The photo could stand a tighter crop to minimize the sky and the red earth. It’s
kind of a cold photograph. In fact, knowing how hot this desert gets, I’m attracted to
the coldness of the place. I did not want to stay long here. Nonetheless it is a place
that demanded attention.
The black-and-white brings out the different ages in the striped strata of ancient
geologic formations.
81

ON LOCATION
16 I B RY C E C A N Y O N , U TA H
Part of Utah’s Grand Circle of national parks, Bryce Canyon was
recognized in the early 1920s as a U.S. treasure. In 1919, the Utah
legislature asked the U.S. Congress to designate the canyon as a
national monument and call it “Temple of the Gods National Monument.”
In 1923, Congress named the new monument simply “Bryce
Canyon National Monument” in honor of the Mormon pioneer,
Ebenezer Bryce. Five years later, Congress designated the monument
as a national park. Located on the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southwestern
Utah and northwest of the Grand Canyon National Park, the elevation
inside the park extends 2000 feet, with three climatic zones. Known for
its curious collection of sculpted limestone peaks, arches, towers, and
spires (“hoodoos”), the park is also rich in plant and bird species.
82

Red Popsicles. Not a true canyon, Bryce Canyon is less than 60 acres, but ultimately fascinating with its slot canyons, fins, hoodoos, and spires
covering 2000 vertical feet.

Pins and Needles. Depths of torture

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
When I was hiking, I came across this away from the normal tourist track. The patterns
of the rock formations are quite striking. I like the colors, especially the repetitive
reds. The spikes look very uninviting and militaristic, like impaling poles. You
can feel the danger just by looking at this photo. The danger is exciting but no one
is going to hike in there and touch them—at least, I hope no one is insane enough to
attempt it!
The colors have multiple variations of red, capped my streams of verdante green
and then layers of orange cream. The colors remind me of popsicles or rockets ready
to shoot up in the sky.
I was so mordantly fascinated by the grand impossibilities posed by these creamcicles
that I kept two shots. The images running through my mind were compelling.
What quirk of nature made this spectacle? It’s so danger-invoking and titillating to
think about the possibilities, easily stretch into science fiction.
The stalagmite-like pinnacles are so different, that I can conjure up an image of
a gigantic altar. I feel it is a sacred site that is exploited. I mean, you can almost see
the anger, as if the gods were not pleased with the people so the gods pushed these
daggers up to catch the unworthy.
There is ego here wanting more respect. The arena must be taken as a whole;
you can’t hike down. The trail is only along the rim of the canyon. The focus is the
pattern of reds, drawing attention to the sense of the whole.
In both the color and black-and-white, the focus on the entire landscape. I would
suggest only minimal cropping.
85

s
In the Shadows. Fortress of red rocks

87

s
A Void. Forming a dark secret

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
The attraction is this vista’s negative energy—or at least what you might call “mysterious”
energy. Dad and I were driving by when out of the corner of my eye, I saw
this spot long before being able to stop, park and capture it. In my mind, the shadows
create a “pause” and outline a point in time. It’s the way the light falls on this spot.
That transition from dark to light is fascinating to me. Maybe that’s what makes it
sacred—or at least ethereal.
Not knowing specifically what called me to this spot, I feel amused—and bemused—by
this place. It is not uncomfortable, despite having that tinge of negativity
to it.
The focus is the darkness of the middle of this picture. I would have preferred
greyer skies. You can see that in the black-and-white, the depth loses its dominance
in the middle and becomes void-like.
To intensify the essence of the picture: Crop it to the center and lighten the framing
to draw the focus into the center and the energy.
89

Lake Protected by Rock. Beneficial barriers.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
This was down the road from where I was hiking. The entire distance framed in the
fore- mid- and back- grounds has incredible depth. This fifty-mile-wide stretch is incredibly
beautiful on this sunny day The spires are warm and inviting. In the lake
the water temperature was in the 70s (Fahrenheit). The lake is the center for me even
though it’s tucked back.
With the warm breeze gently brushing my face, I felt this is a perfect place to
meditate and contemplate. I would not be surprised if the ancients found this a great
place to hang out and talk with the gods.
It might surprise you given its placement in this photo and its lack of physical
prominence, but I consider the lake to be the focus. The center of the photo which is
all earth-red tones is like fool’s gold. It draws the attention only to hide the real
“gold”—the lake behind it.
See the white cloud over the center rock? It is curious, almost as if the mesa spires
had on a thinking cap—or the spires, the hoodoos, wanted to draw your attention
their—and not to the real spiritual essence in this region.
continued
91

Ghost Mountain. The haunting of a lake canyon.

