Acoma: Sky City

Driving in from the I-40 you are immediately lost in the forest of jutting stone and rock. Unlike most places that I visited this area is not photography friendly. You cannot just get out of your car and take your vacation pictures. I was kinda irritated with all the sign boards that say NO PHOTOGRAPHY without a permit…BLAH BLAH BLAH, until when I found the reason why. Unfortunately some idiot years ago thought that it would be smart to desecrate some of their rock formation and destroying age old petroglyphs by known artists.

Finally arriving at the visitor center we paid our tour ($12.00 per head) and $10.00 for the photography permit. Our tour pass and photography permit in hand we headed out to the boarding area. At the boarding area we were greeted by our friendly bus driver who drove us to the top of a 367 foot mesa. The short drive to the top was scenic, but what captivated my attention were the old pueblo homes and outhouses that line the edge of the cliff. This little village of the sky had no electricity or running water. These people are living they way their ancestors did.

The most interesting part of the tour was the San Esteban del Rey Mission. The walls of the building were made of wood, stucco and Conquistadors. Yes, Spanish missionaries and soldiers were "PLANTED" in the walls of the church!

If you are traveling through the I-40 at exit 102 is a must see. I highly recommend it to any traveler searching for the past. Make sure that you get your photography permit before taking your shots.

Photography Tips:

During this time I switched between my 2-Stop Neutral Density and my Polarizer filters depending on the position of the sun and the picture composition. Neutral Density filters can block some of the unwanted harsh lighting and the polarizer filter (as long as the sun is at 90 degree to the subject) generates vibrant colors e.g. sky more blue and brighter white while reducing over exposure.

Since I was part of a tour group and could not set my tripod (which I prefer to get sharper images), I set my camera to Program mode with ISO 200.