Moenkopi, Arizona — The Honany family has made a name for itself not only in Moenkopi, but also in Cowboys & Indians, the best magazine in the West.
C&I’s July cover features 16-year-old Christy Honanyi standing on the edge of a shallow cliff in a traditional Zuni butterfly dress.
In the photo, Christie stands overlooking the Navajo area just east of Moenkopi. She is backlit by the last rays of the sun, whose light is magnified in soft orange hues and made even more surreal by the light dust of smoke left over from the wildfires burning southeast of the reservation. It has become a thing.
Photographer Chris Dickinson said he knew immediately that the moment was magical.
“The impact was immediate for me,” he said. “As soon as I took the picture, I was like, ‘Wow, this is going to be magical right now.'”
After taking the first picture, Dickinson showed it to Christy’s father, Gilbert, and they began taking pictures of Christy together. At one point, Dickinson caught Gilbert with Christy and her sister Sarah.
Gilbert and her daughter Sara also take professional-quality photos, but said the moment could not be recreated.
“Everything was so beautiful, and when we went into the edit, Christie’s colors came back, and the orangey haze look in the background was really dreamy, and it turned out really nice,” said Gilbert. . “The color of the sun and the partial smoke really changed the color, making it more orange than normal.”
The photo was taken in 2019, and since then variations of the photo taken by Honany have been transformed into different art forms, including oil paintings by local teachers. A framed print hangs in Honany’s home and was featured in a fine art competition at his fair in Coconino County, winning first prize.
A Western lifestyle photographer, Dickinson’s work has been featured in C&I, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), Cowgirl Magazine, Western Horseman, and Working Ranch, but C&I can help. I continued to take pictures of it for several years until he contacted me asking if there was anything I could do. The cover photo of the July issue has been released.
“One of our editors asked if we had any suitable material for a special issue called Into the West. Christie’s picture was one of them.As soon as I got that picture, they called me and they were so into it.They wanted to know more about it and give me some background. I wanted to know,” he said.
Mr. Dickinson approached Mr. Gilbert and asked if there was anything wrong with this photo being used as a cover photo. He also shared special moments and stories behind the photos to his C&I.
“I have been in the industry for many years and what I have learned through the work and lifestyle work I do is that our image is not just a snapshot, it is a story,” said Dickinson. “From my trip with Gil and his family in Moenkopi, to the overall Western lifestyle photos with the people around me, there is such a soulful story behind each photo. It’s not just a snapshot, it’s a story.”
Mr. Gilbert said that after the magazine decided it wanted to give back to the Hopi community through scholarship opportunities, the family had no problems with printing and later encouraged C&I to get in touch with the Hopi Education Foundation (HEEF). He said he helped me. Limited print sale.
“Posting an image, this time through C&I, one of the first things they wanted to do was ask how they could give back through this image,” Dickinson said.
For two months from the release of the cover, all prints ordered will be sent directly to HEEF for scholarship purposes.
“From the beginning to where we are now, the whole universe surrounding this image was so magical,” Dickinson said.
As for Christie, who was 13 when the photo was taken, Gilbert said her reaction to being a C&I cover model was humble.
“She didn’t react at all, but when I saw it I was like, ‘Wow, it’s my turn to be on the cover,'” Honany said. “Usually her sister is featured[through her photo].”
To order the Hopi Daughter print, visit Hopi_Daughter | Chris Dickinson Photo (cdphotog.com)
The Hopi Daughter print will be available for a limited time until August 27, 2023. Proceeds from the print will be donated to the Hopi Educational Endowment Fund to raise funds for college scholarships. For more information on HEEF, please visit the Hopi Educational Fund (hopieducationfund.org).
