Dualities #7 Hubbell Trading Post, Arizona 2013

The emblem on the left was embedded in the adobe wall of the Hubbell house. The “Silent Sioux” chief on the right was on an old space heater out behind the barn. Being Sioux, the chief is a little out of his territory. Maybe that’s why he looks so worried or sad.    ]]>

Dualities #6 Hubbell Trading Post, Arizona 2013

The pot  is in the Hubbell house, the grass rings are at the base of Hubbell Hill. I asked the folks at the Trading Post if they knew what caused the grass circles. The best answer (in terms of entertainment value, not accuracy) was some kind of alien crop circle.]]>

Dualities #5 Navajo Nation, Arizona 2013

Some barkless pale white cottonwood tree trunks in Ganado Wash paired with white sandstone formations near Salina Springs.]]>

Dualities #4 Navajo Nation, Arizona 2013

On the left is a  section of canyon wall in Canyon de Chelly with some flaking desert varnish (the black stains on the sandstone walls). On the right is a shot of some old plywood in a junk pile in Ganado Wash near where I was staying. On the left I see a dog, on the right, I’m not sure, perhaps a map of the lost continent of Atlantis.]]>

Dualities #3 Navajo Nation, Arizona 2013

On the left is some “desert varnish” stains on the wall above the White House Ruins in Canyon de Chelly. On the right is some graffiti in an abandoned school at Salina Springs. A couple of notes about the creative process that went into this series. All these parings came about after the fact–I did not go out seeking images to put together this way. I came up with the matches during the editing and weeding out process I go through with all the photos I take. The pairings just popped into my head unplanned, but after becoming aware that I had started a series (if two or three can be considered a series) I then then more or less consciously started looking for others. It’s a much harder process when you’re concentrating on doing it than it is when it just happens! Some of the images in these pairs are separated by both time (days between photographing them) and distance (miles apart). Other pairs occurred within a much shorter time and distance, on the same outing.]]>

Dualities #2 Navajo Nation, Arizona 2013

A rock on a ridge and a tumbleweed in the road. I like the way the line of the rock ridge matches up perfectly with the shadow line on the road. (I didn’t plan it that way!)

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Dualities #1 Navajo Nation, Arizona 2013

I’ve been pairing up some of my images that contain similarities in terms of visual shapes and other aspects of the compositions. This one is of a proverbial balancing rock and yet another tire “turn here” sign.]]>

Intersection Nazlini, Arizona 2013

Among the badland area a few miles north of the Hubbell Trading Post.

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Corner Pot Hubbell Trading Post 2013

The historic Hubbell home at the trading post is filled with a very impressive collection of western paintings by all the artists such as Maynard Dixon who the Hubbells’ encouraged to stay with them over the years as well as their own lifetime collection of Indian rugs, baskets, and pottery. They give short tours of the residence but the light is so low inside (25 watt bulbs perhaps) that photographing is difficult. However one of the perks of being artist-in-residence is that I got to go in there for an extended period of time and photograph using my tripod. I don’t know how significant the images I got were, but it was quite an experiencing just being able to soak it all in.]]>

The Ghost of the White House Ruins Canyon de Chelly, Arizona 2013

Happy Halloween from the White House Ruins trail in Canyon de Chelly. I guess this is more of a skeleton skull than a ghost but you get the idea.]]>