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A lot of my photo expeditions are spur of the moment, but this requires planning. I keep my camera bag packed, batteries charged and tripod in good working order. I am particularly fond of cumulous clouds, and often I’ll rush to the Superstitions after work if the clouds are right. Other times though, I have a location in mind and will take several trips to scout it out. I am looking for texture, lines and angles and perfect lighting. Many times I will have a mental picture of what I want to photograph, but end up with something completely different. My favorite “tools” are my lenses. They enable so much versatility from one location. I am a Navajo and grew up on the Reservation in Northern Arizona, near Lake Powell. My maternal clan is Tsé Deeshgizhnii (Rock Gap People) and my paternal clan is Kin łichíi'nii (People of the Red House). I have always loved the outdoors. My years of hiking and working on the family cattle ranch have naturally progressed into a love of photographing the desert Southwest. When I was younger I watched with baffled amazement at the various tourists to Lake Powell who would kneel to photograph a flower by the side of the road, ignoring the sweeping vista of the lake behind them. Now, I am one of those people. Before the camera opened my eyes, I never realized that the desert could be so beautiful. I serve a truly awesome God with a great imagination. I want to thank my mentors: my brother, LeRoy DeJolie, and friends Hal and Carol Becker for their support and counsel with my photography career.
Gary DeJolie |
14 Nov 2010
Photographing
the landscape of the Southwest is very relaxing to me and I can’t wait
until my next trip. I love the wind in my face, the freshness of the air
after a rain and the smell of the desert creosote. My ongoing quest is
to find places and things no one has ever seen or photographed. I plan
to eventually open a family-run gallery in Scottsdale or Sedona so I can
do my photography fulltime.