Arizona Panorama

The insidious nature of Gluten

2015-06-18T16:45:00.008-07:00

I've suffered from depression for as long as I can remember. It was a never-ending dark cloud continuously hovering over me, holding me back, causing me to make bad decisions and messing up any shred of happiness. Anyone who has ever suffered from depression will tell you the same thing.

Even as a child, I can remember feeling blue for no good reason. In high school, I would be walking home from my day and have that feeling creep over my shoulder and drag me down. I was an active student, got good grades, had lots of friends. There was no reason to feel badly.

In college I found ways of coping, mostly with drugs and alcohol. It dulled the dulling of the depression to a more manageable dullness. Unfortunately, the feeling did not stay at a manageable level and just increased over time.

The feeling of depression is a sneaky little fuck. It isn't that severe like a lot of other ailments. It's something you get used to over time. It feels more like a flat, dull, tunnel vision. It's like a fog. A fog that saps you of any enthusiasm for anything. Even things that I did enjoy, were almost out of the question when I was depressed. It ruined my chances with friends, girlfriends, employers etc. On and on. It was completely debilitating at times. I just wanted to stay in bed and go to sleep or worse.

Through the years, I did try to find an answer. I went to my M.D. and he prescribed anti-depressants. I took a few different ones until I found one that didn't make me dizzy. And they worked, for a while. But the depression always found a way back in. The effects of the drug wore off. It was part of the insidious nature of depression.

The worst of times were really bad. I would wake up in the middle of the night not knowing where the hell I was, scared half to death, my heart racing in a cold sweat. I was almost always cranky. Anger was always just below the surface. And even though I wasn't a hot head and just about the most easy going guy there is, I was constantly angry. Even the smallest thing would piss me off. And I couldn't let go of it. It would linger and torture me. The worst of times had my brain racing and not in a good way. All sorts of horrible, evil thoughts crossed my mind not the least of them being suicide. Thank goodness I was too much of a coward for that. Not being able to think clearly was really awful. I just couldn't turn off all the crazy thoughts going on in my head.

I finally got tired of feeling badly. In the back of my mind I had imagined it was some kind of vitamin deficiency. So, in my mid-forties, I went on a vegetable diet with a whole regimen of vitamins. And it worked! But every once in a while, the depression would rear its ugly head again and make me wonder what was going on. When something bad happened, I would default to my comfort foods: Mac and cheese, Mexican food with flour tortillas, grilled cheese sandwiches. Bad, bad, bad.

I didn't know what gluten was until my mid-forties watching the PBS cooking show "America's Test Kitchen." They explained it was one of two proteins in wheat that are essentially the glue in baked goods. Those air holes in bread are the result of the gluten holding the bread molecules together making a network or lattice. Gluten is an essential part of well-made baked goods. The more holes in the bread, the better.

It wasn't until I heard about the tennis player, Novak Djokovic, and his problems with gluten that I finally got the message. He was already superstar in the tennis world. His rise to the top was phenomenal. But, even at the top of the game, he wasn't winning the big matches. He would be in the late stages of a Grand Slam finals match and suddenly his game would come off the rails. He felt weak and sick to his stomach with respiratory problems almost like an asthmatic attack. His mental focus would just go away and inevitably would lose the match. This was a very talented, supremely-conditioned athlete at the top of his game. He needed to find an answer.

In his book, "Serve to Win" he states that going gluten-free was the key to removing the physical and psychological barriers holding him back from winning. It took a little time for his body to adjust, but when it did, he went straight to the top and has not looked back. He has been the number one player in the world for some time now beating the other Hall-of-Fame players of his generation, like Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal. He managed to lose some weight, and got stronger. Every aspect of his game improved and most importantly, at that level of sport, so did his mental focus.

I had started to go gluten free in 2014. I was avoiding things I knew had gluten in them. I still wasn't convinced until I had pizza in the summer of 2014 with my cousins from Tucson. This uncertainty way ripped away the next morning. I can not remember being so completely debilitated like that. I felt almost sick like I was getting the flu. I was extremely dizzy to the point I couldn't stand up for long. I had no energy and practically no will to even live. My mental state was nearly suicidal. But it was THE crucial moment in my life and the key to my future happiness.

Wheat is in everything, especially practically all processed foods. It's in the most unlikely of food products. I read the labels of everything I buy at the grocery store like a madman. The easiest way to avoid this is not to buy anything in a can, box or bag. There are whole isles in the supermarket that are off limits now. The entire cereal isle is out, except for Rice Chex and the cracker and cookie isle are a no go also. Again, there are one or two cracker products made from rice and not wheat. The grocery store keeps adding more and more gluten-free products, but even when it's labeled as such, it's not still completely safe. Some so-called gluten-free products still set me off. It has been quite the learning process.

Another great book is called "Wheat Belly." It explains how wheat as a crop has changed through years to its current form. The wheat plant is not the same plant a generation or two ago enjoyed. The glutenin and gliadin molecules are the plants defense against parasites, fungus, and has made the plant almost impervious to harmful pests. Hybridization has rendered it almost a super plant, drought resistant and has dramatically increased the yield of the crop. The many benefits are completely nullified by the harmful effects on the body though. Brain fog, the death of the good bacterial in the gastrointestinal tract are just a couple of the side-effects. The death of the good bacteria in your lower G.I. has a tremendous effect on hormone production and your mental state. It sure did mine.

