Coalmine Canyon

Coalmine Canyon in Northern Arizona straddles the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations. Both claim Coalmine Canyon as theirs but whichever way you slice it, Coalmine is magnificent.  I recently met a Hopi Indian Tribal Leader traveling through Zion National Park and she informed me that photography and painting are not allowed on Hopi land. She did offer to show me their land, which the Hopi deem very sacred. I plan to follow up with her next time I visit the area.

On this day, gusting winds reaching 50 mph made photography difficult if fruitless, but I managed and hopefully all of these images are on Navajo Tribal Land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Magnificent Waterhole Canyon

Page, Arizona has its Antelope Canyon including crowds and guided tours that whisk you through. Waterhole Canyon is not quite like Antelope Canyon but it is a reasonable alternative especially since very few people know where it is.  No tour buses here!

 

 

It’s a bit tight but not claustrophobic.

 

The entry is rather ordinary.

 

Using a tripod for longer exposures helps to reveal the natural hues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waterholes Canyon

 

Waterholes Canyon

Monument Valley Supermoon

The supermoon for the ages came this week and Monument Valley was an iconic place to observe and photograph.  The moon was big but maybe not so super, after all, it’s only 14 % bigger than a normal full moon. The most difficult aspect of photographing the very bright moon is ensuring that you expose for the moon and not the surrounding landscape. Otherwise the moon will look washed out.

 

The full moon or supermoon rises over Monument Valley on Navajo Tribal Land on the Utah/Arizona border.

 

The full moon or supermoon rises over Monument Valley on Navajo Tribal Land on the Utah/Arizona border.

 

The full moon or supermoon rises over Monument Valley on Navajo Tribal Land on the Utah/Arizona border.

 

The full moon or supermoon rises over Monument Valley on Navajo Tribal Land on the Utah/Arizona border.

 

The full moon or supermoon rises over Monument Valley on Navajo Tribal Land on the Utah/Arizona border.

 

The full moon or supermoon rises over Monument Valley on Navajo Tribal Land on the Utah/Arizona border.