Petrified Forest National Park is an area in the northeastern state of Arizona, America. It is known for its many petrified trees, especially of the species Araucarioxylon arizonicum, which are scattered throughout the park and are strikingly colored. The area is a desert landscape. This was different during the Late Triassic, about 225 million years ago. Huge forests of giant sequoias covered low-lying swamps. A huge volcanic eruption destroyed this area. Tree trunks were buried under a thick layer of volcanic ash and mud. Over the years, water containing minerals, which are common in volcanic ash, penetrated the trunks. This caused the wood to turn into quartz. Each mineral has a different colour characteristic. Depending on the presence of a mineral species, a different colour variation can be seen in the petrified wood. When the soil began to rise, the petrified tree trunks came back to the surface in a few places, partly due to wind and water erosion. The theft of petrified wood is subject to high fines. Even moving is punishable. Fortunately, after permission of the museum, I was able to photograph some polished plates of these trees.
My passion for photography lies in making landscape and architectural photography. When I take a photograph, location, weather type, time of day and light conditions must be optimal and all contribute to the formation of the image. Over the years I have developed my own style/approach. The.. Read more…