Is gluten something everyone should be concerned about? Maybe not. I know have a sensitivity or possibly am allergic to it. Celiac's disease is a very real and potentially deadly medical condition a very small percentage of people have to wheat products. This was not my situation making it even more difficult to diagnose. My medical doctor sure had no idea. A psychologist I was tested by diagnosed me with a chemical dependency problem. While this was a correct diagnosis, it was a coping mechanism for a different kind of chemical imbalance caused by gluten.

I wonder how it affect others though. I would imagine the world could be a better place if more people knew about this. There isn't a lot of medical science behind this yet. I've seen a few studies here and there with inconclusive results. And I would imagine there is plenty of disinformation out there from people in the wheat related industries.

It has taken me about a year to realize the full benefit of going gluten-free. Today, I seriously could not be more happy. Okay, fabulously rich married to a super model would be something to try. But seriously, I sleep like a baby every night. I dream like Steven Spielberg (and Larry Flint) is in my head cooking up the most amazing stuff. I wake up refreshed, alert and like I just won the lottery. I have a song in my head and a spring in my step. I find the humor in almost everything and laugh all the time. I have my serious moments too, but mostly I am just elated to be free of the depression.

The one side effect I will admit to is being a bit fragile emotionally. I am practically reborn and most of the time, everything seems brand new like I'm experiencing it for the very first time. I take things way too personally and very extra sensitive. Maybe I always was. I have empathy for things and people like never before. A sappy romantic comedy is a sure fire way to get me all teared up. This is such a contrast to a point in my depression I felt absolutely nothing.

Now, my mind is not clouded with the fog of depression and I can think about the deeper and more important things in life. I can not get enough philosophy, politics, science and, of course, all things photography related in my brain fast enough. I am devouring books and the internet for everything and anything even remotely interesting. I am friendly, gregarious and genuinely happy to meet new people. Again, this is a complete contrast to the misanthropic hermit I was in the bad daze.

It is a bit daunting though. I'm 53 years old. Most of my life is behind me. I still have plenty of good years ahead of me, but I feel way late to the party. The things I'm doing now, I should have been doing in my 20s and 30s. And I feel really alone at times. I have few friends mostly from being such a psycho for so long. Both my parents are gone and my sister and I have a barely polite relationship.

There is a lot of water under the bridge with my sister and even though I've reached out to her several times, she has not really responded. I see her once a year when she is in the valley to play golf with her friends on vacation. I get a text from her on my birthday and maybe a phone call during the holidays. I guess I should be thankful she has anything to do with me at all. Time will tell if she comes around. And I don't blame her one bit. I was a complete asshole plenty of times through the years. A couple times were real doozies leaving her high and dry in very difficult situations.

I do wish my Mom was still around to see the real me again. She was my biggest fan, best friend and greatest supporter. She wanted so badly for me to be well and whole again. No one knew me like she did and knew I was still in there somewhere. I miss her with all my heart. Losing a parent is the hardest thing most people will have to endure and it sure was for me. That feeling of loss never goes away either. It's always right there when you think about it. I know I'm not alone in this.

So, now, I am free to do the things in life I have always wanted to do. I can pursue my dreams and follow my heart. There is nothing holding me back... except the normal things we all suffer; Fear, doubt, procrastination. But those all pale in comparison to where I was before. I am extremely enthusiastic about the future. And things are getting better and better every single day. I hope the rest of the world will look past this 53 year old facade and let me in. I am so ready to be a part of life, like never before, finally fully awake.

Saguaro Fever in the Sweet Spot

2015-01-02T14:09:00.000-08:00

A major winter storm blanketed Arizona and dropped snow in the desert on New Years Eve 2014. I drove out to Four Peaks to see for myself on New Year's Day.

And so did half of the population of Phoenix.

I wish I'd taken a photo of all the people queued up on the B-Line Hwy taking photos. That last drop before you start chugging up the mountain toward Payson is a killer view.

I waited to head out until the clouds started breaking up. I knew the snow would have already melted in the immediate desert, but at least there would be some light.

I headed to my favorite side road where I've photographed numerous times.

There wasn't much hope of seeing the peaks. The clouds seemed pretty determined to cover the top. One peak would poke out here and there, but never long enough. The changing conditions of the light kept me busy all afternoon though. I walked around the immediate area over and over refining my compositions as the light would intervene.

And then, the moon came up! How cool was that! At first it was obscured behind the clouds, but they slowly moved off and lit up the snow. Did I have hopes of seeing the peaks after all? At this point, the clouds actually looked like they were moving off.

The late day light poking through the western clouds was very nice, but I never saw the peaks. More clouds moved in. They're like that. Party poopers.

Oh well.

This spot in the foothills of Four Peaks is so verdant. A sweet spot, for sure. Saguaros are as thick as I've seen anywhere. They are even thicker at the true base of the mountain in the wilderness. This shot looks south toward the Superstition Mountains that had also been dusted the night before.

More nice light before the end of the show.

One last gasp of daylight.

Thank you very much!

Looking back toward the Superstition Mountains.

It was a great afternoon.

The spot I picked was perfect and I didn't need to drive around.

I still did some exploring, but always came back to this sweet spot.

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This was a great start for me!

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Fall on the Prairies: Friedland and Hart

2014-10-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Friedland and Hart Prairies at the base of the San Francisco Peaks are almost always a good place to go for Fall color in northern Arizona. This year was no exception. Both were my destination on an overnight trip. The second and third week in October is usually the best time. Higher elevations show their color sooner as the Fall action makes its way down the mountain. I decided to pass on Lockett Meadow this year. It was the weekend and I knew it would be pretty crowded with all the other Fall color seekers.

