That The Flag Did Still Wave

It was a bright sun filled day, that terrible bloody day in June of 1876. A day filled with cries and screams and shouts of victory. Of lances pointed high and gunshots ringing out across the Greasy Grass, of scalps taken and fatal blows struck by both sides and then a lonely silence as the victors cleared the field and wind was left to blow solemnly over those left behind.

 There is a thing about the why’s and how’s of battle. It is not enough to win. That feeling is fleeting, the adrenalin soon dissipated. There needs to be something concrete and tangible to remind one of the results of that terrible risk taken, an actual prize from the field of battle that can link one back to that time when the memory grows dim. Something that is often referenced to remind one of the chances taken, the absolute finality of decisions, the very luck of the day. In this case for the victors it is the colors, the flag that meant so much to the vanquished, now held aloft and celebrated as a symbol of the glory of victory. To have captured that which was so important to their enemy validates their worth as warriors. It is proof undeniable that they were victorious.

There is a song important to us which contains the words “Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave” that were spoken as a symbol of hope during another battle. On this day in June of 1876, on the gently swelling hillsides of the greasy grass alongside the Little Bighorn river, where many good men on both sides met their fate, that hope was transferred from the vanquished to the victors. The meaning of the symbol holds true regardless of who controls the flag. This time it is the warriors of the Indian nations that hold the flag. Soon enough it will transfer back as the pendulum swings back to the ebb and flow of battles past and present. But then that’s a story for another time.

A Little Glimpse Of Gold

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When you walk through lower Antelope canyon you pass through various ranges of color. Sometimes you’re in a darker area where the purples are predominant, other times you come into a bright area where every shade of orange and red and yellow are on display.

This is one of those areas. The canyon floor is a little wider here than other places and the sun was cooperating so the result is an open airy feeling, that is until a cloud passes in front of the sun, then it gets real dark down here in a hurry. When you’re 100′ or more under ground you want the sun to illuminate the passages. There are no lights down here other than the sun and your enthusiasm.

Sometimes the colors seem to try to outdo each other and when that happens, magic happens. Be quick when you see this type of color arrangement present itself as this is not the norm down here. However if you wait a moment you’ll get something just as spectacular because that’s the canyon’s job. Show the colors and plenty of them.

Crow Fair 2015 Pre-Parade Staging

This post has been moved to OpenChutes.com. All future postings of Powwows, Indian Relay Races, Rodeos and Rendezvous will be posted there from now on exclusively. So if you’re looking for new images and posts for all those events attended this year, plus all the old posts posted on BigShotsNow.com check out OpenChutes.com. See you there!

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One of the surprising things about life is you are never too old to be surprised. After watching the parade and seeing everyone one in their proper places and the show going off flawlessly you think that it was a simple thing to have a parade. You called up a bunch of folks, got them together, put in them in a line and said “Go.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. The surprise and the fun was that you are totally unprepared for the activity and monumental cooperation it takes to get dozens and dozens of people together and have them all in their proper places ready to go when the parade starts.

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People begin drifting in by ones and twos.

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Everyone is properly dressed

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They’re excited

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They’re ready to have fun

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Royalty is arriving with the littlest starting off first

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It’s a chance to see friends and exchange greetings

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And show off the cool stuff you get to carry with you

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The horses are arrayed in all their finery and prance in place eager to be off

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It’s also a chance to show off the incredible regalia needed to outfit the horses and riders properly, some of which are the result of hours of work to create, each piece being unique.

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For some it is also a time for reflection

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Colors, textures, craftsmanship and historical context are everywhere you look

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Like any big maneuver it is often hurry up and wait

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And it can be time for those last minute adjustments

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As in every event that happens at the Crow Fair it is the drums that tie everything together.

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Members of the parade committee help everyone find their places in line

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And then suddenly it is time. They’re off to start another parade

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The mounted riders head out first and everyone hurries to make sure they’re in the correct spot

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After the mounted riders start, the floats begin to enter the line up. These Princesses are smiling and happy to be under way.

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Some are wide-eyed with the wonder of it all. How many parades will this young person participate in? Hopefully many.

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Families feel the excitement

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Young mothers and their children are proud

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What could be better than riding on a float in the best parade in the world

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And as usual the veterans are not forgotten. They’re becoming fewer and fewer but those still here with us receive the respect of everyone, viewers and participants alike.

They’re off to complete the parade. They’ll travel throughout the camp and wind up back here to disband and see who won their respective categories. The next post will show that process as the paraders’ return. Stay tuned.

Crow Fair 2015 Men’s Dancing

This post has been moved to OpenChutes.com. All future postings of Powwows, Indian Relay Races, Rodeos and Rendezvous will be posted there from now on exclusively. So if you’re looking for new images and posts for all those events attended this year, plus all the old posts posted on BigShotsNow.com check out OpenChutes.com. See you there!

