{"id":2069532,"date":"2026-07-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2069532"},"modified":"2026-07-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T21:00:00","slug":"zac-henderson-venerates-devils-tower-in-bold-black-and-white-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2069532","title":{"rendered":"Zac Henderson Venerates Devil\u2019s Tower in Bold Black-and-White Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-6.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a black-and-white photograph of Devil&apos;s Tower\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All images \u00a9 Zac Henderson, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Zac Henderson Venerates Devil\u2019s Tower in Bold Black-and-White Photos<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-07-30T12:10:06-05:00\">July 30, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-nature\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/nature\/\" rel=\"tag\">Nature<\/a><a class=\"category-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/photography\/\" rel=\"tag\">Photography<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F07%2Fzac-henderson-devils-tower-photographs%2F&amp;title=Zac%20Henderson%20Venerates%20Devil%27s%20Tower%20in%20Bold%20Black-and-White%20Photos\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#fdc28e889f97989e89c0a79c9ed8cfcdb5989399988f8e9293d8cfcdab9893988f9c89988ed8cfcdb9988b9491d8cfca8ed8cfcda9928a988fd8cfcd9493d8cfcdbf929199d8cfcdbf919c9e96d09c9399d0aa95948998d8cfcdad959289928edb9c908dc69f929984c0a79c9ed8cfcdb5989399988f8e9293d8cfcdab9893988f9c89988ed8cfcdb9988b9491d8cfca8ed8cfcda9928a988fd8cfcd9493d8cfcdbf929199d8cfcdbf919c9e96d09c9399d0aa95948998d8cfcdad959289928ed8cfcdd8b8cfd8c5cdd8c4c9d8cfcd9589898d8ed8cebcd8cfbbd8cfbb8a8a8ad38995948e948e9e9291928e8e9c91d39e9290d8cfbbcfcdcfcbd8cfbbcdcad8cfbb879c9ed095989399988f8e9293d099988b94918ed089928a988fd08d959289929a8f9c8d958ed8cfbb\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"476286\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 1906, Devil\u2019s Tower in northeastern Wyoming became the first national monument in the U.S., preserving a little more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npca.org\/case-studies\/devil-s-tower-national-monument\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1,300 acres<\/a> around the 867-foot-tall column of igneous rock. Amid the rolling hills of the plains, it can be seen from miles around, and it\u2019s been a sacred site and gathering place for myriad Indigenous American tribes, who refer to it by names like Bear Lodge or Bear\u2019s House.<\/p>\n<p>One <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitrapidcity.com\/blog\/post\/the-story-of-devils-tower-national-monument\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">oral narrative<\/a> describes how bears attacked a group of seven girls, and the ground swelled up to push the children toward the sky. There, they became the constellation Pleiades, or the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pleiades\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Seven Sisters<\/a>,\u201d which can be seen over the monument. In other stories, the distinctive striations around the landform are said to have been created by bears clawing at the earth to try to reach the girls.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476286\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-5.jpg\" alt=\"a black-and-white photograph of Devil&apos;s Tower with a cloud&apos;s shadow darkening the base\" class=\"wp-image-476296\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>For nomadic photographer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zachenderson.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Zac Henderson<\/a>, the unique geological formation proved an irresistible subject. He travels the continent making <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/zac-henderson\">dreamy images<\/a> of landscapes and natural phenomena, often merging reality with a sense of the uncanny. When it comes to geology, there\u2019s hardly a more iconic example than Devil\u2019s Tower, which formed tens of millions of years ago as a column of hardened magma was gradually revealed through erosion.<\/p>\n<p>Henderson captures the moodiness of clouds casting shadows in black-and-white images that are redolent of Ansel Adams\u2019 deep tonal shifts. Even though the monument sees hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, there is a sense of isolation and unadulterated wonder, as if we are encountering it for the first time. Henderson also captures the changing light and otherworldly textures and ochres of the rock face, which can be seen from a network of paths around its one-mile base circumference.<\/p>\n<p>See more timelapses on Henderson\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/zndrson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vimeo<\/a>, and explore more on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.behance.net\/zachenderson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Behance<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476286\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-7.jpg\" alt=\"a photograph of the texture of stone on Devil&apos;s Tower in Wyoming\" class=\"wp-image-476298\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476286\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-2.jpg\" alt=\"a black-and-white photograph of Devil&apos;s Tower\" class=\"wp-image-476294\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson.gif\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476286\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson.gif\" alt=\"a gif of a timelapse of weather moving over Devil&apos;s Tower in Wyoming\" class=\"wp-image-476300\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476286\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-3.jpg\" alt=\"a black-and-white photograph of Devil&apos;s Tower with a cloud&apos;s shadow darkening the base\" class=\"wp-image-476295\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476286\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-8.jpg\" alt=\"a photograph of the texture of stone on Devil&apos;s Tower in Wyoming\" class=\"wp-image-476299\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-476286\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/henderson-1.jpg\" alt=\"a photograph of Devil&apos;s Tower with the last vestiges of sunset behind it\" class=\"wp-image-476293\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113463\">$75\/year<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-chalk-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">Explore membership options<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"20\" height=\"21\" class=\"wp-image-327872\" style=\"width: 20px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arrow-left.svg\" alt><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-next\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/07\/the-paper-ark-birds-relief-nature-watercolors\/\" rel=\"next\">Previous article<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/07\/janice-yang-kitchens-home-salmon-paintings\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All images \u00a9 Zac Henderson, shared with permission Zac Henderson Venerates Devil\u2019s Tower in Bold Black-and-White Photos July 30, 2026 NaturePhotography Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark In 1906, Devil\u2019s Tower in northeastern Wyoming became the first national monument in the U.S., preserving a little more than 1,300 acres around the 867-foot-tall column of igneous rock. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2069532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2069532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069532\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2069532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2069532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2069532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}