On the Friedland Prairie road

A couple miles down the road on the Friedland Prairie, I set my sights on the first aspen showing off. I stopped right away and started making images. The colors were so stunning with the brilliant side-light of the sun. Some nice shadows of the adjacent aspen made for a nice composition.

A summer trip north...

2014-09-16T09:03:00.002-07:00

I love Flagstaff. The entire area is chock-full of interesting places to visit. On this trip, I visited some of my favorite places: Wupatki National Monument, Lockett Meadow and Sunset Crater. Summer just wouldn't be the same without a look at these beautiful places.

I spent the first night in Pumphouse wash north of Sedona. I looked for a waterfall I'd seen from Google Earth, but the creek wasn't running and I made camp after ending my search. I spent the night in my tent with the dogs. It was quiet, calm and cool.

I woke before sunrise, broke camp and headed north. I went looking for a wetland in the Kachina Village area, but didn't find it. I've looked for this spot a couple times now to no avail. If I look for this place again, I will have exact directions and it located on a map.

So, on to Sunset Crater I went. I drove in the backside through the Cinder Hills Off-Road Recreation area. I ended up on trail 777. Big mistake! It was a never ending series of undulating whoops. Mile after mile I plowed through this difficult terrain. The cinders weren't a big problem as long as I kept up my speed so as not to get bogged down. I did bounce around pretty severely a couple times and would find out later that I'd damaged my catalytic converter.

It took over an hour to get back on the main road to Sunset Crater. I stopped on the north side to take some shots.

Sunset Crater

The light was soft with good cloud cover. I've shot from this vantage point several times and am still not entirely happy with the image. This ancient volcano erupted over 500 years ago and must have been a sight to behold by the local population of ancient Pueblo people that lived in the area.

On to Wupatki. I stopped at Wukoki first. This is the first dwelling you reach as you drive in from Sunset Crater. This is my favorite of the dwellings. Built on top of the rocks, it's a cathedral of stone and ancient engineering.

Wukoki at Wupatki National Monument

I've shot this location many times. This may have been the best day of all though. Clouds made the images much more interesting than previous trips. The light shifted from bright early morning light to a softer feel.

I climbed inside the ruin though a series of impossibly small doorways. Getting my big body though with my gear and bag was fun. The inside room is probably 12'x12' and 15' tall. A series of holes and remnants of wooden poles indicated there must have been a second story floor.

Inside Wukoki

Windows on 3 of the 4 walls at a variety of heights must have provided good views and cross ventilation. This place really stirs the imagination. What was life like 500 years ago? What was living in this dwelling like? Life must have been a day-to-day affair. On top of the obvious hardships of daily living, there was a volcano erupting just a few short miles away. Hard to imagine.

Wukoki Window to the World

After finishing up at Wukoki, I drove up a side road alongside Deadman Wash. I turned around, parked alongside the road and walked to the edge of the wash. The area is an interesting mix of red sandstone, sage and scrub with black cinder mixed in.

I was doing my thing taking copious amounts of photos when a park ranger appeared over my head on the cliffs above. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I thought I'd heard something moving around above, but couldn't be sure. When you visit these types of places, it's easy to be on edge. I'm not sure if I sensed the spirits or the energies or it's just a bit spooky, but I"m always hyper-conscious of my surroundings.

Deadman Wash

The ranger explained I was trespassing and did I not see the sign that said off road travel was prohibited. Most of the time this means don't drive around off the main road. This time it meant, keep in your car, no walking around off the road. I apologized my ass off and he was very nice. He was mostly concerned about whether I was collecting pottery shards. Apparently, I wasn't the first person he'd approached out there. We had a nice conversation before I left. He checked my I.D. and didn't issue me a ticket, thankfully.

After my brush with the law, I passed on the park headquarters. There were a ton of cars in the parking lot and knew it would tax my patience trying to shoot the main ruins. So, I drove to my next favorite stop, Lomaki.

Lomaki

This is another dwelling you can walk around in. I did a panorama of the interior of the main room along with a nice one of the exterior.

Inside Lomaki

After spending some time here, I went on down the road. The morning light was finished and it was getting hot. The road winds though the hills created by volcanic activity along with more red sandstone formations. I had to stop one more time along a stretch of the road in a grassland. Sometimes the most simple landscape is also very beautiful. It was very windy and the grasses were laying down in a very pleasing way.

Wupatki Grassland

I had lunch in a day use area before deciding to go see Lockett Meadow. It was around 1pm when I arrived. The cloud cover was still doing its thing. Mid-day is not the best time to shoot, but it was still working for me.

The Tank at Lockett Meadow

Some reeds that have been growing there for a few years had gotten pretty tall. I have a series of photos now, showing their steady progression. The colors were a very nice mix of greens from the algae to the reeds, grasses and mountains. Soft light made the mid-day shot possible.

I walked the dogs around the circular road of the meadow and settled in a campsite to relax for a few hours. I was sore from bouncing around in the Cinder Hills earlier. I had a cocktail and kicked back under an enormous Ponderosa pine.

Under the tree in Lockett Meadow

It was a good day and it felt wonderful in the cool mountain air. I eventually had to put my fleece jacket on. I'm such whimp living in the desert like I do. Being cold in the middle of August is always a treat. I ended up driving home. The storm front moving in was very entertaining the entire way back into the valley.

