 One of the first sites you come to entering the Chaco Historical Park from the North entrance is the Far View Ruins. Look through the two door openings facing south. There are more openings to inner rooms that can be lined up to recede into the distance. Move in close with a 20mm lens and the rooms appear much larger. Back off with a 200mm and line up the openings to make an interesting pattern. In mid-morning and in the middle of the afternoon, diagonal shadows are cast across the openings. This ruin is exposed to the open sky and it doesn’t make much difference what time of day you arrive. Climb the short ladder to the top of the wall. Move to either side of the ladder and include it in a wide-angle composition of the large kiva just beyond. A 17mm lens will include both the ladder and the kiva. This is only one of thousands of Kivas spread over miles of New Mexico desert. The roads are not paved. Avoid driving here during the rainy season.
You will find more information on Cliff Dwellings of the Southwest Issue #32 of Photograph America Newsletter. Comments are closed.
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