THE LAST OF THE SUN
MONUMENT VALLEY, UTAH, USA
Image Number 217
Monument Valley on the Utah-Arizona border provides the most enduring and definitive image of the American West. The isolated red mesas and buttes surrounded by empty, sandy desert have featured in over 47 movies, most famously the John Wayne movies directed by John Ford. This image was captured from the View Hotel which was built in 1998 on the site of one of John Ford’s most iconic filming locations. The elevation at The View Hotel is approximately 1,582 meters. The “Mittens” (buttes which resemble fingerless gloves) rise over 328 meters above the desert floor. Monument Valley is located within the Navaho Tribal Park which is the semi-autonomous homeland of the Navajo Nation. The Park occupies an area greater than the state of Connecticut. The View Hotel, owned by the Navajo Nation, is the only hotel in the Park.
TECHNICAL NOTES
The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/45th second at F11. 120mm Zeiss lens. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.