Alcove House
©Joe Bridwell
Canyon walls like protecting ramparts, a kiva, crumbled remnants of multi-story rooms…
Mostly lit afternoons and perhaps early evening,
Hidden far up a canyon above the Rio Grande,
Yet some deep shadows,
_A late-to-post Pueblo III ruin.
©Joe Bridwell
Canyon walls like protecting ramparts, a kiva, crumbled remnants of multi-story rooms…
Mostly lit afternoons and perhaps early evening,
Hidden far up a canyon above the Rio Grande,
Yet some deep shadows,
_A late-to-post Pueblo III ruin.
Storm’s Doldrums
“Should I load the car - or _not?”
It was early morning and raining; rain forecast most of the day. Was lazy going to win and stay home? Finally, no – we started north…
I’d seen a gallery print taken from the back wall, looking out past the kiva, and was intrigued. The idea was to get an HDR of that scene…
On site, another print caught my attention. If I made it up the 500’ south canyon wall, could I shoot a long telephoto HDR with polarizer to enhance rain’s softening effect? It was cloudy – misting outside.
It’s been one of those delightfully capricious springs. Occasional water, intermittent clouds, sun always a heated threat. Today didn't differ one whit...
Bandelier
One hundred and forty feet above the canyon floor there is a naturally eroded alcove about 65 feet wide. Rows of holes in the alcove walls originally held roof beams. Seventeen first-floor rooms were capped by a second story of six rooms. Three cave rooms were carved into the walls. Turkey pens occupied the far wall behind the kiva. A refuse heap contained potsherds, corncobs and shucks, red and yellow corn kernels, beans, fur and feather cloth, squash rinds, turkey droppings, and possible human waste. Pottery sherds indicate the alcove was occupied 1250-1550 A.D.
The 12 foot Kiva was reconstructed in 1910. Excavations showed a floor of hard, blackened plaster, a fire pit 2 feet from the ventilator shaft, and loom anchor holes in the floor with loops of reed or willow is still intact in three holes.
Sunshine’s Blight…
That last part of the climb, up the 2nd cooling unit to the backcountry mesa top was swift. As I struggled up, sweat-filled eyes not protected by the customary bandana, vision-retarded, it was – climb, stop, sop with stinking sweater sleeve, then trudge on. Writing this reminiscence, I'm sunburned back up into the hair on my forehead.
Jemez Volcanism
The Jemez Volcano created these rocks in several magnificent eruptions over a million years ago. Gaseous lava would erupt, blow high into the sky, flow down the volcano’s sides, then spread outward, quickly cooling on top, but leaving ash below to cool more slowly and be softer. Many eons later, Anasazi found these delightfully soft rocks, carved rooms, and built Bandelier…
At the top – either open mesa or brush and tree filled canyon edge dipping steeply away. Ants, occasional but non-penetrating cactus, blessed juniper shade, ever present slap-slap to try to rid annoying bugs in the ears. Across the canyon, just below the lower cooling unit’s top, a magical alcove, a kiva, and awesome visual memories reminiscent of bygone Anasazi times.
Shootin’ Time
Feet hanging off the edge, tripod carefully braced, camera set up for 5 HDR shots, it was time to wait for visitors to leave those brief 2 seconds when images could be captured, trying to catch the ancient, sunlit essence of this magnificent, lonely ruin. The gray sky was now blue, clouds scudding east off the Jemez Mountains, patches of dark shadow occasionally interspersed with bright dashes of sun highlighting patches of canyon wall…
Between visitors who simply did not belong in this memorable photo of our past and scudding clouds, time passed slowly, letting me sit, absorb, dream about what was, yet be very much in each moment.
The first try let a few too many junipers draw my eye away above the alcove’s top; the last exquisitely framed walls, alcove, shadows, and strong kiva. Later, this simplistic scene _sans Anasazi_ would strongly remind me of realistic dioramas I saw many years ago at Mesa Verde.
You NEVER Know…
What started as a rain filled day to shoot in a hidden alcove turned into a day of exercise and sunlit capture of an exquisite memory from our Anasazi past. Sitting there, waiting to shoot, I recalled a morning at Fallen Roof ruin on Cedar Mesa, Utah. While waiting for the sun to really warm the exquisite roof and reflect magnificent colors, I heard children’s excited laughter up canyon well before I saw them.
A couple of striplings – big brother and little sister with parents – he climbing any wall, she enjoying the flowers – almost like ancient Anasazi children, natural, world-class climbers, as if monkeys from our distant past…
Were they premonitions of “How to think like an Anasazi?”
“Should I load the car - or _not?”
