Solar Flare – Petra, Jordan (2010)

Although many who view this image initially think it is a painting, it is in fact a photograph. Taken as it appeared, where I found it in the ancient city of Petra, this vibrant and stunning pattern is a section of wall in one of the many cave-like dwellings that exist throughout the area. I discovered it tucked away off the beaten trail, not far from the famous 'Indiana Jones' view of the Treasury Building. Despite appearing 3-dimensional, the undulating swirls are actually embedded within the sandstone surface such that the wall is completely flat and smooth to the touch!

Shadow And Sky - Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado (2012)

Perfect Storm - Petra, Jordan (2010)

During a trip to Israel and Jordan in March 2010, we ventured to Petra (Jordan), considered one of the new seven wonders of the world. This 2000-year-old city is truly beyond magnificent! The entire city is built into the existing stunning swirls of red sandstone cliffs, which tower hundreds of feet overhead in some places. This particular image is of an unusually intriguing section of a wall that I found, and although it appears 3-dimensional, it is actually completely flat and smooth to the touch! The title of this piece stems from both the apparent movement visible in the sandstone itself, (similar to viewing the satellite image of a hurricane), as well as the fact that although the day we visited the site it was a sweltering 40 degrees Celsius (in March!), on the following day a storm system passed through and snow was forecast ...

Sandstone Window 2 - Petra, Jordan (2010)

This photograph is part of a series that I took of a specific area while visiting the ancient city of Petra. I received the help of a local Bedouin boy, Ibrahim, who offered to show me some good views off the main tourist circuit, and he was all too eager to hit the camera's shutter release cable, once I composed a shot. The image is taken looking around the bend from one sandstone wall toward the window of an adjacent room. The contrast in lighting conditions makes the window appear as a black abyss, although in reality the room beyond displayed the same stunning patterns of sandstone swirls apparent on the exterior.