Robert Nicod — Tourists in the West

REPORT 06 / 08

RegionAmerican West

StatesUT · AZ · NV · CA · ID · WY · CO

Years2008 – 2014

Plates93

Tourists in the West

There are landscapes in the American West that defy understanding. Mineral expanses, sheer cliffs, endless gorges where the light seems vaster than the eye.
We sometimes imagine America as a land of excess and consumption. Yet it is here that the modern idea of protecting nature on a grand scale was born. These lands were set aside very early, as if their power commanded respect.
Faced with this immensity, man changes scale. He becomes a fragile presence, a hesitant silhouette at the edge of the void. One feels small here, sometimes almost out of place. The beauty is striking, but it is not gentle. It carries an austerity, a silent strength, a diffuse sense of danger.
In these places where the earth seems a living entity, tourists appear with their familiar gestures: they pose, watch each other, photograph themselves, sometimes laugh. Their humanity contrasts with the mineral grandeur. They look for their place in a setting that overwhelms them.
These photos are an exploration of this encounter: between human fragility and the immensity of the world.

Plate I — Landscapes & National Parks

93 plates

Tourists in the West — Wandering stones, Death Valley — PL. 1 Wandering stones, Death Valley

Tourists in the West — Delicate Arch, Utah — PL. 2 Delicate Arch, Utah

Tourists in the West — Mount Evans, 4,348 m, Colorado — PL. 3 Mount Evans, 4,348 m, Colorado

Tourists in the West — Monumental dune, Nevada — PL. 4 Monumental dune, Nevada

Tourists in the West — Dreams in the wind, Meteor Crater, Arizona — PL. 5 Dreams in the wind, Meteor Crater, Arizona

Tourists in the West — A bad night at Arches, risk of a cougar (imaginary), Utah — PL. 6 A bad night at Arches
risk of a cougar (imaginary), Utah

Tourists in the West — Selfie of a solo traveler, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah — PL. 7 Selfie of a solo traveler
Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah

Tourists in the West — Antelope Canyon, Arizona — PL. 8 Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Tourists in the West — Family vacation, Lake Tahoe, California — PL. 9 Family vacation
Lake Tahoe, California

Tourists in the West — Lake Tahoe, California — PL. 10 Lake Tahoe, California

Tourists in the West — Charmed, in secret, Lake Tahoe, California — PL. 11 Charmed, in secret
Lake Tahoe, California

Tourists in the West — Children's games, Lake Tahoe, California — PL. 12 Children's games
Lake Tahoe, California

Tourists in the West — Freedom in this no man's land, Nevada — PL. 13 Freedom in this no man's land, Nevada

Tourists in the West — Parking-Sculpture, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah — PL. 14 Parking-Sculpture
Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah

Tourists in the West — Precious scene of camp life, Antelope Island, Utah — PL. 15 Precious scene of camp life
Antelope Island, Utah

Tourists in the West — Visiting another planet, Craters of the Moon, Idaho — PL. 16 Visiting another planet
Craters of the Moon, Idaho

Tourists in the West — Lava room, Craters of the Moon, Idaho — PL. 17 Lava room
Craters of the Moon, Idaho

Tourists in the West — Father and son, a volcanology lesson, Craters of the Moon, Idaho — PL. 18 Father and son, a volcanology lesson
Craters of the Moon, Idaho

Tourists in the West — Hands held out to the heat, Yellowstone, Wyoming — PL. 19 Hands held out to the heat
Yellowstone, Wyoming

Tourists in the West — The world as a backdrop, Yellowstone, Wyoming — PL. 20 The world as a backdrop
Yellowstone, Wyoming

Tourists in the West — Crossing into another world, Yellowstone, Wyoming — PL. 21 Crossing into another world
Yellowstone, Wyoming

Tourists in the West — Quite the cowboy, Tony Ranch, Colorado — PL. 22 Quite the cowboy
Tony Ranch, Colorado

Tourists in the West — Bryce Canyon, Utah — PL. 23 Bryce Canyon, Utah

Tourists in the West — Coyote Buttes, Utah — PL. 24 Coyote Buttes, Utah

Tourists in the West — Fascinated, The Wave, Arizona — PL. 25 Fascinated, The Wave, Arizona

Tourists in the West — The Wave, Arizona — PL. 26 The Wave, Arizona

Tourists in the West — The Wave, Utah — PL. 27 The Wave, Utah

Tourists in the West — At 50°, everything begins, Death Valley, California — PL. 28 At 50°, everything begins
Death Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Neither seen nor known, back from the forbidden zone, Landscape Arch, Utah — PL. 29 Neither seen nor known, back from the forbidden zone
Landscape Arch, Utah

Tourists in the West — Arches National Park, Utah — PL. 30 Arches National Park, Utah

Tourists in the West — Waiting for the last ray, Delicate Arch, Utah — PL. 31 Waiting for the last ray
Delicate Arch, Utah

Tourists in the West — Surprise, Antelope Canyon, Arizona — PL. 33 Surprise
Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Tourists in the West — Coal power plant, Lake Powell, Arizona — PL. 34 Coal power plant
Lake Powell, Arizona

Tourists in the West — Rush to the summit, Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California — PL. 35 Rush to the summit
Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Daring youth, Yosemite Valley, California — PL. 36 Daring youth, Yosemite Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California — PL. 37 Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Moreton Bay Fig Tree, Santa Barbara, California — PL. 38 Moreton Bay Fig Tree
Santa Barbara, California

Tourists in the West — North Rim Lodge, Grand Canyon, Utah — PL. 39 North Rim Lodge
Grand Canyon, Utah

