Ancestral Ground

Ancestral GroundNew Mexico, United States I typically avoid photographing anything man made. Cities, structures, and modern artifacts rarely hold my attention for long. There are exceptions. Ancient works, created with purpose and carried forward through time, are one of them. Petroglyphs, in particular, have always drawn me in. These markings are often dismissed as simple rock art. They are not. Through conversations with Navajo friends and others who carry this

the combination Telluride is known for

and cholla dominate the lower elevations

the Sierra del Carmen mountains rise in the distance

and that was intentional

The softness supports the abstract nature of the photograph and keeps the emphasis on shape

overlooking a winding section of the Rio Grande below

and wide alluvial fans stretch across a landscape shaped by tectonic uplift and erosion over tens of millions of years

who lived and traveled through this region before being displaced by later tribes

this view faces roughly west

Prickly pear blooms are brief

they dominate the landscape

Lajitas Mesa rises abruptly from the valley floor