Tempe Town Lake Independence Day Fireworks

2014-07-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

Tempe Town Lake was the location again this year for the 4th of July fireworks celebration. This was the 3rd straight year photographing there. It was a beautiful evening and not too hot. The evening air was still and made for great reflections. I even managed to get a decent parking place close to where I wanted to photograph. Getting out of the parking lot was a completely different thing though. It was 45 minutes before the line of cars in front of me started to move.

This year, I settled on the north side of the lake near the marina, east of the bridges where the fireworks were to go off. My friend, Tina and I, got there a couple hours before show time to insure I'd get a good spot. My plan was to position myself across the lake and get a nice base HDR (high dynamic range) panorama shot with the bridge and buildings at Hayden Landing I could then use to add fireworks to.

I took a couple panos as the sun set and the twilight began.

Just after sunset at Tempe Town Lake

I love the twilight portion of the night. It's my favorite time of day. Something about the way the the light changes, the sky darkens as the lights of the buildings and streets come up and night settles in is just magical to me.

Nautical Twilight on the lake

The "blue hour" light at nautical twilight is a time I often use when I shoot real estate and architecture. It makes properties look amazing and dazzles my clients. I had photographed Tempe Town Lake several years ago in the morning blue-light. That image still remains one of my favorites of all time. At the time I first shot the lake, I had no idea about the blue-light portion of twilight. It was a blind luck.

Independence Day Fireworks on Tempe Town Lake

The show started and the fireworks were amazing, as usual. It really is the best fireworks display in town lasting around 30 minutes. The shot above was what I was aiming for, a composite with a base shot panorama combined with a variety of fireworks from individual shots. But the best was yet to come.

Crescent Moon and Fireworks over Tempe Town Lake

I spent the couple hours before the show talking to a young man also there to photograph the fireworks. It was his first time and I quizzed him about his setup. He seemed to have a good grasp on how to do it. Santiago and I traded stories and he showed me some recent star trails shots he'd done in Sedona on a full moon night. It was very nice work. At one point during the show, I could see he was taking a pano and it occurred to me I didn't have one at this time of night. So, I swung my camera around and snapped a pano, even with the show fully under way.

I didn't have much hope my shot would work out. I was bracketing my exposures so I could process the images in HDR. I couldn't imaging how the fireworks would be okay. Along with multiple bursts going off during the exposures, the bursts were cut off on the second frame of the three frame pano.

The next day, I processed the images and built the panorama. I was more than surprised to see my quick pano during the show was the best shot of evening. I had captured the moon, clouds, smoke and a series of the fireworks that my stitching software had handled perfectly. The HDR processing added lots of detail that my straight shots didn't have. Even the fireworks themselves had more depth of color and texture. And the best part was it wasn't a composite with a base shot and fireworks added in post processing, but all captured in one series of photos.

I did obsess over the image for the next couple days. I must have reprocessed it a dozen times, dodging and burning and making countless adjustments before finally tweaking the individual frames to get a stitched pano I was happy with. It also was a final image that didn't require a lot of extra manipulation in Photoshop. Mistakes like these are always a good way to learn something new. Even though I hadn't exposed the panorama correctly, I did finally figure out a way to make it work. It just took some time.

Social media went crazy with approval. I had over 400 likes on the Photography Adventures Club Facebook page, 100 likes on my own FB page and over 2,100 views on my SmugMug gallery. Some of the better comments claimed it was the best 4th of July fireworks photo they had ever seen. I was more than flattered and grateful to those who took the time to comment. It felt good to be recognized for my efforts, and I even managed to sell a couple prints.

It was a magical evening and one I was proud to have captured so well.

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Kofa Revisited

2014-04-14T08:26:00.001-07:00

I went back to the Kofa Mountains a couple weeks after my first visit. Again, I was hoping for a Milky Way shot over the mountains and this time, the weather cooperated. I parked in a new spot this time near Kofa Queen Canyon. A clear sky was a welcome sight.

The Milky Way over the Kofa Mountains.

It was probably about 4:30 when I hopped out of the truck to see the Milky Way shining brightly overhead. Light pollution from Yuma (right) and Quartzsite (left) added a bit more to this 8-frame panorama. It took a couple tries at the post-processing to get it right. The subtle colors of the stars as well as the tiny bit of green airglow were tough to bring up. Having shot in RAW mode on my camera was a big help. I was able to process each RAW file and color correct them before I stitched the pano.

The rugged peaks at the entrance to Kofa Queen Canon.

The next morning was a clear sky day. No spectacular sunrise, but I thought the light streaming around the peaks was very interesting.

Kofa Prominence

I used my 80-200 f/2.8 lens to concentrate on the atmospherics of the sunrise interacting with the mountains. I hardly ever use this lens, but haul it around with me wherever I go. It was nice to find a use for it on this trip.

I drove home knowing I had accomplished my goal of capturing the Milky Way. It was a satisfying trip and the reaction to my shot was a bit overwhelming. I was surprised at how many people responded to it. This is something I'll have to work at some more. Finding the right location is half the battle and having a vision of the shot before taking it is key in this type of photography.

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Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

2014-03-26T19:52:00.004-07:00

Kofa Vertical Panorama

I spent a little over 24 hours at the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Arizona and that was not nearly enough. This is a big area of over 660,000 acres and there are plenty of roads accessing many parts of the mountain range. Established in 1939 to protect desert bighorn sheep, The Kofa National Wildlife Refuge is named after a large historic mine, The King of Arizona, or Kofa for short.

I started on the southern tip of the range in Palm Canyon, but wished I'd spent more time in Kofa Queen Canyon a little further north. I arrived mid-day and kicked back to enjoy the scenery.

