In the Depths

Deep in the shadows of precipitous cliffs, a gnarled cottonwood stands alone. In its autumn shade, winter has made landscape for the first time in 11 months. Winter is here and the leaves will begin to fall, its time is over for getting nutrients from the sunlight. The gnarled twists and bends of this tree, the little amount of snow and muted colors really make this scene what it is. A moment of silence, a moment of reckoning, where the inner comes forward. The mood of this scene, made me feel this way when photographing it. Nature has a way of doing that. If you are present enough, you can be consumed by the emotions of something beyond yourself. I spend 4 days in Zion National Park during the autumn season of 2021. During this visit, while I was living in Montana at the time, I made some images I am very proud of. It is that connection that seems to make this happen fluently and easily. As I have spent countless months in this canyon of Zion.