Continued
C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
In the black-and-white, the focus is obviously in the foreground, dead center. You can
no longer distinguish the “thinking cap” cloud. Rocks in the foreground seem to point
to the lake in the background. Once you take out the color, the effects are so different.
Interesting, huh?
93

ON LOCATION
17 I “ H OV ” H OV E N D E E P, U TA H
Southern Utah is rich in ancient sites, natural wonders, and national
and state parks. Hovendeep National Monument is in the southeast
corner of Utah, near the Arizona border and Dixie National Forest. The
ruins of five Anasazi villages include round towers, reminiscent of
medieval Europe fortiments.
94

Anasazi Cloud Crowd. These boulders, near Escalante and Dixie National Forest, are in lands originally inhabited by the Anasazi.

Anasazi Cloud Crowd. Near Escalante and Dixie National Forest.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
Together, these rocks look like they had a gathering, and just stayed for eternity after
the party was over. To me, they represent unity. The clouds and land work together
to create a strong sense of union. I’m drawn to the natural layout of these rocks. Even
the little bush in the foreground is placed perfectly. If I were an exterior designer
(versus a landscape designer), I wouldn’t change a thing!
Many of the Anasazi ruins are on the Native American Indian reservation here.
There is very limited access to visitors, especially one who is on a roadtrip with
vagabond plans. I pulled off the side of the road to capture this solemn family. The
older (the large boulder) appears to be carrying the burdens for the little ones.
This picture is a reflection of the past, positive yet somewhat sad at the same
time. These are the ones that were left behind. There is such a richness of the blue of
the sky in contrast to the redness of the rocks.
97

ON LOCATION
18 I Z I O N N AT I O N A L PA R K , U TA H
Southwestern Utah hosts Zion National Park which spans three
counties. In 1909, President Taft set aside the initial 15,000 acres
that now includes over 153,000 acres preserved under government and
private ownership. The park is closest to Interstate Highway 15 and
Utah Route 9. Las Vegas, Nevada, is closer by half than Salt Lake City.
Zion is another member of the Southwest’s
Grand Circle. The sandstone cliffs
that are one of the notable features of this
park are some of the highest in the world.
Park of the park management plan recognizes
that it is a custodian for the evidence
of prehistoric inhabitants as well as Native
American Indian sites and Mormon homesteading.
98

A Gathering Place. Site gatherings for ancient tribes.

In Between. Spiritual energy emits its presence.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
After hiking for half an hour, I came upon this gathering place. Can you sense the
energy collecting in the valley between the ridges? The mountain acts as a backdrop
but also encases the canyon like an amphitheater. The trees emulate people dancing.
It is a place of celebration. The focal point is the flat area. The abutment serves as
a protector for the energy and spirits.
I would recommend cropping out a little of the sky to focus more on the flat area.
Crop the left, too.
101

ON LOCATION
19 I M O J AV E D E S E RT, N E VA DA
One of the largest deserts of the United States is the Mojave Desert,
which spreads across parts of four states, Arizona, California,
Nevada and Utah. Home to the Mohave tribe, the desert includes Death
Valley, which has an elevation of 282, the lowest in the U.S. and Las
Vegas, Nevada. Mountain ranges surrounding the desert basin include
the Calico, San Bernardino, and San Gabriel Mountains.
Interstate 15, which connects Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego,
cuts through much of the Mojave Desert in California and Nevada.
102

Skeletal Fingers. Clouds soften the forgotten limbs.