Chillin' with the dogs.

My campsite at the base of the mountain was a perfect vantage point to take in the mountains. I had 360-degree views back into the valley from my slightly elevated base camp. It was a perfect cool and breezy, late-March, winter day, yet I could feel summer was just around the corner.

Orange glow looking west from the foothills of the Kofa Mountains.

My photographic vision at Kofa was to get a moonlit mountain shot with the Milky Way rising behind it. I had envisioned a sweeping panorama with the drama of the cliffs and the mystery of the universe behind. I calculated a shoot time around 3:30 a.m. would work, but the clouds that rolled in at the end of the day ruined that idea. As usual, I made the best of it and decided to try something new.

The road to Palm Canyon

A nice straight section of the road nearby beckoned. I used my headlamp to light paint behind my camera setup onto the road. It took several tries as my lamp was pretty bright. I had one version where the camera shadow went all the way to the mountain on the road and looked freakishly big. The moon was also very bright and diffused in the thin clouds. Seeing the clouds though, gave me hope for a nice sunrise.

Kofa Rain Ring

A big ring around the moon was an interesting element in this 180-degree pano. The glow from city lights of nearby Yuma can be seen to the right.

Moonlit Kofa

Moonlit Cholla, Kofa NWR

Kofa Sunrise

The wispy clouds that gave me fits during the night were almost gone at sunrise. I had hopes this would turn out better than it did. I have seen another photographers shots in the meantime and was in the wrong place that day... (like you ever know) Further north in Kofa Queen Canyon was perfect. But I hadn't been there yet.

Entering Kofa Queen Canyon

So, after my early start and shooting the sunrise, I headed up Kofa Queen Canyon. The road was just off the main road to Palm Canyon and a no brainer. It was a couple miles through the desert foothills to the mouth of Kofa Queen Canyon. The mountains grow increasingly rugged and jagged a silhouette. The dirt road led into a pretty long canyon surrounded by huge rock spires. These were very picturesque formations that took my breath away.

Royalty in Kofa Queen Canyon

The road led back further and further following the same path as the winding wash. When I first entered the canyon, the clouds were very nice. But in less than an hour, they were all gone. I drove way back in towards the end of the canyon, but not all the way. The light had deteriorated and the road kept getting more and more sketchy. Next time I'll spend more time in this canyon.

Brittlebush in Kofa Queen Canyon

Spring was in full swing, but there were very few wildflowers to be seen. I did happen on this nice brittlebush at the entrance to the canyon. The peak behind was a perfect backdrop, but that was it for the wildflowers. Obviously, this area was experiencing the same drought the rest of the western U.S. was. I saw absolutely no critters. I did hear some coyotes at daybreak...

And I'll have to get back to Kofa soon. It was a bit of a long and boring drive though... 160 miles from Phoenix, but the payoff was well worth it. The mountain was spectacular and I totally lucked out with some clouds. And I learned a lot about where to go and what I'll do better next time.

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Gilbert Water Ranch

2014-02-13T08:50:00.002-08:00

The Ripirian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert is a great place for birding and photography. The Gilbert Water Ranch, for short, has seven ponds used to reclaim waste water, recharge the aquifer and is the perfect setting for all types of shore and water birds. It's also just a nice place to walk through and enjoy the desert.

There was no shortage of species on my trip in early January: Canada geese, gadwall, Northern shoveler, Northern pintail, American avocet, snowy egret, great egret, pied-billed grebe, spotted sandpiper, black-necked stilt, Northern harrier, red-tailed hawk, etc... There also were some rare birds in the area like a white-throated sparrow that had birders excited to see it.

American Avocet

Black-necked Stilt

Great Egret

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Pintail

Ring-necked Duck (male)

Ring-necked Duck (female)

Ring-necked Duck

Snowy Egret

This was my first effort photographing birds. I used all the lens power I could muster and was surprisingly pleased with the results. A 2x converter on my 80-200mm lens was plenty of power for moderately close birds. Anything very far away was still pretty small in the viewfinder. Shooting came with a bit of a learning curve I discovered. My 2x converter had me focusing manually, but I found my groove after a while. There were plenty of other photographers there too. Some really nice glass had me drooling.

I really enjoyed the morning light. It was very nice as it reflected off the water on the birds. This kind of photography is something I'll have to do more often. I already love birds and really enjoyed the new challenge and shooting something out of my comfort range. It's always good to try new things.

Why use a Professional Real Estate Photographer?

2014-01-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, a lot of real estate agents take their own photos for use on the internet. With over 90% of buyers surfing the MLS listings before they decide which properties to visit, this is not the best way to market a property.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Professional photography has the potential to make the biggest initial impact on a potential home buyer than anything else. Buyers linger on good photos, bad ones are quickly viewed or passed over altogether. A poorly photographed property sends a bad message when first impressions are everything.

PROFESSIONALS BUT NOT PHOTOGRAPHERS
While most professional real estate agents have terrific people skills helping guide their clients through the buying and selling process, they are not professional photographers. Even the best photos taken by the agent pale in comparison to ones that are taken professionally. They don't have the knowledge, experience, equipment, computer and software a pro shooter has. The right lens makes the biggest difference and you can't get one on a point-and-shoot style camera.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PROPERTY?
Poor photography can send the wrong message and immediately puts doubt in the viewers mind. "Is this one worth seeing?" Can you afford to have people pass over your listing because of inferior photos? High-quality photography shows the property in its best light. An experienced photographer knows the best angles and has the experience to make even smaller properties look amazing.

