Southwest-Gallery.com releases art photographs of remote locations in the American Southwest

May 31, 2011 - PRLog -- The recently-opened Southwest-Gallery.com features a unique collection of digital photographs and digitized monochrome images of off-trail locations in the Four Corner states. Topics range from sweeping views of mountains and canyons to abstract natural compositions. An outstanding feature is a collection of luminous compositions recorded on monochrome film that have been digitized and carefully restored. Full resolution images are available on request for commercial and non-commercial uses. They are suitable for large display prints, screen backgrounds and publications. New theme exhibits are mounted monthly and past exhibits may be accessed in the archive.

The following exhibits are currently displayed:

* Bryce Canyon Forms (57 mm, monochrome)
The amphitheater of Bryce Canyon National Park is like no other place on earth, a wild and eerie forest of stone carved by endless freeze-thaw cycles. The views from the canyon rim are extraordinary, but it is even more interesting to take the short but intense trails that lead through the labyrinth. The rocks have a fairly uniform red color, so Bryce Canyon is a good subject for monochrome photographs that abstract and emphasize the symphony of shapes. The high-resolution images of this exhibit are suitable for large prints.

* Canyons of the Escalante from Hole-in-the-Rock Road (Digital, color)
Hole-in-the-Rock Road is a dirt track that runs 55 miles from the town of Escalante, Utah to the edge of a cliff. It follows the route of 1879 Mormon pioneers. When they reached the cliff, they lowered their wagons and mules with ropes through a cleft, an amazing feat. An infinity of canyons leading to the Escalante River is accessible east of the road. The slickrock canyons contrast with the dry plateau above. Water flows everywhere with abundant plant life. Narrows and slots offer interesting hikes. It's hard to imagine a more perfect environment.

* Canyon de Chelly (35 mm, monochrome)
Canyon de Chelly National Monument in eastern Arizona features well-preserved Anasazi ruins and 1000 foot shear cliffs. It is located within the Navajo Nation. It has been occupied by the Navajo since the 1700s and served as a redoubt in conflicts with Spanish and American invaders. These images were digitized from 35 mm negatives recorded in the mid-1980s when there was strong water flow in the canyon.

* Rock abstracts, San Rafael Swell (Digital, color)
The American Southwest contains an unusually large number of rocks. Some of the best are in the San Rafael Swell near Hanksville, Utah. The Swell is a large dome of sandstone, shale, and limestone created by a geologic upheaval in the distance past. Subsequent erosion by wind and rain has created a network of multi-colored narrows and slot canyons. A few years ago, I spent a week enjoying several routes. Being at the bottom of a narrow canyon all day shifts your view from sweeping vistas to a more microscopic examination of the surroundings.

Images in the gallery were recorded by Stan Humphries over a 40 year span. He has had wide experience in technical photography. Over his career in experimental plasma physics and pulsed-power technology, he developed a variety of state-of-the-art fast imaging devices. Contributions include pioneering work on holographic infrared interferometry, nanosecond electro-optical cameras, adaptive optics techniques for electron beams and imaging spectrometers for intense ion beams. His three-dimensional computer codes OmniTrak and GamBet are world standards for simulations of electron optics and X-ray imaging devices.

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Southwest-Gallery is a unique collection of monochrome and color images of remote and unspoiled locations in the American Southwest. Full-resolution images are available at no charge for non-commercial and commercial applications.