Mesa Verde National Park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the United States. The Square Tower House is just one of the many amazing structures at Mesa Verde NP. Mesa Verde NP has more than 5,000 sites and 600 cliff dwellings. Most if not all of the sites at Mesa Verde were abandoned prior to the arrival of the Conquistadors. It is believed that severe and prolonged droughts were the reason they were abandoned. 

In the Spring of 2022, my brother and I went out on a 2-week photography trip, camping at different locations around the 4 Corners area. We were staying in the Shiprock, NM area but due to dry and windy conditions, many fires in the area made the Shiprock structure difficult to photograph. But, we did take the one-hour drive to the north and visited Mesa Verde National Park. That was a fun trip. Being that it's not too far from where I live, I'm certain I'll be returning to capture even more amazing images.

I certainly love color photography, but there are times I prefer black & white images. This is one of them. I believe that when color doesn't add to the image, black & white is best. Then, your brain isn't distracted by color and looks at what's IN the image. This is why you'll see some of my photographs only in black and white.