This is the same flat-topped tower made famous by the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Native Americans referred to the mountain with names like “Bear’s Lodge” or “Tree Rock,” but a poor translation in the 1800s lead to the current Anglicized moniker. The site remains sacred to some native Americans.

This 1900 photograph was made six years before The Devil’s Tower was declared America’s first national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt. Photo by Nathaniel H. Darton.

Google map pinpointing the location of The Devil’s Tower in eastern Wyoming, not far from the town of Sundance. Coordinates 44°35′25″N 104°42′55″W.

Looking up at The Devil’s Tower. Photograph by Keith Dotson

A testiment to its sacred status among native Americans, prayer bundles and colored ribbons can be found tied to the branches of Ponderosa pines that surround the base of the tower. Photograph by Keith Dotson.

Black and white photograph (detail) of the striated wall of The Devil’s Tower. Fine art Prints are available for purchase.

Buy a fine art print of this photograph here.

Close-up view of the very top edge of the tower’s rim. Photograph by Keith Dotson.

Taken on New Years Day, this photograph shows the view from the base of The Devil’s Tower, looking out over the cold Wyoming landscape.

Black and white photograph by Keith Dotson — The Devil’s Tower, Wyoming.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to visit me on Facebook.

~Keith

About Keith

Keith Dotson is a fine art photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who specializes in black and white landscapes, cityscapes, and natural abstractions.

His work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Toronto, Austin, Madison (WI), and Knoxville (TN). Dotson’s photographs have appeared in TV programs including ABCFamily’s Melissa and Joey, and CW’s Gossip Girl, and in major national TV commercials for clients like Wendy’s, Spiriva, and many others. In addition to numerous private collections, Dotson’s photographs have been purchased for the campus of Angelo State University (Texas) and the lobby of the new Marriott Downtown Milwaukee.

Thanks for visiting my blog, and be sure to come and say hello on Facebook.

Nature Sounds CDs Get Audio CDs and digital downloads of nature sounds, songbirds, and more through Amazon.

 About Keith

Keith Dotson is a fine art photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who specializes in black and white landscapes, cityscapes, and natural abstractions.

His work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Toronto, Austin, Madison (WI), and Knoxville (TN).  Dotson’s photographs have appeared in TV programs including ABCFamily’s Melissa and Joey, and CW’s Gossip Girl, and in major national TV commercials for clients like Wendy’s, Spiriva, and many others. In addition to numerous private collections, Dotson’s photographs have been purchased for the campus of Angelo State University (Texas) and the lobby of the new Marriott Downtown Milwaukee.

Massive thanks to Alexis at StudioVox, the social media network for creatives, for including me on her list of creatives you should know. The article includes a nice write-up about my work and the work of others listed as well.

Read it here.

Thanks for reading and be sure to come and say hello on Facebook.

 About Keith

Keith Dotson is a fine art photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who specializes in black and white landscapes, cityscapes, and natural abstractions.

His work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Toronto, Austin, Madison (WI), and Knoxville (TN).  Dotson’s photographs have appeared in TV programs including ABCFamily’s Melissa and Joey, and CW’s Gossip Girl, and in major national TV commercials for clients like Wendy’s, Spiriva, and many others. In addition to numerous private collections, Dotson’s photographs have been purchased for the campus of Angelo State University (Texas) and the lobby of the new Marriott Downtown Milwaukee.

Read the Interview

Thanks!

Be sure to visit me on Facebook.

About Keith

Keith Dotson is a fine art photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who specializes in black and white landscapes, cityscapes, and natural abstractions.

His work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Toronto, Austin, Madison (WI), and Knoxville (TN).  Dotson’s photographs have appeared in TV programs including ABCFamily’s Melissa and Joey, and CW’s Gossip Girl, and in major national TV commercials for clients like Wendy’s, Spiriva, and many others. In addition to numerous private collections, Dotson’s photographs have been purchased for the campus of Angelo State University (Texas) and the lobby of the new Marriott Downtown Milwaukee.

A haiku by Jack Kerouac spray painted across a brick wall in tiny Adams, Tennessee

“In Autumn Geronimo

weeps — no pony

with a blanket

Kerouac”

Those words looked like an epitaph to a dying town, when I read them on the side of an abandoned and decaying building in what was formerly downtown Adams, Tennessee. I admit, I was moved reading this poem, standing in the dew-wet grass, swarmed by gnats and mosquitoes on a humid, cloudy summer morning. The place felt haunted… not the building, the entire street.

Adams, Tennessee — May 2013

What happens to a church, a street, a town when no one longer wants it? An indignant mockingbird warned me away from the old church (below). From the roof, she insisted she would defend her property.

Broken Sidewalk and Abandoned Church –Adams, Tennessee. 8 x 10 inch black and white prints are available.

Buy a fine 8 x 10 inch print of the photograph above: $40.00

Not that Adams has disappeared. The little town still exists, with people playing softball, going to visit the legendary Cave of the Bell Witch, and worshipping in churches, but the core that once centered it is crumbling.

Abandoned and Ivy Clad, Adams, Tennessee

One is never far from a proselytizing message in Tennessee. Even a delapidated building will do. Perhaps someone should pray for Adams and other vanishing little towns.

