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Artist's Statement

Hidden in the Eastern Sierra's lie numerous works of ancient art. Carved into rocks by the ancestors of the Paiute people some 5,000 years ago, many of these ancient petroglyphs have managed to survive to the present day. I arrived at these petroglphys early in the afternoon, not knowing how long it would take me to find them and eagerly awaiting what I hoped was a beautiful sunset. Unfortunately storms rolled in and the clouds prevented a colorful sunset from ever happening. After returning to town for dinner I noticed that most of the clouds had disappeared and I hoped to return to the petroglyphs and take a photo with startrails. As I began my 30 minute exposure the clouds returned and partially blocked the stars, making this photo remind me of the whispy hairs of aging person. I used a flashlight covered with tissue paper to provide "lightpaint" the petroglyphs. For more of my photos visit http://www.aaronmphotography.com or www.facebook.com/AaronMPhoto/. 

Judge's Comment

Aaron Meyer's landscape is about the passage of time as represented by the petroglyphs (our immediate human past), the snowy mountains (geologic time) and the star trails (cosmic time). I like how each of these elements has its own distinct space in the composition. 

-- David Hibbard