House on Fire
Late morning light reflects off other nearby rock surfaces within Mule Canyon and reaches up under the covering ledge of this alcove to set ablaze the brilliant striations of rock that radiate like flames licking upward from this little Puebloan granary ruin known to most as House on Fire ruin, Cedar Mesa, Bears Ears National Monument, Utah.
I've come to think that being passionate about photography, particularly of landscapes and nature, means being something of an artist and also something of a treasure hunter with the way we ever-optimistically trek around the countryside seeking beautiful compositions and rich colorful light. Truth be told, though, there's also a little bit of collector at times in most of us as well. The first I'd ever heard of House on Fire ruin years ago was in the text accompanying someone else's photograph (I can't recall whose unfortunately), which in all likelihood was not too dissimilar from mine here. I marveled at the visual effect of the reflected light on those perfect textures in the rock above the ruin, and wanted at once to visit, experience and photograph this intriguing place myself whenever my travels took me close enough to this fairly remote (though still quite accessible if you're in the area) location.
A couple weeks ago, after shooting sunrise in the Upper Blue Hills, Sky Matthews and I jumped in the car and drove the hundred or so miles southeast to the Mule Canyon trailhead and hustled up the streamside trail to finally get to see House on Fire for ourselves. Forget about photography for a second, it was just an amazing place to experience even though it is a very small site (among innumerable other sites in the vast Cedar Mesa region of Utah). With respect to photography, there may be nothing new under the sun that can be done here, but no matter, I admit I was very glad to be able to take a few shots of my own to go with my memories.
This is quite the traditional perspective on the ruin and the fire effect that rises above it. Sky and I both tried a good number of other compositions here, and I expect one or both of us will post a different perspective or two in the future, but I figured I'd post this first since, like many before me, I like the way the "flames" seem to emerge and radiate in such a balanced way from the central ruin when viewed from this angle.
Thanks for viewing!
House on Fire
Late morning light reflects off other nearby rock surfaces within Mule Canyon and reaches up under the covering ledge of this alcove to set ablaze the brilliant striations of rock that radiate like flames licking upward from this little Puebloan granary ruin known to most as House on Fire ruin, Cedar Mesa, Bears Ears National Monument, Utah.
I've come to think that being passionate about photography, particularly of landscapes and nature, means being something of an artist and also something of a treasure hunter with the way we ever-optimistically trek around the countryside seeking beautiful compositions and rich colorful light. Truth be told, though, there's also a little bit of collector at times in most of us as well. The first I'd ever heard of House on Fire ruin years ago was in the text accompanying someone else's photograph (I can't recall whose unfortunately), which in all likelihood was not too dissimilar from mine here. I marveled at the visual effect of the reflected light on those perfect textures in the rock above the ruin, and wanted at once to visit, experience and photograph this intriguing place myself whenever my travels took me close enough to this fairly remote (though still quite accessible if you're in the area) location.
A couple weeks ago, after shooting sunrise in the Upper Blue Hills, Sky Matthews and I jumped in the car and drove the hundred or so miles southeast to the Mule Canyon trailhead and hustled up the streamside trail to finally get to see House on Fire for ourselves. Forget about photography for a second, it was just an amazing place to experience even though it is a very small site (among innumerable other sites in the vast Cedar Mesa region of Utah). With respect to photography, there may be nothing new under the sun that can be done here, but no matter, I admit I was very glad to be able to take a few shots of my own to go with my memories.
This is quite the traditional perspective on the ruin and the fire effect that rises above it. Sky and I both tried a good number of other compositions here, and I expect one or both of us will post a different perspective or two in the future, but I figured I'd post this first since, like many before me, I like the way the "flames" seem to emerge and radiate in such a balanced way from the central ruin when viewed from this angle.
Thanks for viewing!