INCREASE TRAFFIC
Traffic is a numbers game and high quality images will put you ahead of the pack. The more people visit a property, the faster it sells. The faster it sells, the less likely it will be necessary to drop the price to entice buyers. Beautiful, high-quality photography will increase traffic and the odds of getting the asking price or better. This is money in your pocket easily paying for the cost of a pro shoot. Considering the price of the property and the commission to be earned, professional photography is money well spent.

SHOW THEM THE PROFESSIONAL YOU ARE!
Sending a pro to photograph your client's property says you really care and they appreciate that. When you show the world you are doing everything possible to market a property, people talk. Your seller will be impressed. Repeat and referral business is a huge part of many real estate agents business. Mediocre photos do nothing to further your professional image or marketing efforts.

WHAT TOP PRODUCERS KNOW
To be a top producer, there is no better way to look like one. Top Producers know the benefits of pro photos and use them on all their listings. They know they can't afford to look anything but their best. High-dollar properties demand the best photography and sellers expect this level of service.

THE LAST WORD...
Professional photography has the potential to make the biggest impact on the property you are selling. High quality professional photography increases traffic to your listing and improves the odds of receiving the asking price or better. Pro photography enhances your image as a professional meaning more and better listings, referrals and repeat business in the future.

Stand out from the crowd and use professional photography!

Call me today to see how I can help you market your next property: 480-432-1181. Daytime photographic packages start at $125 and twilight/night photos start at $269.

Thank you for spending a moment to look!

See my portfolio: Reid Helms / Arizona Panorama

2014: Bring it on!

2014-01-01T08:47:00.001-08:00

I went to bed early on New Year's Eve. I'm not the party boy I used to be. Instead, I snuggled with my dog Louie who was NOT liking the fireworks and celebratory action at midnight. Uggg with the gunfire people! I'm sure there were plenty of people that had the time of their lives. I just let 2013 slip away quietly into the night. See ya!

2013 was not the best year. I thought I had finally made it as a commercial real estate photographer after all the success I had in 2012. 2013 started off well. I photographed an advertising agency's new office and started working with a property redevelopment company. But things changed. The California property development company that was sending me tons of business in 2012 moved on. They weren't able to buy the REO properties that were their bread and butter anymore. Banks held their properties. Foreclosures dried up. Prices on houses saw big gains in 2013 and it's fair to say the market may be back where we started before the big financial crash in 2007.

Work with the realtors and flippers I do have relationships with also slowed down. I would imagine people saw the rising prices and decided to wait a while to sell. The economy didn't really improve that much, at least not for the rest of us and had to be a factor in keeping people from wanting to buy a home. And I have to admit, my marketing efforts were piss-poor at best.

That's my biggest goal for 2014: Marketing. Not only my commercial photography, but my fine-art landscape work as well. I joined Fine Art America late in the year to provide an easy way for people to buy my work. I joined SmugMug and set up a gallery over using my stand alone website and my work never looked so good. I did sell some work and was published a couple more times in 2012, but only by blind luck. I guess blogging and posting to Facebook and Google+ did pay off. But I wasn't consistent with when and where I made my presence known.

So, here are my 2014 resolutions. I don't usually do this kind of thing. Let's call them professional goals instead.

1. Marketing: Publications. Phoenix is the perfect storm for publishing. I already have a great in as the designer of one pub in Scottsdale. I need to take advantage of this and get out and shoot. Even for free in need be. Nevertheless, there are so many other magazines and newspapers I could be contacting. This could also be the year I muster up the courage to contact Arizona Highways and get the ball rolling there.

2. Marketing: Real Estate Photography. A few years ago I went around with hundreds of fliers dropping them off at Realty offices with zero success. The fliers were beautiful and I offered a great introductory price. Nada. This year I plan on putting together a real advertising campaign. Contacting the brokers and meeting them face-to-face is the only way I'll be able to add clients to my business. I may even find a way to advertise. I know there are trade pubs for realtors in the Phoenix metro area. Word of mouth is great if it works. It hasn't. So I need to ramp it up and make it happen in 2014.

3. Marketing: Social networks. I have a Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn account. 2014 is going to be the year I maximize my presence and take advantage of these free services. There also are a ton of photo sharing sites and publications to utilize.

4. Bucket List: There are still a lot of beautiful places I need to photograph in Arizona.

Here's the short list in no certain order:

• Canyon de Chelly. I rolled through there a few years ago coming back from Nebraska when my mother died. I spent hardly any time there and even managed to lose the shots in a backup. I didn't even see Spider Rock on that trip. So, it's time to go back.

• Monument Valley: Another place I rolled past two summers ago on my big whirlwind summer vacation tour. I know this place is perfect for my panoramic style and need to hit it hard when the conditions are right.

• Petrified Forest/Painted Desert: I spent a couple days here a few years ago, but I was just getting started and my technique wasn't the best. I did get a couple keepers, but there is so much more to photograph there.

• Grand Canyon, Toroweap: It's long drive and the furthest spot away from me, but a must do this year.

• Marble Canyon, Tatahatso Point: I finally found this spot during the summer, but wasn't prepared to stay and shoot it. Now that I know how to get there, I need to shoot this spot in earnest. It is a fantastic location that only a very few photographers even know about. The vistas are mind-blowing and the bend in the river is way better than the way over-photographed Horseshoe Bend near Page.

• Coal Mine Canyon: Get a permit and go. It's another place perfect for my style of photography. I love canyons in general and always gravitate to them.

