Here's a shot of some of the trees burned by one of the Mesa Verde fires a few years back. I could have spent all day photographing the trees but figured I should get to some of the ruins as well. Here's a few more shots from Mesa Verde: http://www.gcollier.com/SJ07/content/index_2.html
Posted by Kalin Wilson on July 30, 2007 at 10:42 PM
Nice, Grant. Were you with a crowd and really patient or did you get some private access?
I went through the whole gallery and really liked the variety. The twisted tree shapes and spritual nature of the ruins make for a nice contrast.
Posted by Grant Collier on July 31, 2007 at 11:30 AM
They actually now have a photographer's tour of Cliff Palace for $20. It's limited to 10 people and you have an hour to take photos. So that makes it easier. There's a regular tour for Long House and it tends to be less popular. The group is clustered together and you just have to shoot around them and work fast. Spruce Tree House is always crowded but the ruins are roped off so there won't be people in your shots as long as you get close up and use wide-angle. For the kiva & ladder, just wait until it's empty and ask the ranger not to let people in while you're photographing. Again, you've got to be fast. I prefer the remote ruins that you can have to yourself, but I didn't have much trouble working around the crowds at Mesa Verde.
Discussion
4 repliesI see the appeal/potential in the twisted forms, but the comp really isn't grabbing me here. The shots of the ruins, however, are really nice.