Frozen - The Petrified Forest - Winter - 2020
On a Holiday road trip back from Nowheresville, Oklahoma in the winter of 2020. You know? The kind of place where time stands still and there's an abundance of wasteland. After a full day into the two day drive and happy to be heading back to the desert for more sun and warm winters. The weather suddenly took a dramatic change to say the least. The weather went from a beautiful sunny day and us making the best of a tiring car ride, to a winter storm. As we got through the worst of the storm in New Mexico, by the time we entered Arizona, there was nothing but fog and ice.
Ater many hours behind the wheel listening to HLN, murder radio, I seen a sign for the Petrified National Forest. I thought, how awesome it would be to freeze my ass off for a chance of capturing a beautiful photograph. Plus, we needed to pull over anyway so my fiance, our dog and myself could refresh with some crisp air and to get some blood flowing back into our legs to help finish the ride down to Phoenix.
As we arrived at the entrance, I couldn't help but think, this is slowing us down from being out of this car and in our own home and it's costing $25 dollars. By the way, It is a two day drive and most of it is extremely boring. After paying, the Ranger at the front gate to the park just happen to see our dog and made him an official (BARK Ranger). Already worth the stop, and a Bark Ranger? That made our day!
As we entered the Petrified National Forest on this cold, foggy, and icey afternoon, I felt immediately like we just drove into another planet. My imagination ran wild looking over the lush green plants covered in frost, Small rolling mounds disappearing into nothing, and the fog holding everything so tight with silence. Absolutely breathtaking landscape in every direction. These images below are in my mind what silence looks and feels like.
I love how these images remind me that, no matter what time of the day it is, what the weather is like outside, or even how tired we were of being in a car for two days, as a Professional Photographer, it's always worth being optimistic in the chance of capturing something amazing. I hope you got a laugh at my dry sense of humor along this read and enjoyed these beautiful images.
Best,
J
