River Canyon, Mist (B&W)

Near El Chorro, Spain (Artist Statement)

River Canyon, Mist (B&W): Near El Chorro, Spain (2006) - Fine art black and white photograph of a deep, steep-sided canyon, a misty waterfall, and a rushing river

I debated about whether to include this photograph among my nature collection. This waterfall plumes from an aqueduct that workers blasted through these limestone cliffs in another lifetime.

Walking along the remains of the aqueduct, now broken and covered in ivy and leaves, I decided that I could include it. Though people had no doubt changed this enormous canyon forever, a comfortable stasis had developed, and the valley seemed quite at peace. I also know that none of my nature photographs would look quite the same if humans had not had their way with our planet.

While the aqueduct was under construction, the king of Spain had a desire to see its progress. Accordingly, a concrete and iron walkway was painstakingly built along the side of the sheer cliff, some 200 metres from the ground. Once the king was satisfied, the walkway fell into disuse. Now, the crumbled remains are referred to as "Camino del Rey", or "Walk of the King", and are used to access this spectacular rock climbing area. Terri and I spent a day exploring the network of broken, airy ledges, even crawling through the aqueduct to the lip of the great waterfall.

Though the Camino del Rey is out of sight above the frame, a twisted piece of iron, once a supporting strut, can be seen at the bottom of the cliff in the printed photograph.

— River Canyon, Mist (B&W): Near El Chorro, Spain (2006)

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