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Dancing is a central part of the Crow Fair and the men’s competition is very important to them. It is a chance to show off their regalia and their best footwork and perhaps most importantly demonstrate their history and culture. Dancing is extremely serious business and not taken lightly. It is a chance to show off who they are and what their beliefs mean to them.

There are many different dance categories and they are broken down by age groups. This post is not about explaining what each category is but it is more a presentation of the colors, textures, style, symbols and meanings important to each dancer and the tribe in general. Ceremony and the spiritual connection with their past can be seen in every step they take. This is not a show, this is their life.

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Elder dancers display more traditional styles.

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Younger dancers display more exotic styles

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Some are very traditional

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The younger boys have each chosen the style they want to perform

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A group of fancy dancers display the incredible variety of colors for their dance category

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Postures are an important part of each dance style

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So is intensity

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Decorations and symbols adorn each dancers regalia and the items they carry.

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Focus, making sure each step is performed in the proper manner requires maximum concentration.

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Feathers and perfect beadwork complete the look required

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The emotion of each presentation can be seen in every movement.

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Two different styles performing the same dance

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Every accessory is perfect from head to toe

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Lost in the dance one can see the powerful historical connection for the dancers

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And the incredible feelings displayed as the dance continues

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Many clothing styles are a study in contrast

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While there is simply wild abandonment in the fancy dancers regalia

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This style of dancing requires maximum effort on the part of the dancers

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And it shows as the dance ends.

The dancing goes on nearly continuously throughout the fair and the stamina of the participants is remarkable. Many times the dances last deep into the night and the sounds of the drums and the singers can be heard throughout the camp. It is a  constant whirlwind of activity and excitement. The next post will bring you the women’s dancing. Stay tuned.

Colors, Patterns and Textures in the Southwest

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One of the incredible perks in having a job like mine is you get to see things like this on a regular basis. Sure there are many times where you don’t have the extraordinary light or the stupendous subject matter but then a lot of the time you do. And all you have to do is look at it and take it’s picture. How cool is that? Pretty damn cool actually. This is a shot of Navajo mountain from the Bryce area. What you don’t see in that picture is that it is a little after 6 in the morning early in the spring and it is very cold, like wearing two down jackets cold. At the time I took this it seemed much less glamorous than it does now looking at the end result. Now if that sounds like whining I don’t mean it to, there are just some facts of life about this job that aren’t apparent by looking at the photograph. Frozen fingers and numb toes aside this is a great job and I don’t ever want to stop doing it. I may wear three down coats next time however. And some gloves.

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Colors, Patterns and Textures is the name for this post and it has been the hardest to put together because of the difficulty in choosing images for it. This presentation could easily be several thousand pictures, if not more, long. The reason it isn’t is because I know that as much as you like looking at gorgeous images I’d lose you at about six hundred so I’ve decided to abbreviate this post and repeat it with different images every so often. This is a wall at Aztec Ruins National Monument built by the inhabitants when this place was occupied. Now whoever designed and built this wall knew what beauty was about. There is no architectural reason to use a row of the most beautiful blue colored rocks here but after seeing it could you have used anything else?

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The color of the sand, the texture, the play of shadows on the ripples of this small section of the dunes in Monument Valley is every bit as intriguing as the buttes, towers and monolithic rock formations that make up this world Heritage place.

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Simple patterns can be visually satisfying. This tree against an unadorned wall in Santa Fe has a zen-like attraction. The intense colors, while arresting in their contrast, can have a soothing effect and show that a small piece of the total view can be more rewarding than showing the whole picture (so to speak).

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While similar in composition to the image above, this scene also taken in Santa Fe, shows a more muted color palette. Same type of view but different light and time of day. You could stand in front of a composition like this for days and never take the same image twice.

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While walking through the dunes in Monument Valley after watching the sunrise you see all the details and patterns of this spectacular country begin to emerge. A desert newspaper recording the comings and goings of the creatures of the night. The tracks of a small mammal are crisscrossed with trails of insects and the morning light turns the color of the sand to a deep rich red. I take a lot of pictures but I think I take more of them here than any other place.

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You can begin to understand why artists like Georgia O’Keefe painted the subjects she did when you come across a pattern like this one momentarily displayed in the sand. I say momentarily because the next breeze to blow through here will erase this work of art in a heartbeat. That is unless you take a picture of it.

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Other patterns are created by man and will last for centuries. These petroglyphs are on a cliffside in Capitol Reef National Park.

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Texture plays a large part in my selection of things to shoot. Here the frozen sand has been turned to rock and although it looks like momentary waves in a sand dune it is here to stay. This is Antelope Canyon in Arizona and this dune is nearly a hundred feet under ground. The light comes from an opening in it’s ceiling that runs the length of the canyon.

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Waves of stone. How were they frozen in time? It certainly looks like that was what happened but this scene was slowly created over eons by the water that occasionally pours through this canyon. It is mind numbing to think of how long this must have taken. The result however is etched forever in my memory.