• Sedona: I have very little good stuff from Red Rock Country. I much prefer wild places and dealing with tourists makes my skin crawl. Nevertheless, there are some great scenic opportunities that I need to get some good images of.

• Fossil Creek: I've make several trips to this area already. It's a gorgeous creek with emerald and turquoise-colored waters. My first trip's shots also were lost, so it's time to go back.

• The Wave/Coyote Buttes: I'm not sure if this one is going to happen unless someone invites me. I see waaaaay too many shots of this area and I'm not sure it's really my thing, but probably a place I should see. I'm not the type to follow the rest of the crowd and am not thrilled about dealing with getting the permit via the lottery system.

• Southern Arizona: This area doesn't get much love from the landscape crowd, but I know how beautiful it is down there after living in Tucson for 10 years. I did manage to shoot Chircahua National Monument in southeastern Arizona this summer and loved it. Still I didn't get the shot I really wanted and will undoubtedly go back again in the near future.

• Western Arizona: This is another place that doesn't get much love. I had a blast shooting Cibola National Wildlife Refuge on the Colorado River north of Yuma a couple years ago. All along the Colorado River are more of the same kinds of places.

5. My Health. I went gluten-free late this year and have never felt better. The fog in my brain has finally lifted. I'm losing some belly fat and have more energy. I sleep better and most importantly, my attitude is so much better. I had no idea this one simple thing would have such a huge impact on me. Gluten is very bad I am convinced. The new grains are so different than the ones our parents and grandparents ate. The enhanced gluten content as well as an additional addictive protein now found in the highly hybridized modern wheats are definitely to be avoided.

6. The other thing I am determined to do is shoot with other photographers. I'm not the most social creature on the planet. Being alone is not a big deal for me and in many ways I prefer it. Being active on Facebook has provided me a bunch of friends that are also shooters and like-minded individuals. Making an effort to be more social and making some actual friends needs to be high on my list this year. So Bob, John, Ron, Paul, Pam, Peggy etc... get ready. Time to have some fun!

2013 taught me a lot, not so much about who I am as what I need to do. I realized I can't just let it happen if I want to be a success in photography. I need to make it happen. It's time to get off my butt, get out there and show the world what I have to offer. It's really the only way.

Thanks to all my friends and family for the support this year. Even though it wasn't the best year, I couldn't have done it without you. Have a very happy and safe 2014.

Fall on the Salt River

2013-12-29T09:40:00.001-08:00

I spent a couple hours on the Salt River at Water Users Park. It was almost Christmas and the Fall colors were finally going off. I'd been here several years ago and had wanted to return for quite a while. The conditions were perfect as a retreating winter storm had dropped rain the day before.

Here's a shot from my first visit: Salt River at Bulldog Rock

The bend in the Salt River at the Bulldog Cliffs

Shot from a rock outcropping, this higher vantage point helped me get a better perspective on the bend in the river.

Fall on the Salt River

When the sun popped out, I was stunned at the beauty of the light on the Bulldog Cliffs. The stillwater reflections of the cliffs and clouds made for a serene and sublime sight.

Purchase reproductions of this image on Fine Art America

Late light on the Bulldog cliffs.

The sun put an orange glow on the rocks late in the day.

Green algae on the River

The water was very low and algae was growing in earnest along the banks. I saw plenty of evidence of wild horses in the area and I'd imagine this is what's for dinner.

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The Best of 2013

2013-12-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

2013 was kind of a strange year. Professionally it wasn't the best. A fickle real estate market had me wondering what the heck was going on. But when I looked at last year's "Best of 2012" post and compared it to this one, I was amazed what progress my landscape photography has made. I've really come a long way in a short time.

For the most part, I stayed closer to home this year. There was no grand 1,400 mile trip through four states like last year. I was happy to really explore areas I had only touched on in previous years going back and getting higher quality images. It also seems to me I was able to capture the landscapes in more dramatic ways. I made better choices as to when and where to go. The extra thought and planning really paid off.

(I was thrilled to see this blog post was added to the "Best Photos of 2013 by JMG-Galleries Blog Readers." I'm number 149 on the list of over 320 other photographers.)

Salome Creek Crossing

It was a cold winter day with mixed rain and snow when I shot this off the A-Cross Road near Roosevelt Lake. Salome Creek is a gorgeous tributary to the lake.

Desert Snow and Stream

This impromptu stream was a result of melting snowfall in the desert near Four Peaks. Snow in the desert usually happens at least once a year in the foothills of the peaks east and north of Phoenix.

Alpenglow on Four Peaks

This image was taken about the same time as the one above. The setting sun's rays just kissed the tops of the saguaros as it lit up Four Peaks. Sublime.

Hillside above Bartlett Lake

The wildflower bloom around Bartlett Lake was very nice this year. I had a blast climbing up the hillsides around the lake and found these great rock formations in the middle of a big bloom. See more: Bartlett Wildflowers

Watson Lake

This was only the second time I'd visited this gorgeous lake in Prescott. The granite rocks and cliffs that make up the topography here make it a pretty special place for photography. See more: Watson Lake

Sycamore Canyon

This canyon is second only in size to the Grand Canyon. Located south of Williams, I hadn't even heard of the place until shortly before I visited. It's at the end of a long forest service road with a breathtaking view and totally worth the effort to find.

See more: Sycamore Canyon

PanSTARRS Comet over Phoenix

The PanSTARRS comet was quite the event and a fun shoot. I wasn't sure if the city lights would make this a no-go, but it turned out just fine. The moon's tiny crescent added a much needed element to the shot.

