Michael Fatali's 'Sacred Earth Images' Gallery by Rochelle Brener

His is a language of light, hope and irrepressible beauty. One photograph will take your breath away, two will raise goosebumps, and you�ll be blinking back tears by the time you take full measure of his newly opened gallery, �Sacred Earth Images,� located in the Hyatt Pinon Pointe complex, right next door to Wildflower Bread Company.

Raised in the Phoenix area, Fatali�s father would take him on hikes and camping trips, instilling in him a great love and respect for the outdoors. When he was a young teen, Fatali lost his mother to cancer. He would often trek into the Southwestern desert, where he found solace and comfort. �These expeditions developed in me a great awareness and respect for God�s creation,� says Fatali, a deeply spiritual man. �I still feel a child-like awe when I�m out in the desert.

Fatali has dedicated the last twenty-five years to photographing the Southwestern landscape. �I have yet to photograph anywhere else,� he says. His love of the Southwest shaped his life mission as a voice for the gospel of nature. He uses a large format custom built camera that he describes as �very primitive.� It is modeled on hundred-year-old technology; and it requires full 8x10-inch glass film plates, which need to be special-ordered � you won�t find them in any ordinary photo store.

The artist finds amazing and enchanting images in places, it seems, where no one else has ventured to look. These images are unique, otherworldly � an invitation to enter your own �beyond.� And since each photograph is printed in a limited number, the work is rare and desirable. Walk into the gallery and you will feel transported into another world, another time. Fatali credits �patience, persistence and passion� for the success of his work.

�But my passion really isn�t photography,� he says. �Making a difference by inspiring others through the beauty and power of the natural world � that�s my life mission.� The photography itself is more a case of patience, of waiting � and waiting � for just the perfect light, and capturing that moment. �I�m satisfied with my results only when someone can witness what I have seen through my images, when they can feel what I felt when I captured it.

Fatali says that coming to Sedona is like coming home. �When my mother died,� he says, �Sedona was the first place I came to heal. I�ve always felt a special connection here.� Sedona was a place of firsts for him in many ways � the first recognition of his artistry came in 1986, when the owners of Creekside Galleries exhibited his work. The Sedona Arts Center gave it an award. And his first published photograph (in Arizona Highways Magazine) was taken in Sedona. �I am truly grateful and honored by the support of this community,� he says.

When you see Fatali�s work, you will be stunned by its power � and, by the messages of beauty and hope. Look more closely and you�ll find the depth of the soul that exists in this photographer. Fatali uses all natural light and no enhancements � no filters, no tricks. He indeed expresses a �perfect moment in a perfect light.� (click for more detail)

Fatali�s new gallery is one of three: the others are in Springdale, Utah and Henderson, Nevada. He also offers a DVD, �Beyond Grand Canyon,� that shows much, if not all, of the artist�s current work. New Age composer/musician Nicholas Gunn provides music that is hauntingly appropriate. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this DVD and book, Beyond Grand Canyon, benefits the National Parks Association and the American Cancer Society. The World�s Top Photographers: Landscape, by Terry Hope features photographs by Michael Fatali and highlights one of his most stunning images on its cover. �What an honor that was!� he says. �There are photographers in that book whose work I�ve admired for years.� He is speaking especially of Galen Rowell and David Muench. �To be placed on a par with them�well�� He shakes his head, at a loss for words.

Fatali himself has a deep sense of gratitude, and an equal belief in giving back. To this end, he created the Fatali Foundation, to help bring solace to those in grief, or on a healing journey. He has donated some of his collections of photographic originals (valued at over two million dollars) for philanthropic purposes only.

�Sacred Earth Images� is open Monday � Thursday from 10 am to 6 pm, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm. Don�t miss it. And make room on your walls � prices for magnificently framed originals are well within reach.

Photographic process: Fatali original photographs are individually hand printed using lifochrome classic paper, formally known as Cibachrome. This artistic form of printmaking offers unparalleled stability of color and image depth like no other we have ever seen. Fatali is committed to making his photographs by hand using the "old" classic optical process, instead of "new" digital technologies which are often used for image manipulation and conformity. No computer imaging is used in his darkroom. There are very few master printers who possess the skills and knowledge of this process. The materials required to make fine Cibachrome prints are also becoming more difficult to obtain. The Cibachrome process is likely to be discontinued in the near future. This has made Fatali's Cibachrome prints a rare and rapidly collectable art in the world of photography. [back]