Tourists in the West — Island in the Sky, Canyonlands, Utah — PL. 40 Island in the Sky
Canyonlands, Utah

Tourists in the West — On the road to Las Vegas, Nevada — PL. 41 On the road to Las Vegas, Nevada

Tourists in the West — Burning bush, Death Valley, California — PL. 42 Burning bush
Death Valley, California

Tourists in the West — On the Utah-Arizona border — PL. 43 On the Utah-Arizona border

Tourists in the West — Campsite, Joshua Tree, California — PL. 44 Campsite, Joshua Tree, California

Tourists in the West — In the Nevada mountains — PL. 45 In the Nevada mountains

Tourists in the West — Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California — PL. 46 Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Overlook at the edge of the salt lake, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah — PL. 47 Overlook at the edge of the salt lake, Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah

Tourists in the West — Monument Valley, Arizona — PL. 48 Monument Valley, Arizona

Tourists in the West — Navajo roadside stand, Arizona — PL. 49 Navajo roadside stand, Arizona

Tourists in the West — Horseshoe Bend, Colorado River, Arizona — PL. 50 Horseshoe Bend, Colorado River, Arizona

Tourists in the West — The stone island, Lake Powell, Utah — PL. 51 The stone island, Lake Powell, Utah

Tourists in the West — Water-skiing in the bends of Lake Powell, Utah — PL. 52 Water-skiing in the bends of Lake Powell, Utah

Tourists in the West — Picnic spot, Arches National Park, Utah — PL. 54 Picnic spot, Arches National Park, Utah

Tourists in the West — Picnic area, White Sands, New Mexico — PL. 55 Picnic area, White Sands, New Mexico

Tourists in the West — Welcome on the moon, White Sands, New Mexico — PL. 56 Welcome on the moon, White Sands, New Mexico

Tourists in the West — Merced River, Yosemite Valley, California — PL. 57 Merced River, Yosemite Valley, California

Tourists in the West — On the way to Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California — PL. 58 On the way to Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Back from Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California — PL. 59 Back from Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Overlook above Yosemite Valley, California — PL. 60 Overlook above Yosemite Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Malibu, California — PL. 61 Malibu, California

Tourists in the West — Mojave Desert, California — PL. 62 Mojave Desert, California

Tourists in the West — Breeze on the bank of the Rio Grande, New Mexico — PL. 63 Breeze on the bank of the Rio Grande, New Mexico

Tourists in the West — Strange apparition between rock and cactus, Joshua Tree, California — PL. 65 Strange apparition between rock and cactus, Joshua Tree, California

Tourists in the West — Facing the vast horizon, Great Salt Lake, Utah — PL. 66 Facing the vast horizon, Great Salt Lake, Utah

Tourists in the West — Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah — PL. 67 Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah

Tourists in the West — Caught mid-turn, Canyonlands, Utah — PL. 68 Caught mid-turn, Canyonlands, Utah

Tourists in the West — East-west move, Idaho — PL. 69 East-west move, Idaho

Tourists in the West — Death Valley, California — PL. 70 Death Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Worried mom? Craters of the Moon, Idaho — PL. 73 Worried mom? Craters of the Moon, Idaho

Tourists in the West — Steam and hot springs, Yellowstone, Wyoming — PL. 74 Steam and hot springs, Yellowstone, Wyoming

Tourists in the West — Alone facing the Colorado — PL. 76 Alone facing the Colorado

Tourists in the West — Smiling at Grizzly Giant, Mariposa Grove, California — PL. 77 Smiling at Grizzly Giant, Mariposa Grove, California

Tourists in the West — Taking a risk, Joshua Tree, California — PL. 78 Taking a risk, Joshua Tree, California

Tourists in the West — Mine and ghost town, Death Valley, Nevada — PL. 79 Mine and ghost town, Death Valley, Nevada

Tourists in the West — Grave in the ghost town, Death Valley, Nevada — PL. 80 Grave in the ghost town, Death Valley, Nevada

Tourists in the West — 10 km of straight road, California — PL. 81 10 km of straight road, California

Tourists in the West — Arizona road — PL. 82 Arizona road

Tourists in the West — Waiting under a beautiful western sky, Colorado — PL. 83 Waiting under a beautiful western sky, Colorado

Tourists in the West — Rain over an arid prairie in Nevada — PL. 84 Rain over an arid prairie in Nevada

Tourists in the West — Two benches for infinity, view of the Sierra Nevada, California — PL. 85 Two benches for infinity, view of the Sierra Nevada, California

Tourists in the West — Dream setting, Lake Tahoe, California — PL. 86 Dream setting, Lake Tahoe, California

Tourists in the West — Sovereign for a moment, Tenaya Lake, Yosemite, California — PL. 87 Sovereign for a moment, Tenaya Lake, Yosemite, California

Tourists in the West — Lone juniper, Yosemite Valley, California — PL. 88 Lone juniper, Yosemite Valley, California

Tourists in the West — Shared moment, Mesa Verde, Colorado — PL. 89 Shared moment, Mesa Verde, Colorado

Tourists in the West — Mesa Verde, Colorado — PL. 90 Mesa Verde, Colorado

Tourists in the West — Nothing but minerals, Buckskin Gulch, Utah — PL. 91 Nothing but minerals, Buckskin Gulch, Utah

Tourists in the West — Tall, narrow canyon, Buckskin Gulch, Utah — PL. 92 Tall, narrow canyon, Buckskin Gulch, Utah

Tourists in the West — At last alone, Coyote Buttes, Utah — PL. 93 At last alone, Coyote Buttes, Utah