Nikon D810, High Dynamic Range composite (15 sec, 8 sec, 4 sec, 2 sec, 1.3 sec)
The soot on the ceiling of the Gila Cliff dwelling cave represents thousands of years of human occupation. The dwellings themselves were occupied from the 1270s through the early 1300s. It is a bit mind-bending to think you can see something that has existed for 700 years.
Of note is a hand print on that blueish wall to the right center of the image (the blueish tint is from the lights used to illuminate dark areas). The ranger said this hand print is from one of the people who built the wall. Imagine what they would think if they were transported to our time.
Gila Cliff Dwellings: 33.227263° -108.267446°
Nikon D810, Hight Dynamic Range Composite (1.6 sec, 08. sec, 0.4 sec, 0.2 sec, 1/8 sec) f/16, 28mm, ISO 200
This is the entrance to cliff dwellings at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. This is a High Dynamic Range (HDR) composite of five images with exposure times ranging from 1/8 of a second to 1.6 seconds. Trying to capture this composition as a single image would result in the top of the stairs in deep shadows OR the rock wall being very bright. An HDR composite allows you to capture the image the way it actually looked to your eye.
Gila Cliff Dwellings: 33.227263° -108.267446°
Nikon D810, 1/13 sec, f/14, 38mm, ISO 200
This image shows a stairwell leading to a room in the Gila Cliff Dwellings. After capturing this image, I spent some time pondering which came first: the stair or the room at the top of the stairs? On the one hand, you want the room for protection against the elements. On the other hand, without the stairway it would be very difficult to transport the blocks to where you were building the room.
I guess this is one of the great mysteries of life…
Gila Cliff Dwellings: 33.227263° -108.267446°
