Heart of Stone (Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona)

Lower Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell, Arizona (Hazdistazí). I didn’t hurry things, I just let my senses get accustomed as I moved down the dim path. I had dropped out of 100 degrees into 50 in the slot, out of blinding sunshine into dark. I let the place determine my pace, the unknown revealing itself as my eyes got accustomed and the light began to make edges evident. I navigated down the narrow path, between walls that rose a hundred feet above me, towards an ever increasing glow. It’s subtle, the way we accommodate and open ourselves to trust as we become more committed to where the path goes. It happens slowly, in the same way the light begins to glow on the sandstone, and color brightens and darkens on surfaces. All the lines, striations, curves and angles become special in this twilight. I let my caution fade as I was drawn toward more—more light, more contours, more possibilities—and let instinct lead me, each step looking more promising. I rounded a corner into a chamber of glow, of light cascading from above and bouncing crazily from one surface to reflect on another, and another in turn, all the way down in degrees of shadow and relief. I wondered if I had stepped into the heart of it, if it was letting me see it's inner beauty. I basked in the fullness of it for too short a time, having followed what I liked, what I loved, where it had lead me. And I realized, after awhile, that it was a heart of stone. The warmth was up, beyond my reach, and what I could reach was cold to the touch. I could stay, and pretend that the time would stand still, and that the light would remain just so, but that won’t happen. As different aspects are revealed, the brightness grows harsher, or dimmer, but it all just…changes. There's no denying its beauty, but it's not a place to stay. I had my moment of promise and truth, and hardened my own heart as I went deeper.

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Filename: Heart of Stone
Image Size: 1363x2048 / 2.0MB; Lower Antelope Canyon slot canyon slot Arizona AZ desert Lake Powell canyon sandstone light formations Hazdistazí landscape landscape photography corridor Ray Palmer Ray Palmer Photography
Contained in galleries: West

Lower Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell, Arizona (Hazdistazí). I didn’t hurry things, I just let my senses get accustomed as I moved down the dim path. I had dropped out of 100 degrees into 50 in the slot, out of blinding sunshine into dark. I let the place determine my pace, the unknown revealing itself as my eyes got accustomed and the light began to make edges evident. I navigated down the narrow path, between walls that rose a hundred feet above me, towards an ever increasing glow. It’s subtle, the way we accommodate and open ourselves to trust as we become more committed to where the path goes. It happens slowly, in the same way the light begins to glow on the sandstone, and color brightens and darkens on surfaces. All the lines, striations, curves and angles become special in this twilight. I let my caution fade as I was drawn toward more—more light, more contours, more possibilities—and let instinct lead me, each step looking more promising. I rounded a corner into a chamber of glow, of light cascading from above and bouncing crazily from one surface to reflect on another, and another in turn, all the way down in degrees of shadow and relief. I wondered if I had stepped into the heart of it, if it was letting me see it's inner beauty. I basked in the fullness of it for too short a time, having followed what I liked, what I loved, where it had lead me. And I realized, after awhile, that it was a heart of stone. The warmth was up, beyond my reach, and what I could reach was cold to the touch. I could stay, and pretend that the time would stand still, and that the light would remain just so, but that won’t happen. As different aspects are revealed, the brightness grows harsher, or dimmer, but it all just…changes. There's no denying its beauty, but it's not a place to stay. I had my moment of promise and truth, and hardened my own heart as I went deeper.