THE MITTENS FROM THE VIEW HOTEL
MONUMENT VALLEY, UTAH, USA
Image Number 215
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 balcony of 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. Few, if any, hotels in the world are more aptly named. To stay at the hotel, it is generally necessary to book up to six months in advance.
TECHNICAL NOTES
The image at the top was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/6th second at F8. 55mm Zeiss lens. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.
The image below was taken with a tripod-mounted Contax 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/60th second at F11. 210mm Zeiss lens. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.