Courthouse Towers, Arches National Park, Utah

Courthouse Towers in Arches National Park, Utah, the main subject of this picture, is part of a series of tall stone columns that include Baby Arch, Three Gossips, Ring Arch and the Tower of Babel.  The monoliths that comprise Courthouse Towers were once a cohesive fin of Entrada Sandstone.  Both wind and water have sculpted the rock faces and formed arches and spires that can be seen throughout the park.  The Courthouse Towers formation was named after its reminiscence to tall buildings in Park Avenue, New York City.  The road through Arches National Park is aptly named Park Avenue at this point.

Overall 615 x 465

Undercroft of the Yangtze Bridge, China

Before it was replaced by the even larger Sutong Bridge the bridge across the Yangtze River was a massive structure, packed with a cacophony of dense traffic through the day.  The colonnade beneath the bridge is understandably large as can be seen in this geometric image, with a lone guard holding station to provide security for the area.

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Sword dancers at Beijing Opera, Shanghai

This dramatic performance combined music, visual performance, mime, dance, acrobatics and, of course, weapons.  It is a form of entertainment that hugely popular in the Qing court and is regarded as a cultural treasure of China.

Overall 520 x 420

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Watching the ice calligraphy master, Beijing

An interested bystander watches as the old calligraphy master paints the pavement using only a cup of warm water.  In the subzero temperatures the water instantly freezes into a glossy medallion on the surface.  Passers-by confirmed that this man is an expert at executing calligraphy as a beautiful art form.  Of course it is an understandably ephemeral display.

Overall 520 x 420

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Smaller framed images

Quality prints in smaller frames

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Mt Rushmore, South Dakota

The human endeavour involved in blasting and carving these colossal statues from the mountain is quite staggering.  Exhibits in the visitor's centre tell of the precision involved in blasting and chiselling the small details into the faces, one of which was changed during construction. The decision to use black and white was  inspired by memories of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller North by North West which featured some classic scenes of the hero, Cary Grant, scrambling down the faces of presidents whilst fighting off the villains.

Overall 520 x 420