Hedgehog Steals the Show
The hedgehog cactus flowers so brilliantly, it’s hard to miss one even in a sea of yellow flowering brittlebush. This shot was captured just before sunset on the same afternoon I shot “Pollen”. Click on the photo for a slightly larger, more detailed view.
Sonoran Confetti
I was there before sunrise to photograph the abundant spring bloom, but as I searched for a pleasing composition in the pre-dawn light, I noticed this hill-side covered in tiny multi-colored flowers. I thought that the huge sandstone boulders at the top of the hill made an interesting backdrop. When the sun came over the horizon, the warm light on the colorful hill-side was fantastic. Click on the photo for a slightly larger, more detailed view.
Ambient Glow
As I was digging through recent shots for possible entries in a local photo contest, I came across this. Captured about two months ago in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, it’s a good example of how intense the light from a southwest sunset can be.
It was one of those afternoons that would tempt you to write of any chance of there being good light for photography, but a careful look to the west revealed just a few small breaks in the clouds. Perhaps as the sun set it would shine through one of those openings. It was a long shot, but I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t take the chance.
I drove to the preserve and hiked to an area that I’d yet to explore. After finding what looked like a good composition, I waited for the sun to drop down into one of the small openings in the wall of clouds. It finally happened— just as the sun reached the horizon—and only lasted for a minute or two! Sometimes it seems that the shorter that window of sunlight through clouds is, the more intense it seems to be. 
Pollen
A fairly wet winter has set the stage for a healthy spring bloom of wildflowers in the Sonoran desert. Brittlebush (pictured here) are a fairly common and abundant plant in this environment. When they flower, they add a golden hue to the hills. Here, the late afternoon sun sets a hillside in Cave Creek ablaze with color.
Sonoran Winter
A recent winter storm brought snow to the mountains north of Phoenix. I woke before sunrise to capture the contrast between the lush desert and frosted slopes.
Fire Without Flame
Incredible light on a recent afternoon in the McDowell Mountains. This is why photographers refer to the last few minutes before sunset as “The Magic Hour”.
Spirits of Junipers Past
The vast canyon below me had fallen into shadow, leaving the sandstone behemoths within it cold and colorless. I quickly turned my attention to the features atop the mesa where I stood, still bathed in the warm light of the sun’s last rays.
