Montezuma Sunrise
Much mystery still surrounds the ancient Sinagua farmers who built this five-story, 20-room cliff dwelling known as Montezuma's Castle. How many sunrises and s...
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Much mystery still surrounds the ancient Sinagua farmers who built this five-story, 20-room cliff dwelling known as Montezuma's Castle. How many sunrises and sunsets did they witness? Built sometime between 1100 and 1300 it sits in a cliff recess 100 feet above the valley floor in north central Arizona near present-day Flagstaff. The fact that these ancient people were able to construct something like this without modern tools is a haunting reminder of their extensive architectural skills...
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Apr, 2015Views
1783
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Awards
Winner in Archeology Photo Challenge
Winner in Time forgotten Photo Challenge
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Emotions
Impressed
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Pauljeno
May 28, 2015
Makes one wonder how they possibly managed to build this so high up the cliff face. Paul.
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RDVPhotography
June 04, 2015
Absolute Masterpiece Nina, love it. Have not been here, is it a long way off a main highway
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carolcardillo
November 26, 2015
I thought, "this is so darn cool" and saw that Ronda had the same thought. It must be true, then! Love this!
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mihrt
January 17, 2016
Amazing capture. I have read about this place and other ancient peoples in Utah/Arizona. sure makes you wonder. Excellent work Nina!
tpremo
January 17, 2016
I wish locations like this could speak. To witness such strength and creativity would be amazing. What a great place to visit.
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kathyk_abq
April 09, 2016
Amazing shot,, Nina! Love the texture and light! It wouldn't let me give an award - arghhh!
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orlandosadie
April 14, 2016
Ancient history beautifully captured. So similar Mesa Verde NP and the Anasazi idea of creating a safe haven
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Kazza60
October 20, 2016
congratulations on your win in the Time Forgotten challenge ... an awesome image
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Montezuma's Castle, an ancient Sinagua cliff dwelling located about 30 miles south east of Sedona, Arizona.Time
We arrived late in the day after a brief rain storm. The sun was poking through the clouds and I was able to capture a bit of its flare in this one photo.Lighting
Because it was late in the day, the light was already softening; this is usually the best time of day to photograph landscapes or anything else outdoors.Equipment
At the time this photo was taken I was using a Nikon D7100 camera with a Nikkor 18-105mm lens with a polarizing filter attached. This shot was taken handheld. No other equipment was used.Inspiration
We had just started a 2-week trip visiting the southwest and this was our very first stop on our way to Sedona and other parts in northern Arizona. I have always been interested in ancient cultures and we had read about Montezuma's Castle while preparing for our visit. Because it was late in the day, the light was really nice. The sun started poking through the clouds right at the top of the mesa above the cliff dwellings, so it was an invitation to try to capture a sun flare. I wasn't disappointed!Editing
Even thought the late afternoon light was nice, the cloud cover also made my photo look a bit flat and somewhat gray. I enhanced the color, clarity and saturation of both the cliff dwelling and the sun flare in Lightroom.In my camera bag
Since taking this photo I have upgraded to a Nikon D750 full frame camera with a Nikkor 28-300mm zoom lens. I also have a 24-105 Nikkor lens that I use on occasion as well as a Nikkor macro lens. I always have 2 64gb memory cards in my camera because I almost always shoot in both jpg Fine and Raw. I keep a spare 32gb card in my camera bag just in case. Additionally, I always carry a spare, fully charged battery, UV and polarizing filters for all cameras, a light carbon fiber tripod, a Tiffen variable ND filter, the Cokin ND filter system, cleaning supplies and battery charger.Feedback
Usually landscape photographers have the advantage of returning to a particular location at different times of day (or night) or at different times of the year in order to capture a particular scene under varying conditions. However, early morning or late afternoon almost invariably gives the photographer the best chance of capturing a great photo because of the soft lighting. Do your research and plan ahead in order to make the most of your visit no matter where you go.
