Phoenix, Arizona Aerial Panorama

Fall on the Salt River at the Bulldog Cliffs

Even though it was almost Christmas, Fall colors were just peaking along the Salt River at the Bulldog Cliffs. This iconic scene is just below the Saguaro Lake Dam.

Air Park

The airport and Air Park portion of northern Scottsdale as seen from the foothills of the McDowell Mountains.

Horse Creek

After monsoon rains, Horse Creek roars through a meadow in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona.

Black River Monsoon

A cloudy, monsoon day in central Arizona along the East Fork of the Black River. Lots of rain had blanketed the area. Streams and creeks were flowing briskly and filling their banks.

Sunrise and Moonset over Marble Canyon

A full moon sets as the sun rises over Marble Canyon south of the Vermillion Cliffs. This area in the Marble Canyon Wilderness is one of my favorite photographic locations of all time. I spent a couple days here in May 2013 shooting the different times of day. Clouds moved in during the night and produced this stunning sunrise as the full moon sets in the west. A group of river rafters was on the small beach in the bottom of the bend in the photo. I could see their campfires and headlamps the night before. They were all snug in their sleeping bags as this gorgeous location got an amazing start. Extreme magnification of this photo reveals their campsite with four rafts tied up to the shore as well as their tents.

Mogollon Monsoon Magic

A massive monsoon storm moves away from the Mogollon Rim near Payson, Arizona. I sat in my camp and watched this impressive storm well into the evening being entertained by frequent lightning.

Kelly Pocket God Light

Morning light shines through the fog of the ponderosa forest off Forest Service Road 237 south of Kachina Village.

Hart Mine Marsh Sunrise

Sunrise at Hart Mine Marsh in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge along the Colorado River. This was my first trip to the area and had a ball photographing all it had to offer.

West Fork Sunrise

This was the second sunrise over the West Fork of Oak Creek. The first one had made a brief appearance, and then promptly ducked behind the clouds on the horizon. This one was way more impressive and the light in the canyon itself was much better.

Apache Lake Hillside Morning Light

The morning light on this hillside above Apache Lake was absolutely gorgeous.

Moonset over Marble Canyon

The setting full moon illuminates Marble Canyon south of the Vermillion Cliffs. I shot the rising moon the night before, and it was quite the sight to behold. But wind made my shots very noisy from the high ISO necessary to get a fast shutter speed and not have camera shake in the shots. This next morning was calm and breeze-free with only the hooting of a nearby great-horned owl to break the silence.

Tall House, Wupatki National Monument

Wupatki National Monument is part of many settlement sites in a park north of Flagstaff, Arizona. Settled by the Ancient Pueblo People around 500 A.D. This structure called the Tall House has over 100 rooms with two large kiva stuctures nearby.

Mogollon Rim Monsoon

Monsoon clouds move along this portion of the Mogollon Rim. A minute before this shot was taken, a cloud had condensed below the rim and moved through this shot. I'd never been a witness to anything like it before. Being completely encompassed by the fast moving cloud was quite the experience.

Lockett Meadow Tank Reeds

First light almost deleted the Fall color of yellow aspen on the slopes above Lockett Meadow in the San Francisco Peaks. This small tank is a favorite stop and often photographed feature of the meadow. Taking a low vantage point and shooting right over the edge of the water makes the tank look like a lake.

Four Peaks Snow

This shot from February 2011 shows snow on Four Peaks. While snow in the desert is rare, this sight on Four Peaks is usually at least a once-a-year occurrence.

Marble Canyon Sunrise

This spot in the Marble Canyon Wilderness gets very little love from other photographers, as far as I know. Most head north to the wildly more popular Wave and Coyote Buttes area. This shot taken in July 2011, was an absolutely, mind-blowingly, beautiful location. I didn't see another soul the two days I spent here.

Knoll Lake Morning

Knoll Lake is part of a string of canyon-style lakes above the Mogollon Rim. Forest Service Road 300 runs for nearly 30 miles along this scenic area. Ponderosa Pine dominate the forest around this man-made lake popular with trout fishermen.

West Fork Blue Light

The blue light of twilight illuminates the West Fork of Oak Creek as seen from the overlook at Harding Point.