Ominous Space. Darkened lens highlight the movement of clouds.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
Leaving Las Vegas on my way to southern California, I am in the Mojave Desert. The
southern tip of Nevada is the northern-most part of the desert.
Even in the desert there are trees. In this case, the limbs are stripped bare of
leaves. But the resident phantasm exists. In the middle of the desert, this spirit survives.
I was hiking and had stopped for a break. There it was. Sacred? I think so. It
reached out to me and stopped me.
It is an inspiration because it reaches up to the clouds. That is the real message
here. Look up and embrace.
That is the focus that I want to evoke. The viewer’s eye should go to the clouds.
They are the dominant object. The dominant color is the contrast—the black of the
tree. I would not crop this at all.
105

ON LOCATION
20 I N E VA DA , O N T H E WAY TO PA L M S P R I N G S
The Southwest is defined great expanses of desert, rocks, and a stark
environment devoid of lush greenery. Yet, the harsh beauty is compelling.
Nevada is no exception. Much of the state is spectacular. The
southern tip of Nevada from Arizona to California is a relatively short
expanse of highway. Going West on Interstate 15 to Palm Springs, the
road goes through mountain passes and miles of bare rocks lining the
road, rather than telephone poles. Civilization, as we know it, is far
away. Driving through these remote, barren lands, often spectacular,
anesthetizes the passengers and drivers. The intensity of constantly
searching for pleasing and enchanting landscapes is often a challenge,
yet learning o the road has its appeal. Capturing this warrior-like rock
draws on a photographer’s instinct.
106

Indian warrior on horseback.

s
Warrior. Illustrating the narrative of the past.

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
I was in Nevada, on my way to Palm Springs, California. Mesmerized by the highway,
I pulled over to stretch my legs. It wasn't until I opened the car door and looked at
my surroundings that I realized what an intriguing place it was to stop. To this day,
I’m not sure where I stopped. The form of the rocks and the outline what looks to be
a Native American warrior literally stopped me in my tracks. Already steeped in the
traditions of sacred folklore that came from rock formations throughout the southwest,
I was strongly drawn to get a picture of this. The framing of the figures in the
center while the curvature of the horse intrigued me. It looks like a warrior leading
a war party.
The cream colors dominate. The dark underparts of the rock accentuate the flesh
areas of the warrior.
With the black-and-white, the warrior’s headdress is significant. In fact, the blackin-white
is more persuasive than the color photograph.
I would crop tighter on the warrior rock formation. This reminds me that there
are many decisions to be made of which the observer is unaware.
109

ON LOCATION
21 I CAHOKIA, ILLINOIS
Cahokia is at the center of the Mississippian culture, both culturally
and physically, of the Native American mound builders. Some
believe that the origins of the Native American tribes flowed from this
famous site on the Mississippi River. Forty percent of the U.S. watershed
stems from the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Cahokia in
its zenith was an encampment of over ten thousand people. Massive
ceremonial grounds were erected for purposes that have yet to be decisively
determined. Great earth pyramids not unlike those of in Central
America and even the Peruvian Incas were built. Some theorize the
need for food and shelter resulted in decimating the nearby surroundings
of Cahokia, forcing tribes farther and farther to find a sustainable
living—trees, shelter, fuel, and game.
The World Heritage List [http://whc.
unesco.org/en/list/ pulled 21Nov2016] includes
1052 properties forming part of the
cultural and natural heritage identified
by the United Nations’ World Heritage
Committee as having outstanding universal
value. In 1982, Cahokia Mounds State
Historic Site was inducted in to the List.
Covering six square miles, N38 39 31
W90 3 41, Cahokia is an assemblage of at
least 120 Indian burial mounds. Some
historians believe this is the center of a
large chiefdom that spread throughout the
Mississippi rivershed. Cahokia’s first century
presence is largely muted and vaguely
outline by vegetation growth. Yet, at the
top of Monk’s Mound, the dominant
mound, you can see miles across the
Mississippi to the city of St. Louis.
110

Cahokia map with Monk’s Mound in
the upper right. [Sopensky photo]

Glimpses of Prior Grandeur. A long view of Monk’s Mound, the center force of Cahokia.
113

Cahokia Monk’s Mound Revealed. The dark side of Cahokia.
115

Peaceful Existence. At the foot of Monk’s Mound, a deer stands ground.

