Enhancing the Ordinary by bmac62
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Description
My Pause #2 (last upload) is over. My West Highland Terrier (Mandy) and I arrived safe and sound in Edmonds, Washington about 36 hours ago. If you missed my Pause #2, we have just completed a 1900 mile, three day transit of seven states. [Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington]
Last Sunday morning we visited Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.
This is the monumental granite sculpture by Gutzon Borglum (1867-1941). It represents the first 150 years of the history of the United States of America with 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents (left to right): George Washington (1732-1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (5.17 km2) and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level. The memorial attracts approximately two million people annually.
So, back to the issue of photography. Since two million people visit this Memorial every year, you can imagine how many people take photographs of this sculpture!
So, how do you get something a little different from everybody else?
I first took pictures from where everybody else was standing and they are technically good...unobstructed view, etc. But then I noticed a trail off into the pine forest and took a leisurely stroll onto the trail. To my delight I found a sign that said Historic View Point and an arrow pointing the way up some old stone steps. The image above is from the old view point...and since leaving all the crowd of 100 tourists behind, I had this POV all to myself:)
Note: I am now working on a single collage for those of you who asked to see all of the sights enroute...will post it for your viewing pleasure in the next day or two.
Bill:)
"Pause #2"
Comments (37)
0rest4wicked
Visited here some years ago. They were still constructing the amphitheater. I always find myself doing the same thing. ;) A fantastic find!
MagikUnicorn
F A B U L O U S....And what about the CRAZY HORSE mountain Sculpture ???
auntietk
Having seen your shots from the "regular" view point, I'm quite convinced this is the place to stand. The sculpture looks SO much more majestic and impressive from this angle! Great contrast and color, too, which is difficult to get in South Dakota!!
TwoPynts
Great patriotic landscape capture.
danapommet
This is a fantastic capture Bill and how many time have we all seen the standard shot. Dana
mermaid
although taken from the "normal" place it still is different from the shots I know, Bill, cause it shows the surrounding a lot better and so gives a more complete impression to womeone who has never been there...smile...
anahata.c
I like Denise's comment "and welcome to the neighborhood". Of course, she meant Seattle, but for a minute I thought, "did everyone move to S.Dakota? What, they couldn't take the climate, lol?" I see that some of your viewers get that this isn't the "standard" shot. But it isn't just because you got it framed between some rocks and a beautiful tree...it's in the sensitivity to shadow and texture that takes a bit away from the monumentality of the faces themselves (which you instinctively seemed to re-dedicate yourself to, in the next Rushmore upload). And it's in the emphasis on the beautiful twisted "muscle" of red rock around the statues, and in including that rock liberally in the first place---ie, not keeping it 'out' in order to emphasize the sculpture. And in the contrast of that deep blue sky, which also speaks its own language (again not making the sculptures the only thing in the shot). All this puts the faces into context, where you've managed to pay homage to nature itself---which many Native Americans would love, btw, since they considered this area sacred for many centuries. And yet, with all those features, the faces stand out with even more beauty to my eye, because they're part of nature here, and because the light you captured brings out their beauty, while the tuft of shadow (on Washington & between Roosevelt & Lincoln) give fine drama to the whole. I always loved the rock debris under these faces, and the twisty rock around it & trees beneath: with the carvings it all makes a very complex vision. You thoughtfully got it all...Beautifully captured, with your characteristic thoughtfulness, and framed with respect and heart for both the art and the nature it came out of. I think this is splendid.