link to Willis Greiner's Wildlife Photographylink to Willis Greiner's Landscape Photographylink to Willis Greiner's Underwater Photographylink to Willis Greiner's and Cheryl Price's Photofantasialink to Willis Greiner's Astrophotography
back to Willis Greiner Photography Home Page

Landscape Photography

Landscape Photography

To view the landscape image of your choice, please click on one of the text links below. Text links on this web site are designated by blue text which changes to orange as you pass over it with your mouse. Text links are not underlined. To return to another gallery click on the large navigation text below or use the links contained in the filmstrip image map above. All navigation is also available at the bottom of each page.

 

"Delicate Dusk" -- call concerning availability
"Alaska Green"
"Ancient Mayan Ball Court"
"Closing In"
"Deer Creek Falls"
"Delicate Landscape"
"Denali Reflection"
"Ghosts of the Past"
"Grand Reflection"
"Marble Canyon Reflection"
"Matkat Canyon I"
"Moon Through North Window" -- call concerning availability

Below are direct links to the Grand Canyon/Landscape narratives:

Grand Canyon narrative -- " The Big Show"

Grand Canyon narrative -- "The Soul of the River"

Grand Canyon narrative -- "Rhythm of the River"

Grand Canyon narrative -- "The Ribbon of Sky"

Grand Canyon narrative -- "Into the Gorge"

Grand Canyon narrative -- "Nature's Great Crescendos"

Grand Canyon narrative --"The Human Factor"

(Special note: The Grand Canyon narratives came to be during our private float and as a result of my dissatisfaction in the attempt to express myself only with photography; which, although somewhat successful, seemed a bit incomplete. In frustration I began to write down my feelings, often in-flow. The results include these narratives. The narratives should be read in the order presented above. I hope you exact some of the power and glory of this marvelous place from the writings.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

link to Willis Greiner's Landscape Photography
link to Willis Greiner's Wildlife Photography
link to Willis Greiner's Underwater Photography
link to Willis Greiner's and Cheryl Price's Photofantasia
link to Willis Greiner's Astrophotography



"The Soul of the River"


Yesterday was a great day, both on the river and off. After awakening, we hiked up North Canyon, encountering pools and slick-wall friction climbs. The side canyon was running, although not heavily, with slightly silt-laden waters; probably a result of some rains borne of the rim. On the third day we were somewhat threatened by rains, but on the fourth, after lunch and just above the confluence with South Canyon, we were the fortunate witness to a rainstorm with lightning and thunder. Not too cold, though, as we all doned rain gear and proceeded downward. It felt good to pull the oars and "push downriver," and rowing in the coolish weather warmed our muscles.

The daytime high air temperature here is typically well in excess of 100 degrees, and probably averages 110 degrees during the month of July. Herein, then, lies the great paradox of temperature differential in the Canyon. When the experts of river destruction --the Grand Dragons of River Blockades, the suits from the Bureau of Land Mumbojumboment -- when this group did their number on the river up at Page, they produced, quite on purpose, a ridiculous trout stream in the middle of the Arizona desert! Yes, in their infinite wisdom, this river is 110 difficult, sometimes unmanageable degrees on the outside (air temperature) and 50 frigid degrees on the inside (the river temperature itself). This anomaly has occurred because the water release at the dam is from the bottom of a very deep synthetic lake. Oddly enough, the human-introduced trout prefer the interface temperatures at the mouth of the Little Colorado River, a beautiful, Caribbean-like natural waterway which flows into the Colorado at probably 70 to 75 degrees. Similar to the trout, humans find the mixture of hot and cold somehow pleasant, however false.

The rain and associated eroding streams cascading off the (now) 2000 foot canyon walls have produced a bit of silted waters, which have elegantly colored the clearer main channel. As we floated from South Canyon down toward Redwall Cavern, the river turned a bit muddy, but the eddies were still essentially green (like the Salmon River in the great Idaho Wilderness). It was contemplated that perhaps this phenomena would afford an efficient way to observe the eddy fences; areas on the river plane where downstream currents meet opposing upstream flows. Earlier in the day, while "pushing downstream," we would all occasionally be shoved by a "swirly" into an eddy fence, which would spin the boat uncontrollably and slow progress. We were often being moved upstream by these powerful areas, these eddies. The flow here, we surmised, is ancient; it has grooved a river channel so specific that the eddies themselves take on a personality of their own. The most successful strategy I have discovered to counteract the river's attempt to push these insignificant rubber craft into it's backwater is just to shut my eyes and feel the eddy lines. This is not always successful, however.

Could it be that the river, perhaps as a distinct organism, is pulling at its visitors -- not necessarily to hold them (which would be an honor!) but to indicate an active presence for one to enjoy -- a presence to perhaps have a relationship with?

Involving this attempt by the river, there is of course an obvious explanation concerning the physics of downstream flows; for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I prefer, however, to think that the reason somehow is more rooted in the soul of the river. This concept is something we are all feeling more and more as we progress on our journey. Could it be that the river, perhaps as a distinct organism, is pulling at its visitors -- not necessarily to hold them (which would be an honor!) but to indicate an active presence for one to enjoy -- a presence to perhaps have a relationship with? Every once in a while, I shall allow the river to just grab at and capture me (although it many times has done this to my dismay) and just float and circle in one of its soulful eddies.

We tend to define the river flow by rapids; perhaps it is time to at least partially define the river's personality and nature by its eddies. We may be looking at it backwards and upside down. Humans suppose they can conquer rapids (although that is surely an erroneous thought); humans cannot even really define the eddies. Perhaps, then, the eddies are the real soul of the river.

Today we float from just below Redwall Cavern ( a huge cutaway at just above river level) down to Nankoweep. Clear, cool morning; the song of the Canyon Wren awakens us to another day.

 

Copyright Willis Greiner, 1994. All rights reserved.



| Home | About Willis Greiner | Prints | Inquires |

| Landscapes | Wildlife | Underwater | Photofantasia | Astrophotography |



Copyright © 2001 by Willis Greiner and Cheryl Price. All Rights Reserved.
All images on this site are for viewing only. Images are not to be reproduced, distributed, circulated, offered for sale, or given away, in any form, by any means, electronic or conventional.