Meet the Photographers

Thank you to these photographers for bringing Desert Pearl Inn and Zion Canyon to life. Visit their personal websites to read biographical information and view more of their spectacular imagery.

Stuart Ruckman

“I started my photography career as a young kid. I’d walk around our house or the yard with my dad’s camera, framing whatever caught my eye and pressing the shutter when the view felt right. There was never film in the camera, of course, and to this day I have nothing to show for my early efforts, but I simply enjoyed seeing the world through a camera lens.

Today, I concentrate my time on commercial photography. I work directly with a wide variety of clients to create an extraordinary visual narrative that tells their story–whether I’m photographing product, people, or an environment. I’ve been fortunate to photograph a diverse range of subjects, from inspiring architecture to dancers in motion. Each day is fresh and the flow of different projects provides a chance to meet new people and capture their world.

I currently live in Salt Lake City, Utah with my wife and son, who patiently endure my stop-and-go pace when I see just ‘one more shot’ and my endless comments about the changing light. Though I photograph for clients in my studio and on location throughout the country, I still enjoy wandering streets and trails on my own, with no particular goal other than looking through my camera.”

www.stuartruckman.com


David J. West

“Some of my favorite childhood memories are of exploring the woods and fishing before school early in the morning at the lakes and ponds near my home in northern New Jersey. My love of being surrounded by nature came first, then my passion for capturing it in a photograph to share with others. My father, a professional portrait photographer, introduced me to the joy and art of photography at an early age. After taking photography classes at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, I decided to explore the world with my camera in hand.

Nowhere else inspires me more than the Western United States with its rugged mountains, mysterious deserts, and vast oceans. Through my photography, I hope to encourage others to protect what natural lands we have left, not only for our health and the planet’s health, but because of the sheer beauty and artistry that exist in nature.”

David J. West’s gallery is located at 801 Zion Park Blvd. in Springdale, just a few doors down from Desert Pearl Inn.

www.davidjwest.com

Michael Fatali

Fatali, often referred to as “the light hunter”, has been chasing the light for thirty years, from still to cinema. He is recognized as a world’s top landscape photographer and a master of light. All of his images are captured using custom large format film cameras and a one-of-a-kind optical darkroom to masterfully create each one of his prints with no digital or Photoshop manipulation. Simply, God’s light!

A visionary and explorer, Fatali will scout locations to study the light in detail, with the patience to often wait days or even weeks for the perfect moment. It is not uncommon in his discipline to stalk a location for two weeks for only a few seconds of exposures.

Fatali was one of the very first to photographically share the now famous slot canyons and other hidden mysterious landscapes within the Southwest desert. His undeniably breathtaking images have inspired many photographers to improve their own visions and for some to imitate them.

The Fatali Family proudly displays the longest operating photo gallery to the gates of Zion Canyon and also showcases their image collection in Park City, Utah. Fatali has a huge growing number of patrons worldwide that collect his images. These works of art increase in value and appreciation for a handcrafted image in a digital world driven by instant gratification.

The Fatali Family and their film crew takes small groups of patrons each year on light seeking journeys to discover natural world wonders.Whether you are able to personally join them on a light hunting safari or simply tour their gallery, it is the hope that you will feel the spirit within the images.

Celebrating Light, Land, and Spirit
Fatali Gallery, 839 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, Utah
www.fatali.com

Ben Altenes

“Photography, to me, represents a single chance to catch a specific moment in time. Whether filming a person or group, or exploring nature’s wonder, I am able to distance myself from my immediate reality and refocus in a new way through the camera lens.

I first started taking photos for a personal journal in 1997 while deployed overseas with the U.S. Army. Memories of my grandfathers’ accounts of WWII inspired me to collect images of conflict around the world. As a veteran of Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, I have documented impressions that tell my own story. Between tours, I travel to national parks to photograph night skies away from city light pollution. There, I find my calm and passion, to capture images that many never see—the Milky Way: clear, grand, and awe-inspiring.

My photography has been seen and judged by the Associated Press, National Geographic, The New York Times, and shared with world-renowned photographers. I have received awards from Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State; General Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta. Currently, my images are on display in the U.S. Pentagon and the U.S. Embassy of Afghanistan, and have also been shown at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.”

Ben Altenes (Vimeo)