Home»The Many Faces of Palatki

I spent winter 2020-2021 in a beautiful location in the mountains of Northern Arizona. Palatki Heritage Site, on the Coconino National Forest. It is located in Red Canyon not too far from Sedona. It has a history that goes way back to archaic times. The rock art panels found here may go as far back as 9,000 years or more. Archeologists have been conducting studies here to determine a more accurate time frame. Cliff dwellings, built by the Sinagua people in the 12th century, are located here as well. I spent five months here as a caretaker while the site was closed during the pandemic. I spent countless days photographing the canyon building an extensive collection of images. Light and shadow on the red cliffs in the canyon offers endless photographic opportunities. There were many times I swear I could make out the image of a "face" or a figure on the rock walls and in the shapes of shadows produced by the play of light. Well it became an obsession of mine to photograph these "faces". So here is a collection of my favorites. Look closely though because they are sometimes a bit elusive. The images are accompanied by the music of David Lawler and Paul Speer.