An Indian Chief, a Grouse and a Dodo Bird

It is said that many people look but a few see.  During a recent hike in the red rock formations of Sedona, Arizona, I experimented with angles of view under different light situations to see faces in what seemed just mountain ranges and rocks.

The interest in doing so came from reading articles about rock formations that look like man- made. There are numerous pictures from around the world that depict such anthropomorphic interpretation of rock or mountain formations, and in most situations it is really the timing of the view or picture taking that makes the difference.  The time of the day determines the contrast, the silhouetting of shapes and the vantage point put all in context. Examples are:

• The Dead man or The Sleeping Giant near the Blasket Islands, off the coast of Ireland. The Sleeping Giant seems to be asleep on his back in the very ocean that surrounds him. An aquatic mortuary house perfect for thinking about peace.
• The Sphinx in Hingol National Park, Pakistan.  This is perhaps my favorite as the proportions and posture of this naturally wind-carved rock resemble closely that of the Sphinx of Giza, Egypt.

And of course there are numerous images of how people have not only associated natural rock formations to human or animal faces, but have also built mythology and folklore around them.

So, I took a 1970’s “primitive” varifocal zoom lens (35-135mm) made by Kiron with me on this hike. I like this practically now unknown lens maker as the company was created by ex-Nikon engineers wanting to take their knowledge to the next level. Unfortunately they were not as great product promoters as engineers and the lenses never made it big. I have a few of these lenses (prime and zoom) which are now called “cult lenses” given the small group of devotees who still use them.

The hike was about 6 miles long to reach the “Devil’s Bridge”, a bridge-like formation hovering over a deep valley. At almost 5500 foot altitude the air was clear and the Arizona sun most pleasant.

While most hikers were amazed by the mountains and valleys round us, I was looking for natural rock carvings that could seem man-made. As expected a slight change in vantage point or shadowing variations seemed to change the appearance of what I saw dramatically.

By the time we reached the Devil’s Bridge I had already achieved the aim of my hike: I had found three sets of rock formations that either looked like an Indian Chief’s face, a grouse or a “ménage à trios” between a hawk, a humanoid and a Dodo Bird!

Here they are, in that order:
A. This Indian Chief’s profile was a few hundred feet before the Devil’s Bridge. He seems to be looking at the deep gorge under it. I especially like the mouth and chin as it gives it a pensive look.

And here is the close-up in case I am the only one who notices this natural carving…

B. As I was looking at the mountain range, the head, neck and even the left wing of a grouse seemed to stand out.

The close up shows the beak and left eye as the light was perfect at that instant for giving the needed shade and contour.

C. This one was great fun—I immediately saw, from left to right, a hawk’s head, a humanoid in the middle, and a Dodo Bird at the right! See it? Or all looks like just rocks to you?

Well, does the zoomed picture help? Do you even see the feathers atop the Dodo Bird’s head at the far right?

… This was a unique “street photography” session for me. The subjects did not move, walk around or do unpredictable things. Instead, my challenge was to find the subjects or perhaps “make them up”.

No matter, the hiking path is a street where many walk every day. And the naturally carved shapes, anthropomorphic and capricious, were there for me to fantasize and let my imagination free in these mountains of red rock and deep gorges basting in the desert sun.

October 29, 2014
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2014