Sedona, Arizona

A trip to Arizona brought back memories of conferences and lectures. But this time, it was for leisure and for the outdoors.

Among the places I visited was Sedona, a city at an elevation of 4,500 feet in the Upper Sonoran Desert of northern Arizona. Sedona and the Verde Valley region are surrounded by red sandstone formations. Probably the Grand Canyon is most known around the world for its extra-terrestrial look and colours, but the Sedona sandstones are no less amazing. For those of you who have seen old American Cowboy movies, you will understand how majestic those formations are. At sunrise and sunset, the colours turn to red, golden yellow and orange.

That is why spiritual pursuits are among the activities Sedona is known for. People search their inner harmony after climbing 200 or 300 meter formations and perching themselves at the edge of the sandstone “rock” and meditate. Others, torture their mountain bikes over rock and stone, or just hike for endless hours to be one with this exquisite environment.

Since I am not a landscape photographer, on trips of this nature, I often wonder if I should take a camera with me. After all, there are millions of wonderful photographs of these sand formations, and in colour! What can I capture in B&W that justifies 2 Kg of weight around my neck when climbing under the desert sun? So, if you want to see Sedona’s environment, just Google and you will not be sorry for doing so.

But I always take a camera. It is now part of my anatomy and I always worry that I would return from a trip saying “I missed that moment! I wish my Rolleiflex was with me!”

Here is a picture of the environment. Rugged desert and its flora. The texture and contrast of the fallen tree along with the some vegetation in the background were perfect for B&W shots. July is the monsoon season in Arizona and quite a bit of rain has fallen. During these days, the desert is greener.

While I was admiring the sandstone structures and decided to climb (at least half-way) a 300 meter formation, I saw three persons sitting at the edge of the sandstone “rock” about 100 meters away. Decided to see what my trusty 1970’s Nikkor 105mm lens can capture.

Then, during processing the picture, I enlarged the area to see the people. And it was indeed a spiritual moment! The two ladies seem to be guided by a bona fide fakir! I love these moments when I discover what I captured only after a “closer look” post picture-taking.

Yet, to a street photographer, all these majestic formations mean less than a kiss stolen in the parking lot, after the hiking trip. And I was able to capture that second, with the sandstone formation as background.

What can be sweeter than a kiss getting slightly up on your toes, to end the day?

July 19, 2014

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2014