Botanical Desert
I love photographing nature! The desert is a totally interesting place, with a unique and beautiful array of plants, flowers, and wildlife. I try to get out to experience as much of the desert landscape as I possibly can. Of course the summer and fall months can be a huge challenge because of the intense weather conditions. But once the winter months roll in the desert becomes a vast, exciting, photographic feast. There is also plenty of danger around every corner that you must be cautious of as well. I was once told by a local when I moved out here that, “everything in the desert is out to kill you!” I’m definitely careful whenever I venture out into the unknown.
Below are a few of my favorite photos from my most recent outing. As soon as it cools off outside I plan on taking many more trips to discover all of the new and fascinating hidden gems this expansive environment has to offer. Enjoy!
Sedona Family Vacation Color
This set of photos is a continuation of my family’s recent vacation to Sedona, Arizona.
As with most of my work, I tend to create in both color and black & white. It’s not alway an easy decision. It’s honestly more of a constant challenge in choosing what warrants being photographed in color or in black & white. Sometimes it can go either way, or sometimes lighting conditions and color palettes will specifically dictate exactly what should be done.
Here are a few color selections.
Beautiful Nevada Scenery
The more I visit Nevada the more I fall in love with all of it’s beautiful desert scenery. The colors, textures, and of course the details! I hope to go back soon for more in depth exploration and photo making.
Here are just a few photos from a visit to Red Rock Canyon that I captured with my phone.
The Calm Of The Desert
Despite being mostly barren, I find that there is a stillness, a peaceful feeling of calm in the desert. This is the perfect time of the year to explore because, the temperatures are moderate to very cool. I was shocked to learn how cold it can actually get in the desert at night. While there isn’t an abundance of photo opps around every corner, there is still plenty of interesting sights to keep one occupied both as a photographer and as a curious human.
In the photograph below I happened upon a makeshift memorial for some unfortunate soul that lost their life in this exact spot. I can only assume it was from a traffic related accident? In the distance you can see how modern development has started to change the overall appearance of the scenery. In the far background lies beautiful outstretched mountains that I await to explore to uncover the potential mysteries I’m certain they’re hiding within. I’m really hoping to witness some of the native wildlife of this particular area.
I’m finding that it’s extremely cool to learn that there is more to Las Vegas than just casinos.
(Please click on the image for a larger view)
Versatility By RNJ 