Winter Sunrise
A wet winter resulted in a very green Sonoran Desert this year. Here, the sun peaks over the mountains in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ, casting warm light on a lush landscape. The Ajo Mountains serve as a shaded backdrop.
Brittle Bush Invasion
A rainy winter in the desert southwest resulted in a colorful display of wildflowers in the hills above Bartlett Lake. These brittle bush glow brilliantly in the early morning light.
December’s Warmth
A massive Giant Saguaro cactus greets one of the last days of 2016. Captured at sunrise on Christmas Eve.
Good Boy
Christmas morning in the Sonoran Desert, North Scottsdale, AZ. I must have been good this past year, because Santa brought me this spectacular sunrise.
Green River Glow
The last rays of sunlight lend a fast fading glow to the flowering brush along the the cliffs above the Green River.
Wall of Thorns
Jolla, saguaro and one very large ocotillo form an imposing barrier.
I’ve always thought that the ocotillo is one of the most visually interesting plants in the Sonoran Desert, yet it’s always a challenge for me to actually put together a pleasing composition that features one. I’m not sure that I’ve accomplished that with this shot, but I hope you like it.
Don’t Bust The Crust
Flowering brush grow from a healthy mound of cryptobiotic soil below a warmly lit hoodoo. Southeast Utah.
Sandstone Steps
I don’t think many landscape photographers would say that they actually enjoy leaving the comfort of their warm sleeping bag an hour or two before sunrise, especially on a really cold morning. But that’s what you have to do if you want to be at an optimal spot to capture the warm light of the rising sun. I’m almost always tempted to shut off my alarm, roll over and go back to sleep. When the alarm clock wins and I get myself to an interesting location, it’s so satisfying to stand on a hillside (or in this case, a petrified sand dune) and watch the rising sun slowly caress the scenery before me with its warm glow.
Snow Canyon, Utah
Sunset Over Sycamore Canyon
I covered a lot of ground last weekend! From Phoenix to Flagstaff to Tuba City, then to this spot south of Wiliams, AZ. Sycamore Canyon is the second largest canyon in AZ. I drove through some really beautiful forest to get there and passed a lot of holiday campers. When I finally reached the canyon’s rim though, I had it all to myself! I was surprised by how green it was. Just another location that I’m going to have to make a return visit to…
Long Time Gone
Sunset from an unnamed ruin at Wupatki National Monument. Volcanic cinder cones on the horizon offer clues as to why the people who once inhabited the hundreds of pueblos in this area suddenly disappeared 900 years ago.
THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST: Landscape Photography by Mark Capurso 