Where the vultures fly and thunder looms, is a peak shrouded in deepening shadows and an air of impending doom. The story of Shiprock extends far back, whispered down generations of Navajo by the bedside of young children. To them, this was Tsé Bitʼaʼí and its story began in the frigid northern regions of South America. Before Shiprock became a rock formation it was a giant bird which carried the Navajo from the North to the Four Corners Region. It was here that a brutal battle broke out between a cliff monster and the bird. The blood that was spilt poured across the arid land and dried into dramatic dikes. Though the cliff monster was slain, the bird let out its last breath and turned into stone in memory of its sacrifice. Its back hunched and wings retracted, the Navajo believed it still protected the land, its caves and crevices protecting chindi or the spirits of the mountain.

At a height of 2188m, Shiprock holds a certain gravity against the flatlands all around reflecting its history and spiritual significance to the local Navajo. Photographed from afar, it is a dramatic subject, full of angles and stark profiles to be captured. Revered by the Navajo, this is a site central to their beliefs and culture to be uncovered.