Acoma Sky City - Homes and Kiva

PHOTO

Acoma Sky City in New Mexico is one of my favorite pueblos to visit. It's been in existence for over 500 years and has an interesting history involving the Spanish settlers in the early years of North American exploration and exploitation. I first visited Acoma in the summer of 1974, and again in the mid 1980's and had the opportunity to visit again in July 2005. Although there is still no electricity or running water, there have been improvements for the families who still live at the mesa-top pueblo. Windows and doors are being modernized, and gas lanterns and stoves are now used along with oil lamps.

The building in the center foreground with the double wide ladder rising up to it from the left contains a kiva that's entered from the top. Toward the right side is the ladder that leads down into it.

Photographer: Rick Scott
Camera: Canon EOS 20D digital camera
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM set to 30mm
Exposure: 1/320 of a second at f/8 (manual)
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS2 for RAW conversion and image processing


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Updated: 6 September 2005