Slickrock and Shadow

Pinhead Pictograph Portrait! Because of its' near-ness and "secret" status, Shaman's gallery pictographs in Tuckup Canyon are often discussed like they are legendary.  My local contacts have told me about this place for years and I finally decided to make the trip.  If you search a little bit, you'll discover these are on the main Tuckup Trail that descend into Tuckup Canyon. Finding it on Google Maps is easy.  Finding it in reality is a bit more difficult because the roads have no signs and they criss-cross a lot.  Without my GPS and some waypoints I'd entered ahead of time, I would not have found the right road to the trailhead.  If you go, take a GPS and make sure you know what roads you should be taking.  It will not be obvious once you are there. The trail is well-maintained and going down it quick and easy.  The descent is about 2,000 vertical feet over about 3 miles.  The canyon is pretty without being gorgeous. GPS is also very ...

Walking to Duddo Stone circle through a vast wind-swept field! Imagine a stone circle in England that stands on a mound with fields in every direction:  nothing to block the view from this ancient stone circle.  The Duddo Stones form a 5-stone circle that can be walked to over a flat farmer's field.  Near Duddo, UK, this circle is a bit off the beaten path in Northumberland.  A few small signs will point you in the right direction.  A right-of-way path goes through some fields.  After about 1/2 a mile of walking, you'll see this view of the stones with a direct path to them. The stones are rough with deep creases and irregular shapes.  Some distant fields are yellow with rapeseed. All 5 Duddo stones Duddo Stones with deep gouges and lines. Duddo Stones in a big universe And to get the spooky and eerie feeling, I processed this shot in black and white. Black and White:  Duddo Stone Circle

Water-level view:  taken from a gondola Here's a collection of several canals and boats that I saw while in Venice. Green Boat Reflecting back on Venice Gondolier at work Grand Canal photo taken from Accademia Bridge at sunset

Arles Roman Arena The Roman arena in Arles is just one of many fascinating things to see in this wonderful, sunny provincial town.  This arena is still in use today for many civic activities.  It is a marvel that this has stood for 2000 years and continues to be functional. The Romans took the concept of an arch and created a whole world.  This arena itself is one arch after another.  Hundreds if not thousands of arches are used to build up this magnificent structure.  Because this is a circular building, you can get different angles of light simply by walking around the building itself.  As I did so, I found that view from the inside corridor that I liked.  The arches make a simple but beautiful view.  The light is what gives this all energy and power.