The Story of the Collection
Canyon de Chelly is a canyon that stretches for nearly 40 kilometers (25 miles). Its name is an English deformation of the Navajo word "tseqi" which means "rocky canyon".
It is an extraordinary mineral landscape that can be appreciated either by walking along the top of the rims. The basin of the canyon is more than 300 meters (925 feet) deep.
When I travel to photograph the Canyon de Chelly, I always encounter a wide range of emotions, as these mineral landscapes are full of rich history. The Anasazi occupied the canyon from the Christian era until the 1300's. The Navajos came to settle there around 1700.
Even today, Navajo families still live in the canyon, growing corn and beans, and raising horses, cows, and sheep.
I have always chosen to use black and white when crafting my artistic photos of Canyon de Chelly. I feel a strange, almost supernatural sensation as if people are watching me or spying on me when I meander along the top of the rims. Yet no one is there. I am often alone because I always make this pilgrimage during the winter.
I strive to enhance the mineral beauty of the clouds, which are often unpredictable. Indeed, I have made many trips without ever having the opportunity to photograph from the cliffs because the sky was too blue. Sometimes, luck smiles upon me and I discover an opportunity to create beautiful photographic works like the one displaying Spider Rock on a February morning.
I do not often take these kinds of photographs. Patience and perseverance are my most faithful allies.
The Canyon de Chelly, located in the heart of Navajo territory, is quite a desolate and destitute area. And yet, the wealth is everywhere. It is in the air, space, and nature. When I walk in search of a good point of view, I feel this extraordinary creative energy rising within me. It is inexplicable but I can feel it.
This collection of black and white fine art photographs was created to allow you to escape to the great outdoors of the Southwestern region of the United States. I call this region "The region where the wind blows freely".
I hope that you will be as sensitive to these feelings of freedom and beauty as I am.
