21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Love Flute Heard on the Wind

My self portrait at John Ford Point in Monument Valley, listening to a love flute being played nearby. This marked my bucket list return trip to Tse Bii' Ndzisgai, in the Navajo Nation, a visit that left me gasping at its beauty. I had brought my 10 year old son for a quick visit years ago when the park looked different and I always wanted to go back. My son had played in the red soil while the only other person left in the parking lot at sunset was a tour guide who played the love flute just for us. How lucky that I should once again be privy to a young Navajo man playing songs while his friend held a young infant during this visit. Since there weren't any horses being posed for tourists this day, I took the blanket that I had purchased at the gift shop and put myself in the photo for a point of interest and colorful contrast.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Navajo County, Arizona, United States of America
Camera: E-M1MarkIII
Copyright: © Rosanne Juergens