Landscape photography is my passion. But, like most folks, I have varied interests. One of them is a fascination with Native American Rock Art that has grown over the years I’ve spent photographing in the American Southwest.
Some Rock Art is pecked or chipped into the stone surface (petroglyphs) and others are painted (pictographs). As you might expect, most petroglyphs have held up well, but time has been less kind to the pigment in pictographs.
Now, full disclosure. Unlike my landscape work which strives to capture the scene as my eyes see it, the photos shown here attempt to show the art as the original artist first saw it. In other words, I use my skills with processing and new software in an effort to remove the ravages of time.
Sophisticated software like D-Stretch can do an amazing job restoring faded pigment and when blended subtly and carefully in Photoshop, the results can be amazing.
One last note. A particularly sensitive and emotional topic for Rock Art enthusiasts concerns sharing locations. Those of us who love this ancient art are appalled by the vandalism that inevitably follows after a site’s whereabouts is publicized. Therefore, I won’t publish specifics for any location that hasn’t been revealed on the internet. But if a site is so well known that a 2 second right-click image search will reveal multiple blogs providing the name and specific location, then any subterfuge on my part is useless if not just silly.
If you do get the opportunity to visit any of these sites, please take extreme care to leave them exactly as you find them. Even the oil from your fingertips can degrade the pigment so just stand back, take your photos and “Leave No Trace.” Allow our children and future generations the chance to appreciate these wonderful works of art as well.
With that said, this portfolio is a collection of my favorites…enjoy!
PS: Check out this blog with more information about Rock Art.
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