Scott is the first featured photographer in my series on Topophilia, finding your sense of place in the canyons of southern Utah.

I’ve only discovered Scott’s work recently, but am very happy I did.  His work conveys to me a simple beauty, one that is achieved when one feels a close connection to a place.  The first images of Scott’s that drew me in were, of course, his photos from Cedar Mesa, in southern Utah.  Upon viewing them, I was reminded of several backpacking trips with my dad growing up in canyons like Slickhorn, Owl, and Fish.  These canyons are densely littered with archaeological sites that–whether pictographs or ruins–draw you in with a sense of reverence.

According to Scott:

“There are countless remote canyons containing treasure troves of land forms, flora and remnants of past civilizations just waiting to be seen. For me, there is no better feeling than slinging my camera pack and walking off into discovery. And the experience of solitude in these wild places simply fulfills me like nothing else.”

He asked me to choose which image of his I’d like to feature, and my choice was easy.  I chose his image of Slickhorn Kiva, not only because its very well executed technically, but because it conveys the spirit of the Old Ones–the Anasazi who lived in the area–and reminds me why I love this place.

Slickhorn Kiva, by Scott Bacon (used with permission)

Please visit Scott Bacon’s website here, and make sure to subscribe to his blog here.  In addition to these stunning photos from southern Utah, he has beautiful images from the Rocky Mountains, focusing on his home state of Colorado.