Some speculate that the Cahokia city
was the northern most outreach of the
Middle American culturals of the Post
Classic period and the height of the archeologist’s
Mississippian era. The societies
that built these mounds extended throughout
the Mississippi’s watershed: Southern
Canada to the Great Plains, east to the
Atlantic and south to the Gulf of Mexico.
Some mounds were known to be used as
burial mounds; some to provide a ceremonial
platform. But generally the reason the
mounds were built remains elusive.
Some of the many mounds of Cahokia
were destroyed when the interstate highways
were constructed in the 1950s. At
least five interstates intersect. St. Louis.
The city and Cahokia, both port cities, hug
the grand Mississippi River at the center
of the United States.
According to Charles C. Mann, author
of the groundbreaking work of science,
history, and archaeology, 1491, Cahokia
was a city of at least 15,000, “the biggest
concentration of people north of Rio
Grande until the eighteenth century.” 2
Now, nearby schools have for generations
sent their children here on school excursions.
Now the ceremonial center of Cahokia
is quiet, with only tourists climbing
the mounds and walking the grounds. It is
so peaceful that the deer are fearless of
human activity nearby.
2 Charles C. Mann; 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Second Edition; Vintage Books, New York, July 2011.
117

C o n v e r s a t i o n s w i t h t h e A r t i s t
Just miles from the university where I teach, Cahokia is eerily bland given what we
know of its history in the first century. It is hard to capture the power the covered
structures must have held when over 10000 people lived, worked, and played games
here. And yet, the tranquil energy is mostly found in the woods and trails at the foot
of the massive Monk’s Mound. There is something disturbing about being on the
mounds, even to this day. This is site that probably witnessed sacrificial burials and
strife among inhabitants.
There was only one way to capture Monk’s Mound—faraway and going into the
shadows. I like the rough vegetation in the foreground, reminiscent of its ancient
past, where some reports suspect that much blood was spilled here in sacrificial rituals.
The deepening greens in the foreground enrich the sense of royal well-being. The
mass of birds flying overhead adds to the surreal nature of this picture. Do they symbolize
a plague that ended this thriving civilization? Or are they simply the migrators
that they appear to be?
119

The Mississippi River and Watershed
Watershe d Boundary
Missouri River
MN
Minneapolis/
St. Paul
Minne sota
iver
R
Mississippi River
IA
IL
MO
WI
Illinois River
Waters hed Boundary
Ohio
River
Arkansas River
AR
St. Louis
KY
TN
Watershed
Boundary
Watershed Boundary
LA
MS
Gulf of Mexico
0 Miles
500
KEY
Mississippi Watershed Boundary
Mississippi River
Missouri River
Ohio River
Arkansas River
Minnesota River
Illinois River
N
W
E
S
Big River Journey
Map courtesy of Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota
120

The Mississippi River and Watershed
Watershe d Boundary
r
Waters hed Boundary
Watershed
Boundary
Watershed Boundary
Gulf of Mexico
0 Miles
500
121

R E F E R E N C E S
WO R L D H E R I TA G E L I S T
The World Heritage List [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/ pulled 21Nov2016] includes 1052
properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage identified by the United
Nations’ World Heritage Committee as having outstanding universal value. In 1982,
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site was inducted in to the List.
It is at N38 39 31 W90 3 41. Covering six square miles, with an assemblage of at least 120
Indian burial mounds.Some historians believe this is the center of a large chiefdom
B O O K S
Davies, Nigel. The Ancient Kingdoms of Mexico: A magnificent re-creation of their art and
life; Penguin Books, Ltd., Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England, 1982.
Fagan, Brian M.; Ancient North America: The Archaeology of a Continent; Thames and Hudson,
Inc., New York, New York, 1991.
Mann, Charles C. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Second Edition;
Vintage Books, New York, July 2011.
Nabokov, Peter. Where the Lightning Strikes: The Lives of American Indian Sacred Places;
Viking, The Penguin Group, New York, 2006.
O'Bright, Jill York. THE PERPETUAL MARCH An Administrative History of Effigy Mounds
National Monument; National Park Service Midwest Regional Office Omaha, Nebraska,
1989.
Pauketat, Timothy R. (2009-07-01). Cahokia: Ancient America's Great City on the Mississippi
Viking; the Penguin Group (USA) Inc. (Penguin's Library of American Indian History);
Chapter 1: The Mother of Native North America. (Kindle Location 154).
Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture and Peoples. Oxford
University Press; Oxford and New York. 2000.
Waldman, Carl. Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, revised edition; Checkmark Books,
Facts On File, Inc., New York, NY; 1999.
122

Snake. Petroglyph, Tent Rocks, New Mexico, October 2012. Digital photography on canvas; 16" x 48".