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March 5, 2012

On the Rocks












The desert mountains gathered in clusters along the waste, how old and wrinkled, how set and determined they look! Somehow, they remind you of a clinched hand with the knuckles turned skyward. They have strength and bulk, the suggestion of quiescent force. Barren rock and nothing more; but what could better epitomize power! The heave of the enormous ridge, the loom of the dome's top, the bulk and body of the whole are colossal.

~ John Van Dyke



17 comments:

  1. The top photo reminds me of giants watching over the desert. The other rocks seem to be leaning on each other for support. Very powerful images! Great photography!

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  2. These look very much like old and worn statues. Great photos...

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  3. Sheer silvered wonder. These are perfection.

    In the second image the small streak in the sky looks more like a meteor than a plane. And in #3 and #4 there is a tuft of wild grass high on the right that just fascinates me.

    I could go on and on but the quote says it best...

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  4. wonderful series of photographs Stickup, in the tradition of Weston and Adams.
    beautiful.

    ~robert

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  5. These are wonderfully provocative images. Everything about them suggests such a vast history much larger than our mortality.

    In black and white they bring to mind being a kid and first experiencing the west and southwest in the old black and white cowboy movies....

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  6. The topography is stunning beautiful, but as always it is the composition, the way in which you have portrayed the elements of the image to form a work of art, that captures the eye of the beholder.

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  7. The old curmudgeon in a rusty-cinnamon serape and wide brimmed hat told the enchanted little girl with the slightly retroussé nose (how she came to be in the desert we can not know) that the boney remains of a prostrate god lay scattered before her, gargantuanly, and that her tiny feet, they were bare, could not possibly fail but feel the vibrations of ancient arguments made in the name of this or that goddess.

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  8. The first photo looks like what it must have been many years ago, prairie.
    I like the progression in the next photos. Every crack stands out.

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  9. Calm strength, an exercise in zen meditation gazing at these, something akin to the sentinel stones on Easter Island gazing out to sea, timeless, powerful, connected to the deepest roots of earth energy, universal, eternal, or nearly, these will be standing tall long after we are gone... only weathered slowly by wind, rain, sun, lichen...

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  10. The first photo reminded me so much of a 50s western that I couldn't shake that impression for the others.

    The difference between color and B&W is just amazing to me. I like your choice here.

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  11. Men would never do it better! This is truly fantastic and your shots are stunning as usual.

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  12. Look Dorothy, we're in the enchanted land of Zargaristan ;)

    A beautiful b and w series. So effective in bringing out shape, light and shadow. As is the conclusion(?) of the J Van Dyke poem. Perfect combo.

    Love the first photo. Even though it's placed first in the series, it makes me think that we the viewers, are coming out rather then going in

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  13. Mother Nature is the best artist and your sensitive photographs have beautifully captured her magnificent sculptures.

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  14. This series of rocks is amazing. Give you my congratulations for such good work. The frames are amazing they further magnify these rock formations and the choice in processing make them some more than interesting pictures.A strong hug!

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  15. "a vast history much larger than our mortality." - i was struggling to say the same thing as myth: i feel like a pebble, a grain of sand in front of these, completely at peace with everything...

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  16. Hi. I just wanted to thank you for your really nice comments about my work. "East of West LA" doesn't always have the number of visitors that I'd like so I really appreciate what you had to say. Thank you!

    (I tried to send you an e-mail but evidently I have some sort of incompatibility problem with blogger. You can go ahead and delete this if you want.)

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  17. thought I'd stick this in a past pot...

    There is going to be a bloggers of the San Gabriel Valley gathering this Saturday the 24th at Farnsdale Park in Altadena; The Bloggers' annual Primavera potluck and meet-up. It's at the top of Lake st off the 210. We meet under a covered picnic area at the North/West part of the park (Underneath the mountains) I think it starts around 11 and goes to 3. Hope to see you there!

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