This image restored my faith that I had made the right decision to embark on a 6,000-mile (9,700-kilometer) road trip at the beginning of 2024. The Midwest was coated in a thick fog that lasted for thousands of miles, and it drizzled for most of my travel through Texas. Finally, I arrived at the turnoff at Angel Peak Campground near Bloomfield, New Mexico. Even if you don't camp there, you should check it out if you find yourself nearby. It's free and extremely beautiful.
You can see Angel Peak in the background of the image: its jagged edges jut out near the right end of the frame. The road to get there was treacherously muddy and rutted, especially for my car, which was equipped only with two-wheel drive. It followed the contours of these beautiful badlands canyons you can see in the foreground.
The next hour melted away instantly as I drove as fast as I could from site to site. This location was the last on my list. It was down a little hill that brought me deeper into the canyons. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, but the soft blue light emphasized the striated bands of colors across the badlands. The tans, burgundies, and whites in the rocks all pop out.
There is a special kind of euphoria at the intersection of adventure, proximity to nature, and art creation that many photographers chase, myself included. The grandeur and isolation of these badlands, especially after days of nonstop travel, cemented this as the moment when it all became worth it.
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor