Shiprock – Where legends are made!
Technical Details: Camera: Canon 5DMKIII Lens: Canon 16-35 Filters: None ISO: 2500 Aperture: f/3.5 Shutter: 25 seconds x 160 images Processed: Lightroom, Photoshop and DXO Nik
The holidays were hectic and January has been absolutely insane! I can’t believe it’s February already! I’ve been partaking in a little down time from the camera and social media in general, needing to catch up on other life chaos, some post processing and getting myself ready for Milky Way season!
In November I took an unplanned trip out to Shiprock. This place has been on my list for a while and I wanted to scout it out before making a serious trip out there. I scouted for the day and setup just before sunset for a couple of star trails while I was there.
History Behind Shiprock
This was such a neat location! The vastness of the rock face and the placement of the lava tunnels that are visible from above the ground was breathtaking! It made me decide to do a little research on the location so I though I would share some of that with you!
Shiprock prominently rises 1,583 feet above the desert floor making it one of the most prominent landmarks in New Mexico. The area is rich with Native American Legend, especially Navajo folklore. The Navajo people names the peak Tsé Bit’a’I, or “rock with wings.” Legend says that while being chased by a warlike tribe, a large rock bird rose from the Earth and carried the tribe to New Mexico. Once brought to the Southwest, the Navajo people only came down from the peak to gather water and tend to their crops. It was during one such trip that the peak was struck by lightning, destroying the trail, and stranding the women and children at the peak.
Technical Details: Camera: Sony A7RIII Lens: Rokinon 24mm Filters: None ISO: Foreground: 800 Sky: 3200 Aperture: Foreground: f/11 Sky: f/3.5 Shutter: Foreground: Brackted Sky: 25seconds # of images: Foreground: 5 Sky: 162 Processed: Lightroom, Photoshop and DXO Nik
Shiprock is composed of volcanic breccia and minette, dating over 27 million years old. It is the throat of a volcano that formed 2,500 – 3,000 feet below the Earth’s surface. Rock climbing was banned after a rock climber was injured in March 1970. The entire area has been rendered taboo by the Navajo people because of their fear of death and the aftermath of death.
About the images:
Image 1: I’ve been working to get in more foreground elements in my images and I was pretty happy with this one! This shot was taken on my Canon 5D MKIII with the Canon 16-35. Shot at ISO 2500, with an aperture of f/3.5 and a shutter of 25 seconds x 160 images. The final edits were made in Lightroom, Photoshop and DXO Nik. The foreground was taken just after sunset and blended with the sky.
Image 2: This shot was taken on my Sony A7R III with the Rokinon 24. Shot at ISO 3200, with an aperture of f/3.5 and a shutter of 25 seconds x 160 images. The final edits were made in Lightroom, Photoshop and DXO Nik. The foreground was taken just after sunset and blended with the sky.
That’s a wrap!
I hope you enjoyed!
Have you been there? Share your image with me below in the comments!