When my friends told me about you, I couldn’t wait to meet you. They said you were absolutely beautiful and that we would really hit if off. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out. Sure, you are really gorgeous, but I just didn’t feel that spark between us.
Every relationship is a two-way street and our failure to connect isn’t entirely my fault. For one thing, you didn’t have to build houses on the slopes of your red rock spires which makes it so hard to compose a decent nature photograph. Those two days of pouring rain didn’t help either. It’s almost like you tried to doom our time together.
Maybe we didn’t hit it off famously, but it wasn’t all bad. We did have some good times. Your hiking trails are great and the (sometimes) awesome light and the beautiful, if not overpopulated, landscape made for some great photography. So, I did get something out of our time together. Some of these more ominous photographs won’t do much to to promote your Sedona tourism, but like I said, it’s the way I feel.
Sincerely, Rich
Storm Light On Doe Mountain by Richard Lewis 2015
Sedona Storm Light by Richard Lewis 2015
Evening in Sedona by Richard Lewis 2015
Sedona In The Early Morning by Richard Lewis 2015
Light Around The Corner by Richard Lewis 2015
Sedona Before Dawn by Richard Lewis 2015
Chapel Of The Holy Cross by Richard Lewis 2015
Cathedral Rock at Dusk by Richard Lewis 2015
I went to Sedona with the expectation of seeing and photographing the famous red rock mountains of the area. Besides not connecting spiritually with the landscape, it was just too crowded. With the explosion of growth in Sedona, houses are built right up to the edge of those famous red rock mountains. Even the hiking trails can get crowded. One of the most popular ones usually has a line of people waiting to get access to it.
Landscape photography showing a grand scale should have a foreground, a mid ground and a background to provide a sense of place and a way for the eye to work its way into and enjoy a photograph. When you are in a place like Sedona, Arizona that becomes a challenge if you want to capture the pure natural landscape without houses, power lines or roads in your photographs.
Enjoy
Jealous!!! Gr8 art.
Thanks Tom. You should go there.
No red rock fever for you!
I guess not. Thanks for your comment JoHanna
I think these are awesome!!! I love the dark mood. And as for that ‘foreground, middle ground, background rule’… I don’t subscribe to it as evident in my own work. Sure, when it works it works but if you can enjoy a scene without a foreground than why not. I have seen many photos that force this ‘rule’ when the foreground doesn’t deserve attention.
Thanks Denise. I do agree with you that foregrounds are not required, especially when they lack something interesting. In many cases Sedona would have had a great fore, middle and back ground if it had a more pristine valley. Even some of these photos without foregrounds have unavoidable houses so I just went with it.
The image that shows the houses with lights on is my favorite! 🙂
Well despite your difficulty with this area you seemed to have captured its beauty. I think your wrong about these not helping tourism. They are magnificent. I also
hate going places to “get away” and find them way overcrowded. Getting harder and harder to find those intimate spots.
Thanks Buck, I appreciate your compliment. I agree that the intimate spots are harder and harder to find. If it is not tourists, it is other photographers lining up to get a particular shot that is on some “must shoot” photography bucket list. Don’t get me started about that.
Gezz, Rich sorry you didn’t have a better experience. Did you do a pink jeep tour? I got some great shots from it.
Thanks Lou. I didn’t have a bad experience, we had a good time there. It was just a combination of not seeing what I expected and not really connecting to that particular landscape. I find that happens sometimes. I have family in Boulder Colorado and it is a beautiful area, but I just don’t “feel” the place when I’m there like I do the Pines or Death Valley. We didn’t take a Pink Jeep tour but rented a 4WD vehicle and hiked a lot to get to places. That way I could work at my pace and not inconvenience others on the tour or get the guides pissed off at me. I’ll have to tell you my Alaska guide story sometime.
If you couldnt find substantial places to photograph without houses then you didnt get out on the trails or just didnt know about target-sweet spots like Dry Creek Road and all the canyons that you could easily access providing anywhere between 45 minutes to 5 or more hours of rich hiking. The Uptown region IS abominated with residential growth, but there is thousands of acres of building-free terrain otherwise. As far as the rain, you were probably there in the monsoon season. Most all of the year you will find perfect weather and wonderful lighting (I am a landscape painter). I think you’re microscopic experience does not correctly portray the real Sedona. I’ve lived in some of the nation’s most beautiful areas and Sedona by far provides some of the more remote get aways for hiking and biking. Best wishes otherwise, and WONDERFUL photography.
Thanks for your comment and opinion Trevor. We did get out on the trails as my wife and I are avid hikers. My failure to bond with Sedona is not just it’s overbuilt town, it is more like the lack of a deep connection that I have felt in other places. I notice that happening sometimes in a location and really can’t figure out why. Usually it has nothing to do with looks. Sedona is a beautiful place with more than a nice artsy town as you aptly point out. By the way, my wife fell in love with Sedona so I’m sure we will be giving it a second chance. Thanks again for your compliment on my work too. Enjoy.
Thanks for the inspiring photographs, I hope to get back there soon.Sorry you didn’t connect.
Thank you for your comment Lou. It happens that sometimes you just don’t make that connection. I am willing to give Sedona another chance.