Size: 7.5”x7.5” on 8.5”x11” 300gsm Heavy Matte Paper

Signed & stamped in verso

We had heard rumors of a place called the Subway. This was photographed before ubiquitous cell phone internet access. All we had to go on were rumors. We stopped at the Visitor Center and talked with a ranger who subtly hinted the water level was too high to attempt a hike in but he gave us loose directions anyway. I think he could sense we were going to try no matter what. The trail was unmarked but usable in places with a fair amount of river wading and bushwhacking. This is the good stuff. We were hungry for the thing. Hungry to make images. Our eyes were still immature but in that beginners thinking there was no jadedness, no dulled years of professional stress. We were just free to make images.

The goal of this walk was to get to a geologic feature that looks like a subway tunnel. A subway tunnel made of red and orange and yellow rock. Sand dunes compressed into solid stone. This image was taken just before we entered the main feature. I was struck by the contrast in color, the coolness of the water’s tonality paired with the warmth of desert rock. I walked into the middle of the stream and setup. Worried the rushing three inches of water would jiggle my tripod too much. It didn’t, she’s a good tripod.

Technical Info: Hasselblad, Fuji Velvia 100, 50mm lens, no filtration

Location: Zion National Park, 2003