Montezuma's Castle National Monument 1
Native American cliff dwelling, nestled in a lovely protected canyon.
Native American cliff dwelling, nestled in a lovely protected canyon.
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Canon EOS 10D
Aperture f/6.7 ISO 100 Shutter 1/125 Focal Length 40/1 
Camp Verde, Arizona, US
Dec, 2018Views
500
Likes
Awards
People's Choice in from below Photo Challenge
People's Choice in Abandoned civilazations Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superb Composition
Virtuoso
Absolute Masterpiece
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
Categories
Platinum
PRO+
Steve-n-Ning
May 03, 2019
Thank you. I really appreciate your commenting on this one instead of the second shot which doesn't have the foliage in the foreground. Most people seem to prefer the other one, and I have always liked this one better. I was just looking at your gallery - you have some WONDERFUL shots.
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Steve-n-Ning
July 03, 2019
@CandyLHill Thank you very much. ViewBug won't allow me to comment directly to your comment on the photo.
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Steve-n-Ning
July 03, 2019
@Vitaly_SN Spaceba. I am very proud of the two photos I took of this beautiful archeological site. It is located in a peaceful canyon with running water.
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Steve-n-Ning
July 04, 2019
@derxphoto - Thank you. VB won't allow me to comment directly to your comment. Hard to believe it was occupied for 400 years.
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Steve-n-Ning
July 04, 2019
@Remraf - Thank you very much. Again VB won't allow me to comment directly to your comment on the photo. Be well always.
DanOhGee
February 24, 2020
One of my favorite spots! I'm with you and prefer this one over the other.
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Steve-n-Ning
February 24, 2020
Thank you. I was beginning to feel like I was the only one who preferred this one. I do love the quiet canyon where this monument is located.
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Steve-n-Ning
March 28, 2020
Thank you. I always liked how this image turned out, and winning 'People's Choice' in 2 different Challenges bears this out.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Montezuma's Castle National Monument in Camp Verde, Arizona. This site was declared one of the first National Monuments by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 8, 1906. This impressive cliff dwelling was occupied by the Sinagua people for about 400 years. It was abandoned about 600 years ago. It is situated along Beaver Creek, which assured a regular water supply: a necessity in its desert environment.Time
This was taken in mid-afternoon on an overcast October day.Lighting
The overcast day provided great diffused light. Daytime photos in the Arizona desert often are problematic because of the extremely bright sunshine, giving very bright highlights and dark shadows. Overcast is a nice but unusual condition.Equipment
This was taken handheld with my older Canon 10D using a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens.Inspiration
Arizona has a number of National Monuments. Montezuma's Castle is one of the more prominent ones, and it certainly is one of the most historic. It was on my list of places to see.Editing
I did very little post-processing other than cropping and balancing the highlights and shadows in Adobe Lightroom.In my camera bag
These days, my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, which always has my Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L ii lens mounted on it. That is my go-to lens for the majority of my photos. I also carry several lenses: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, and a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM. I try to shoot with natural light all the time, but on those occasions where I need an external light source, I use either a Neewer CN-216 LED panel or a Canon Speedlite 580EX. I have tripods by Slik, 3Pod and Manfrotto. I also have a Canon 30D and a Canon 10D with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens for backup.Feedback
Be willing to do some hiking. Spend the time necessary to walk around to find the best angles to shoot the subject. Because this is a cliff dwelling and, by definition, is above your head, you must find a compromise location that allows the subject to be captured without pointing the camera straight up. The canyon in which this site is situated is narrow, so options are few.
