Red Rocks

Sedona, AZ "The Red Rock City"

Located at the base of Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona is renowned for its stunning red buttes and monoliths, as well as its surrounding lush forests.

Sedona began as a small, remote ranching and farming settlement in 1876 when the first permanent settler, John James Thompson, squatted in Oak Creek Canyon. By 1902, 20 families lived in the settlement and a postal station was petitioned for by Theodore Schnelbly. The petition was granted and Schnelbly named the new post office in honor of his wife, Sedona. The remote agricultural community was well-know for the quality of its fruit, especially the abundant apple orchards. But as the scenic wonders and sites of Sedona became known, tourism surpassed agriculture in economic importance.

In 1950, surrealist painter Max Ernst moved to Sedona, and other famous artists followed. Many artists have been attracted to Sedona and its rugged beauty which is said to enhance their creativity. Over the years, an artist colony has developed in Sedona and many of the artists sell their work in local galleries and shops. It may have been more than the scenic red rocks that stimulated the creativity of artists. It is believed by many people that the region of Sedona contains a concentration of vortexes which are spots that release psychic energy or power from the Earth. The four local points which are considered to be energy vortexes are Bell Rock, Table Top Mountain, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon.

"The Red Rock City" attracts more than 4 million tourists a year.

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Our last full day in Arizona was spent exploring the gorgeous sights in and around the city of Sedona. The geography is unlike anything that I have ever seen. These huge red rock cliffs are bright red that showcase layers upon layers of sedimentary rock. The area is known to be around 3000 years old. The small city of Sedona is completely surrounded by these photogenic and completely unique rugged rocks.

My in-laws insisted that I sit in the front seat with my camera because they wanted me to be able to experience the "WOOOOOOW" when dropping down into the canyon. And to tell you the truth, I don't even know if "WOW" popped out when I saw my first preview of the massive red rocks, I was a bit speechless. Everyone was so supportive of my photography and literally took every step necessary in finding the perfect view points for me. It was really special. It made me feel really special. Everyone was so excited for my photo opportunities that finally I had to make the announcement, "Thank you all for being so blip extreme!".

We had a nice little lunch at Wild Flower Bread Co. and strolled around window shopping and popping into photography galleries. One particular gallery really made an impact on me. Almost every single photograph was of the massive red rocks from various perspectives and angles. But, what made each photograph special was the lighting. And it hit me, lighting is EVERYTHING! You can photograph anything and produce a nice composition, but if the lighting is right, it can be dynamic and one of a kind. Today's shot was mid day, so I did not have any spectacular lighting to work with, but I am still happy with the composition. This photo leaves me with the desire to return to Sedona with the time to catch these massive rocks early in the morning or close to sunset. Those two golden hours would give this photograph a completely different look and feel. So that is a photography goal that I have set for myself today. And I am just thrilled to have been given the opportunity to experience this spectacular setting.

Day 7 in AZ and I can happily say that I photographed Sedona like a kid in a candy store on Christmas Day morning. The memories of today will forever be etched into my mind.