In Sandstone Light, the clear, bright sky contrasts with the Yei Bi Chei rock formation. The evening light makes the sandstone feel as though it is glowing, an effect more prominent on the closest rocks. The long shadows cast on the greenery in the midground break up the foreground and background, complementing the color of the rocks beautifully. Though detail would typically be lost from this distance, the harsh and direct lighting on the Yei Bi Chei rocks in the background allow them to shine through.
In the physical exhibit, Sandstone Light works with Three Sisters Winterscape to bookend Muench’s other “near/far” images, a technique in which Muench flattened the midground and placed a shape in the foreground, close enough to touch, to lead the eye to a crisp background far off in the distance. Both Sandstone Light and Three Sisters Winterscape feature a diagonal rock formation in the foreground, pointing in opposite directions.
Taken at the Yeibichai (Yei Bi Chei) Rocks, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona.