Seeking Sedona

“Don’t think about the image before the image happens. Don’t go into the moment with a belief of what you expect to see, just go in and see what there is to see.” ~ Vincent Versace

Last week my wife and I traveled to Sedona, Arizona, to take in the scenery and try and capture the beauty of the area in photographs.  I had visions in my head of grand vistas, epic sunsets; I had in my head visions of...  I'm not sure what exactly.  All I knew was, it was going to be grand, epic, sweeping...

The first afternoon we drove up Schnebly Hill Road, heading up the road a bit, past where the pavement turned into a rutted, bumpy dirt road best suited for Jeeps, going a short way before turning around, all the while enjoying the scenery and the truck's air conditioning.  Despite the heat and the haze of the late afternoon we pulled over at one point, and I took a few shots looking back towards Sedona.  My favorite was this one, with the century plant in the foreground.

Over the course of that evening, while hiking the next morning, and on into the day, I kept being drawn in by - and kept photographing - a singular subject that caught my eye, over and over.  It wasn't the gorgeous red rock vistas, or any particular mountain, but something on a much smaller scale.   

The century plant, agave americana.  Dotting the landscape.  Catching my eye.  Capturing my imagination. 

Late on the second night we headed up Dry Creek Road, where the previous evening I had spotted a century plant near a "medicine wheel" a short distance from the road.  I put my wide angle lens on the camera and darted off into the brush...

I then headed uphill, stopping to take photos here and there, until I found this century plant, standing tall against the sky with the golden glow of the evening in the background...

I worked the scene for a bit, moving around the century plant until this composition with the sun setting behind the mountains in the background made me pause...

I went to Sedona looking for epic vistas and adventures straight out of an old John Wayne western and ending up being drawn in by a tall, lonely, beautiful plant that lives to bloom once and die...  

All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor lens: 16-85 DX VR (first photo), 10-24 DX (other photos)

You can view my online portfolio and purchase prints here.

Want to keep up to date with where I'll be and what my latest creations are?
Follow me on FaceBook and Google+
I'm also on Twitter @KSchafferPhoto
And am now sharing iPhone photos on Instagram: @kschafferphoto