Rising Clouds

Clouds condensing below the cliffs are pushed up by southerly winds and rise up against the Mogollon Rim. I was completely enveloped by this amazing phenomenon. Seconds later, the scene was cloud free.

Salome Creek Crossing

A winter storm brews in the distance at the Salome Creek crossing near Roosevelt Lake. The pink rock in the foreground was an amazing amalgamation of different colored rocks surrounded by a pink substrate.

West Fork Subway Panorama

Towering Coconino sandstone cliffs narrow in the Subway on the West Fork of Oak Creek trail. This is the end of the improved trail 3.2 miles from the parking lot in Oak Creek Canyon. From here on, it's wading in the creek. The water in was absolutely freezing and painfully cold as I waded from dry spot to dry spot. The upside was an absence of other hikers and photographers giving me sole access to the area. I had a ball photographing as red maple leaves slowly floated by in this sublime canyon.

Oak Creek Waterfall

Fall breathes its last gasp of color along Oak Creek near Sedona, Arizona. I had been in the red rock country all day, but the light was not cooperating. So, I moved up into the canyon where the soft light and moody clouds complemented the colors of the creek.

East Fork of the Black River

This was the best panorama of the first of two consecutive Fall trips to the same area along the East Fork. It was the best conditions weather-wise with a lot of monsoon inspired rains.

Silent Sunset

I spent over a hour hanging out at Cly Butte. I photographed in the changing light until the sun went behind the clouds on the horizon. Everything went gray. Now, the big waiting game began. Would there be a sunset? It was anyone's guess. I would either be happily taking some more beautiful shots or my day was already over. Just when the sunset started to go off, a car stopped right in front of what I had lined up in the camera. A woman jump out of the passenger car door, then standing on the car's seat to get a better and higher view. She obviously didn't see me and I almost said something, but thankfully she moved off after getting her shot. I had to chuckle a bit considering how many times this kind of thing had happened during the course of my day. I was thrilled the sunset did its thing even as contained as it was. I was ready for OMG, but got considerably less. Still, I figured I had taken the best photo of the trip. I stayed until it was almost dark out basking in the glow of a great day. It was completely silent out. Not a bird, jet, car or even the hint of a breeze was to be heard. It was a gorgeous, full-day of adventure and I was tired. It was a good tired.

Bartlett Lake Hilltop Bloom

A carpet of wildflowers were blooming on the slopes above Bartlett Lake outside of Phoenix, Arizona in 2013. There was literally nowhere to step because of the dense bloom. Soft light from an overcast morning added a different kind of mood to a normally cheerful sight.

Last Days of Summer on Oak Creek

I took this shot in the last days of Summer in October 2011. Soon the leaves would start turning colors and changing the landscape in dramatic ways.

Sycamore Canyon Rain

Spring rain falls over Sycamore Canyon south of Williams, Arizona. This canyon is second only in size to the Grand Canyon. This vista is at the end of a long dirt road. Whitehorse Lake is about half-way along. Sycamore Point is a place, that if you didn't know it existed, you would probably never go to see. The wilderness area below has a wealth of hiking trails.

Butte Beauty

The brutish beauty of the buttes of Monument Valley. Cly (foreground) and Camel Buttes with Mitchell Mesa and the Three Sisters in the distance on the left. To the right, the Mittens and more. This was the last good light before the sun dropped below some clouds on the horizon. I watched a small pack of dogs scouring the rocks looking for prey near the base of Cly butte. There were three of them, medium-sized and pretty nimble. I didn't see them at first. Instead, I heard them tipping the unstable rocks over they were walking on. I was a bit worried they might give me a visit. You never know how they are going to be, so, my plan was to keep my distance. They had clearly seen me and weren't particularly interested, so I continued to watch them for a while. Eventually, they moved on, but I kept them in the back of my mind just in case. My dogs were in the truck all locked up from harm. Nevertheless, It was strange to have to worry about so-called "wildlife" in a place like this. It had me on edge. I didn't want any unexpected visitors. They weren't really wild animals, but someone's "pets" nearby. Wild animals are way more predictable. They usually steer clear. But a pack of feral dogs might not be so shy. Caution prevailed.