Hands of Man

While in the Grand Canyon for New Year's weekend, I fell in love with the restraints at some of the overlooks. There are the elegant and the awkward. Many are just ugly.

Are they protecting the visitors or the Canyon? Are they defining the views?

Millions of hands, gloves, elbows, sleeves and, no doubt, pant-seats have joined the elements in polishing the rails. Time has colored them. Weather added patina.

Some soar and others sag. You saw the bit of swoop in yesterday's post. Here are a couple of straight-standing specimens.

At right, I've posted the cropped version of the sliver seen above for those who prefer the more formal look of clean edges. The sliver was made just before sunset at Mather Point. The shrub was made in the Quiet Light about 10 minutes later, also at Mather Point.

All of these snapshots were made with my Canon Elph pocket camera. It makes crisp macros and dreamy landscapes. The haze that seems never to clear the Canyon contributes to the soft focus.