Kyaatataypi is a word from the Hopi language referring to something that is awesome or spectacular to behold. It can be loosely translated as "Fantastic View." However, because Hopi is a language that often uses the same terms to describe physical and spiritural situations, this can apply both to what can be physically seen from Kyaatataypi, that is the view from there, as well as to the spiritual journey one can engage in while there, journey during which one may reach a new perspective, a "fantastic view."
We selected this name for a property we own in Eastern Arizona because it described the incredible 180 degree view afforded from this location and because of the spiritual and healing properties this location provides, at least to us and to those who have visited it with us.
Photographing land that you own is not an easy thing to do. You cannot rely on the brochures you typically get when you visit a National Park or other designated areas. You have to invent your own shots, create your own images from scratch and see the land for what it means to you rather than through the eyes of photographers who have been there before. Never before did Ansel Adams' words ring so true to me "Photograph not only what you see but also what you feel."
It was several months before I could visualize a photograph of Kyaatataypi. And it was years before I could produce the images you see here, many of them taken this past winter. I would be curious to see how other photographers would interpret this location.
