The Sentinel

Sentinal Mesa, Monument Valley, Navajo Reservation, Utah/Arizona Border

Happy New Year to everyone. I thought I would start off the year with a photo from one of my favorite places to visit and photograph, Monument Valley. Located on a Navajo reservation on the Utah/Arizona border, it has been the backdrop for famous movies (The Searchers, Stagecoach, Easy Rider, to name a few), untold number of commercials and even music videos (Metallica). 

Despite the commercial appeal, Monument Valley is such a spiritual place, and revered by the Navajo culture. Each formation has its own name and meaning. This formation is known as Sentinel Mesa, and I wanted to give it some scale by showing the building and homes. The formations in the park seem like they sprung up from nowhere in the otherwise flat landscape.