Thanks for reading. See more of my photographs here, and be sure to visit me on Facebook.

~ Keith

Buy a fine 8 x 10 inch print of the photograph Broken Sidewalk and Abandoned Church: $40.00

About Keith

Keith Dotson is a fine art photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who specializes in black and white landscapes, cityscapes, and natural abstractions.

His work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Toronto, Austin, Madison (WI), and Knoxville (TN).  Dotson’s photographs have appeared in TV programs including ABCFamily’s Melissa and Joey, and CW’s Gossip Girl, and in major national TV commercials for clients like Wendy’s, Spiriva, and many others. In addition to numerous private collections, Dotson’s photographs have been purchased for the campus of Angelo State University (Texas) and the lobby of the new Marriott Downtown Milwaukee.

Conceptual rendering of the new luxury Marriott Downtown Milwaukee, copyright Kahler Slater, Inc.

The Mitchell Building, black and white photograph by Keith Dotson, will be part of the lobby decor in the new downtown Marriott Milwaukee

I’m happy to announce that my architectural photograph of Milwaukee’s Mitchell Building will be hanging in the lobby of the brand-new luxury Marriott Downtown Milwaukee when it opens later this year.

Many thanks to Bridget, of DAC Hospitality in Atlanta, for brokering the deal. Conceptual art of the new Marriott shown is copyright of Kahler Slater, Inc., linked here from the project website.

Follow the progress and see construction photos of the new hotel here: www.downtownmilwaukeehotel.com.

See more of my photographs on my Website here, or visit me on Facebook here.

Thanks for reading.

~ Keith

About Keith

Keith Dotson is a fine art photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who specializes in black and white landscapes, cityscapes, and natural abstractions.

His work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Toronto, Austin, Madison (WI), and Knoxville (TN).  Dotson’s photographs have appeared in TV programs including ABCFamily’s Melissa and Joey, and CW’s Gossip Girl, and in major national TV commercials for clients like Wendy’s, Spiriva, and many others. In addition to many private collections, Dotson’s photographs have been purchased for the campus of Angelo State University (Texas) and the lobby of the new Marriott Downtown Milwaukee.

I’ve made a handful of select images which I hope capture a little of the city’s uniqueness. Below are a few of them. The rest of the portfolio can be seen here.

Abandoned Marsh House, Charleston, 2012, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson.

Abandoned Marsh Boat, 2012, black and white photograph by Keith Dotson

Buy a Print

Fine prints of the photographs are available in a variety of sizes and price ranges. Send a message if you’d like to know more about making a purchase.

See the entire portfolio here.

Thanks for reading.

~Keith

 About Keith

Keith Dotson is a fine art photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee, who specializes in black and white landscapes, cityscapes, and natural abstractions.

His work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Toronto, Austin, Madison (WI), and Knoxville (TN).  Dotson’s photographs have appeared in TV programs including ABCFamily’s Melissa and Joey, and CW’s Gossip Girl, and in major national TV commercials for clients like Wendy’s, Spiriva, and many others. In addition to numerous private collections, Dotson’s photographs have been purchased for the campus of Angelo State University (Texas) and the lobby of the new Marriott Downtown Milwaukee.

I’m excited to announce the release of my new photograph, “Shadows Across a Cobblestone Path.” Photographed in the historic, old waterfront area of Nashville, Tennessee, this photograph depicts the soft shadow of a barren tree over a cobblestone path. I hope you like it.

Cobblestone Path, 2013, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson

Buy a print

$140

Click here to buy a fine black and white print of “Shadows Across a Cobblestone Path.”

12″ x 18″ Black and white photographic print on luster surface photo paper, mounted on single ply board for flatness in the frame (no extra charge). Includes a white margin outside the print area for easier framing. Sold unmatted and unframed. Signed by the artist in the white margin. Interested in another size? Let me know.

Thanks for reading.

~Keith

Syracuse Chilled Plows was a top selling brand of farm plow from 1879 until 1911, when they were purchased out buy Deere Co. I spotted this hand-painted sign on an old building in Nashville’s crusty riverfront area. Since the brand ended in 1911, I’m assuming this old sign is at least 102 years old–probably older. Nashville is enjoying a resurgence at the moment, and as the waterfront area revitalizes into a full-fledged entertainment district, I fear these old signs will disappear forever.

Syracuse Plows, Nashville, a black and white photograph by Keith Dotson.

Buy a print

$48

Click here to buy a fine black and white print of “Syracuse Plows, Nashville.”

8″ x 12″ Black and white photographic print on luster surface photo paper, mounted on single ply board for flatness in the frame (no extra charge). Includes a white margin outside the print area for easier framing. Sold unmatted and unframed. Signed by the artist in the white margin. Interested in another size? Let me know.

Thanks for reading.

~Keith

Big thank you to Carolyn at Artsy Shark art business website for naming me as featured artist for the day! Quite an honor for me .

And thank you also to the well-wishers who left nice messages on my Facebook page as a result of seeing the post on Artsy Shark. What a kind and generous group of artists!

See the really nice write-up here.