It was early morning and raining; rain forecast most of the day. Was lazy going to win and stay home? Finally, no – we started north…
I’d seen a gallery print taken from the back wall, looking out past the kiva, and was intrigued. The idea was to get an HDR of that scene…
On site, another print caught my attention. If I made it up the 500’ south canyon wall, could I shoot a long telephoto HDR with polarizer to enhance rain’s softening effect? It was cloudy – misting outside.
It’s been one of those delightfully capricious springs. Occasional water, intermittent clouds, sun always a heated threat. Today didn't differ one whit...
Bandelier
One hundred and forty feet above the canyon floor there is a naturally eroded alcove about 65 feet wide. Rows of holes in the alcove walls originally held roof beams. Seventeen first-floor rooms were capped by a second story of six rooms. Three cave rooms were carved into the walls. Turkey pens occupied the far wall behind the kiva. A refuse heap contained potsherds, corncobs and shucks, red and yellow corn kernels, beans, fur and feather cloth, squash rinds, turkey droppings, and possible human waste. Pottery sherds indicate the alcove was occupied 1250-1550 A.D.
The 12 foot Kiva was reconstructed in 1910. Excavations showed a floor of hard, blackened plaster, a fire pit 2 feet from the ventilator shaft, and loom anchor holes in the floor with loops of reed or willow is still intact in three holes.
Alcove House Handout, Bandelier National Park.
Sunshine’s Blight…
That last part of the climb, up the 2nd cooling unit to the backcountry mesa top was swift. As I struggled up, sweat-filled eyes not protected by the customary bandana, vision-retarded, it was – climb, stop, sop with stinking sweater sleeve, then trudge on. Writing this reminiscence, I'm sunburned back up into the hair on my forehead.
Jemez Volcanism
The Jemez Volcano created these rocks in several magnificent eruptions over a million years ago. Gaseous lava would erupt, blow high into the sky, flow down the volcano’s sides, then spread outward, quickly cooling on top, but leaving ash below to cool more slowly and be softer. Many eons later, Anasazi found these delightfully soft rocks, carved rooms, and built Bandelier…
At the top – either open mesa or brush and tree filled canyon edge dipping steeply away. Ants, occasional but non-penetrating cactus, blessed juniper shade, ever present slap-slap to try to rid annoying bugs in the ears. Across the canyon, just below the lower cooling unit’s top, a magical alcove, a kiva, and awesome visual memories reminiscent of bygone Anasazi times.
Shootin’ Time
Feet hanging off the edge, tripod carefully braced, camera set up for 5 HDR shots, it was time to wait for visitors to leave those brief 2 seconds when images could be captured, trying to catch the ancient, sunlit essence of this magnificent, lonely ruin. The gray sky was now blue, clouds scudding east off the Jemez Mountains, patches of dark shadow occasionally interspersed with bright dashes of sun highlighting patches of canyon wall…
Between visitors who simply did not belong in this memorable photo of our past and scudding clouds, time passed slowly, letting me sit, absorb, dream about what was, yet be very much in each moment.
The first try let a few too many junipers draw my eye away above the alcove’s top; the last exquisitely framed walls, alcove, shadows, and strong kiva. Later, this simplistic scene _sans Anasazi_ would strongly remind me of realistic dioramas I saw many years ago at Mesa Verde.
You NEVER Know…
What started as a rain filled day to shoot in a hidden alcove turned into a day of exercise and sunlit capture of an exquisite memory from our Anasazi past. Sitting there, waiting to shoot, I recalled a morning at Fallen Roof ruin on Cedar Mesa, Utah. While waiting for the sun to really warm the exquisite roof and reflect magnificent colors, I heard children’s excited laughter up canyon well before I saw them.
A couple of striplings – big brother and little sister with parents – he climbing any wall, she enjoying the flowers – almost like ancient Anasazi children, natural, world-class climbers, as if monkeys from our distant past…
Were they premonitions of “How to think like an Anasazi?”
Technics
Nikon D300, 270mm, ISO 200, f/11, 1/250-1/15, 14 bit, 5 shots, -2/+2 EV
Photomatix, Tone Compressor @ Default Settings – 32 bit to 16 bit tif
Alternating Lightroom 2.4 / CS4 Tools.
LR2 Tools – Raw Camera Profile Nikon DX2 mode 3, Basic, Tone Curves - medium contrast, HSL Targeted Adjustment Tool (H&S), Detail – Landscape Sharpening w masking.
CS4 Tools - Curves Black and White Points, Photokit Sharpener final 3D sharpening (varying opacity, brush size), patch, clone, Dodge & Burn.
Enjoy…
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