Rock Art Portfolio - Firefall Photography

Landscape photography is my passion. But, like most folks, I have varied interests. One of them is a fascination with Native American Rock Art that has grown over the years I’ve spent photographing in the American Southwest.

Some Rock Art is pecked or chipped into the stone surface (petroglyphs) and others are painted (pictographs). As you might expect, most petroglyphs have held up well, but time has been less kind to the pigment in pictographs.

Now, full disclosure. Unlike my landscape work which strives to capture the scene as my eyes see it, the photos shown here attempt to show the art as the original artist first saw it. In other words, I use my skills with processing and new software in an effort to remove the ravages of time.

Sophisticated software like D-Stretch can do an amazing job restoring faded pigment and when blended subtly and carefully in Photoshop, the results can be amazing.

One last note. A particularly sensitive and emotional topic for Rock Art enthusiasts concerns sharing locations. Those of us who love this ancient art are appalled by the vandalism that inevitably follows after a site’s whereabouts is publicized. Therefore, I won’t publish specifics for any location that hasn’t been revealed on the internet. But if a site is so well known that a 2 second right-click image search will reveal multiple blogs providing the name and specific location, then any subterfuge on my part is useless if not just silly.

If you do get the opportunity to visit any of these sites, please take extreme care to leave them exactly as you find them. Even the oil from your fingertips can degrade the pigment so just stand back, take your photos and “Leave No Trace.” Allow our children and future generations the chance to appreciate these wonderful works of art as well.

With that said, this portfolio is a collection of my favorites…enjoy!

PS: Check out this blog with more information about Rock Art.

"Buff Alien StormTrooper with Light Sabre Assaults Hapless Droid""Buff alien StormTrooper with Light Sabre assaulting helpless droid" Like I said, it is probably pointless trying to understand the original meaning of rock art. Just let your imagination run loose and have fun with it.

These figures are in an alcove high up on a cliff face and significantly faded. D-Stretch restored many of the lost details as well as the sun-like symbol behind the head of the figure on the far left.. The elaborate headresses on enlongated bodies are striking. Old Woman Wash, Utah

$\"Silhouette\" I don\'t think there could be a simpler or more elegant carcaricature of an owl. Moab.$

$\"Buckbeak\" Don\'t ask me why I thought of the hippogriff in Harry Potter when I spotted this finely detailed creature. But that\'s one of the things I love about Rock Art, it fuels the imagination as you vainly try to grasp the original intent.$

$\"Snakes Alive!\" The snake handling Churches of Appalachia and even the Hopi Snake-Dancers weren\'t the first to use serpents in their ceremonies. Just the same, it gives me the willies, which might be exactly the reaction the artist intended. This depiction was found on the ceiling of a hollow boulder in the Henry Mountains .$

$\"Circle of Friends\"$

$\"Specters\" \'The Rainman Panel\' near Ferron Utah includes these facinating figures wearing elaborate headresses. They are seriously faded but D-Stretch was able to restore much of the pigment\'s original vibrancy.$

$\"Hands UP! The \'100 Hands Panel\' near Escalante is unmistakable, and unforgettable. If nothing else, you have to admire the artist\'s persistence and dedication. BTW, I counted 159 hands but feel free to count them yourself.$

$\"Calling All Ancient Alien Conspiracy Enthusiasts!\" Back in the day, they must have had some wild hats and tunics because you can\'t look at some rock art without a sense of wonder. This is one of the dozens of petroglyphs that adorn \'Newspaper Rock\' near Canyonlands NP.$

$\"Survivors\" The magnificent \'Courthouse Wash\' panel was hideously vandalized back in 1980 by someone who methodically worked it over with wire brushes, soap and water. Although the Park Service hired a restorer who did her best but much of the color and detail was lost.This image is a photoshop blend of a pre-1980 photo and modern D-Stretch shot that attempts to ressurrect its former glory.$

“Alien Invasion!” The famous Sego Canyon Panel is an example of the Barrier Canyon Style (BCS), which is my personal favorite. BCS usually consists of larger than life size anthropomorphic (manlike) forms with bug-eyes, antennae, earrings, snakes in hand, and leg-less torsos. The net result is a look that I adore...which is why BCS is overrepresented in this portfolio at the expense of other style.

$\"Shadows of the Shamans\"What I find amazing about Sego Canyon is the sheer number of high-quality, well-preserved BCS pictographs. Any one of them would be a find all in of itself anywhere else.$

$\"They Walk Among Us\" Another detail from the wealth of figures at Sego Canyon. These stylistic figures really intrigue me. They just don\'t fit with my preconceptions of prehistoric artwork...the style looks oddly modern to my eye.$

$Helping Hands\" Many consider Cave Springs to be one of the premier handprint pictographs. The vibrant/varied colors and the use of \'stripes\' to make the prints certainly catch the eye. Surprisingly, although it is easily accessible it is also nearly free of graffiti and vandalism..$

$\"Ancient Guardians\" These Fremont pictographs are massive and dramatic. They patiently tower over the stream that flows away from Calf Creek Falls as they have done for millennia. Its interesting to note that the 3rd figure from the right apparently overpainted a smaller portrait.$

$\"Magic Fingers\" This is the right half of the \'Harvest Panel\' ...certainly one of the premier rock art sites in the country. That figure on the far right with Indian Grass growing from his finger is the one that catches everyone\'s attention...how could it not? The symbolism is palatable.The panel is in direct sunlight and has faded. My processing has reversed that in this image so the original color and detail can be better appreciated. This image only captures half of the substantial panel but the detail$

$\"Bad Wizard\" This panel is usually referred to as \'Wizard zapping the dog\'. That just tickles me. Who knows what the original meaning was but it makes me smile everytime I see it.$

Related Images: