Images of Arizona | Jack Dykinga: In the Footsteps of Barry Goldwater

The Old

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Day Six: Matkat & More

"Next on the day’s menu of rapids was Matkatamiba Rapid at the mouth of a side canyon of the same name. This canyon flows down the eastern side of a low, flat tableland that lies above the river at this point. The peculiar name is an Indian one and was the name of a family living near here."

It’s 5:30 am and we have just arrived at "Matkat," as the river veterans call it. It is spectacular and grandiose; yet solitary and intimate.

I wander up the sculptured canyons and cross little streams that flow over sunlit rocks. The photographers are going wild here. The "photo ops" are amazing.

I join Dykinga and former dot-com entrepreneur, Kiet, as they discuss which filters to use and the strongest composition for this scene. They have a rhythm and energy about them — a passion for their work — which is infectious. I continue to walk through the canyon, photographing the photographers.

When my work is done, I begin photographing only the subjects that draw me. I find myself back at a mesquite tree that I had seen earlier. I get under it, study its trunk; it is interspersed with rocks. I study its branches, silhouetted against a blue sky and red sandstone cliffs. I realize photography is a way to see more intimately.

I have Goldwater to thank for really seeing trees now. He once talked about using trees in the foreground of some Canyon shots. He was really drawn to old trees and to limbs that made great shapes. One of my favorite photographs of his, "The Old," features an old Navajo woman with an old, worn limb stretched above her.

As I wander through these rocks and canyon walls, I continue thinking about Goldwater. It is peculiar: With all of this silence and solitude, it is almost like I can feel the spirit of him here, among these things he loved. The rocks and trees seem to pulse with an almost tangible energy now. I tip my hat to him, and then think how wonderful it is that I have had this strange, sacred moment.

day six: continued >>

behind the scenes / in the footsteps of barry goldwater / the experience
photography / plan your adventure / interview / biography

jack dykinga / leroy dejolie / david muench