Looking straight up out of a narrow slot at Cathedral Gorge State Park, Nevada, where the clay walls close to a sliver of sky

Cathedral Gorge State Park, Nevada

Buried Deep

I stood between walls of clay rising more than 25 feet on either side, their rough, intricate surfaces closing in around me. Instead of photographing the canyon itself, I pointed the camera straight upward. The orange walls became dark, irregular shapes around the edges of the frame, narrowing and converging toward a small opening of brilliant blue sky.

The photograph is really about that contrast—the darkness closing in around the light. Down in the canyon, the walls felt almost claustrophobic, but looking up, that tiny patch of sky became an escape. A reminder that even in the narrowest places, there's always a way out.

Nikon Z 9 · Nikkor Z 14-24mm · 14mm · f/6.3 · 1/80 sec · ISO 64

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Frame 9 of 37

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