By now, I am sure that you are tired of seeing photos of Banff, so this will be a Banff-free week for my posts. Instead of the towering Canadian Mountains, today we head to the desert of the Southwestern United States. When I think of classic desert scenes, I can't help but think about the genre of movies from yesteryear, the westerns. These were made famous by John Ford and John Wayne. It is said that John Ford made Monument Valley famous through one of his first westerns, The Searchers. It was the first of many collaborations between Ford and Wayne.
In any case, when you get up well before dawn and stand waiting for the sunrise that is sure to come, your mind may wander to the days when both men were getting ready for the day's shoot. Looking upon the sandstone monoliths, you wonder if they are in awe of them as much as you are, towering well above the flat dry landscape. As the blue hour comes near its end and the start of first light on the horizon begins, you snap back to reality to shoot this amazing scene.