Moonset and Sunrise over Marble Canyon

This was an epic shoot and one of my favorites of the year. Located south of the Vermillion Cliffs in northern Arizona, this is a spot I've never seen any other photos of. I timed it just right with the full moon. A great sunrise was a huge bonus and made the trip extremely memorable.

Moonset over Marble Canyon

This was the shot I went to Marble Canyon for. I tried to shoot the rising moon, but it was too windy and the shots suffered. A high ISO and fast shutter speed made the shots too noisy. Clouds moved in and shut me down until 4:30 a.m. when the moon fell below the clouds and lit up the canyon. I couldn't have been more happy!

See more: Marble Canyon Splendor

Gamma Delphinids Meteor Shower

The top of Humboldt Mountain provided the perfect vantage point for a rather disappointing display from the meteor shower. Still, the Milky Way was very cool and the FAA transponder tower added something other-worldly to this panorama.

See more: Gamma Delphinids

4th of July Fireworks

This was the second year in a row I shot the fireworks at Tempe Town Lake. A pedestrian bridge over the lake provided an interesting foreground element.

See more: 4th of July Fireworks

Star Light over the West Fork of Oak Creek

I made several visits to one of my favorite secret locations at Harding Point above the West Fork of Oak Creek. This night shot was a fun one. It was so dark out, I had no idea if my camera was doing its thing and I was getting the shot.

Grand Falls

Even though the falls weren't spilling at full strength, the light and conditions were ideal. I even managed to catch a small rainbow in this 180-degree pano.

Little Colorado Reflections

Not far upstream from Grand Falls, the Little Colorado River runs slow and smooth before its wild ride over the falls. It's not hard to see why they call it the "Chocolate Falls" from the mocha-color of the river. See more: Grand Falls

East Clear Creek Reflections

A day trip to the Mogollon Rim yielded a bunch of great captures. I stumbled on this creek when I took a chance on a forest service road leading back to the rim after shooting Blue Ridge Reservoir.

Blue Ridge Reservoir

I made a special point to get a good image of this amazing lake. The serpentine course of the lake was very appealing, but hard to photograph. Only one spot along the road provided an opportunity to capture it.

Mango Sunset

The top of Four Peaks was my destination for the Supermoon in July. A long look back into the valley was on the opposite side of the road I was photographing from. I was hopping back and forth between this view and the rising Supermoon and loving every minute of it.

2013 Supermoon

The Supermoon has become a yearly photographic excursion for me. My location on top Four Peaks was ideal. See more: 2012 Supermoon

The Grand Canyon's South Rim

It had been ages since I had been to the south rim. The weather was a welcome relief from the 115 degree temperatures I'd left behind in Phoenix. At one point, I even got cold. The monsoon conditions made the canyon a veritable paradise for my camera and I.

Desert View Stack

One more from a very memorable afternoon at the Grand Canyon. This panorama was taken at the Desert View vista on the east side of the canyon. See more: South Rim of the Grand Canyon

Apache Lake Hillside Morning Light

A quick overnight trip to the Apache Trail yielded several keepers. This is one of Arizona's most beautiful drives and yet again did not disappoint.

Apache Lake Starlight

I took this single image at camp on Apache Lake the first night of my overnighter. I light-painted the water with a small handheld flashlight. It was the perfect addition to an already beautiful scene.

Apache Lake Narrows

...from the second day of my trip along the Apache Trail. The lake narrows down as you get closer to Roosevelt Dam.

Pumphouse Wash

I'd been through this area a couple years before and wondered what it would be like when the creeks were flowing. Fry and Kelly Creeks come together here to form Pumphouse Wash. The monsoon had dumped rain in the area most of the day before. It was absolutely beautiful and I shot my brains out for two days here.

Pumphouse Sandstone

It was really hard to choose just a couple shots from this area. I just fell in love with the spot and the undulating Coconino sandstone rock the creeks flow through.

Pumphouse Wash God Light

Okay, just one more from Pumphouse Wash. I swear, I shot every conceivable angle. The light and conditions were just that great.

Kelly Pocket God Light

After having a blast shooting Pumphouse Creek the day before, I woke to some pretty special conditions. Just down the road from my campsite was a thick patch of fog from all the precipitation the day before. This is undoubtedly my favorite shot of the year. The fleeting nature of the conditions made it even more special.

Organ Pipe at the Chiricahua National Monument

I made a extra effort to get to the Chiricahua's in southern Arizona this year. It had been on my bucket list for a while. An ancient volcano deposited ash that has eroded through the millennia to produce the rock pinnacles you see today. It was another great trip and lots of good photography. I even saw a very shy bear!

Chiricahua Mountain Sunrise

After spending the afternoon at the monument, I camped on top Chircahua Mountain. This was the scene the next morning from my camp. It was a total surprise as I'd ventured up the mountain on a dark moonless night looking for a place to camp and had no idea where I was.

Beaver Creek Bend

It had been forever since I'd been to Montezuma Castle outside of Camp Verde in central Arizona. This vista of a big bend in Beaver Creek is just off the main highway and the road leading to the monument.

Montezuma Castle

I didn't spend much time at the monument proper. It's a very small park and there are only so many vantage points to shoot from. So, I got my shot and left as I was much more interested in the surrounding area. This is one of Arizona's great treasures and a must see though. See more: Montezuma Castle

Horses in the Verde River

The area around Needle Rock on the Verde River is another place close to home. I was totally shocked to happen on this herd of horses grazing in the river near Camp Creek. Better to be lucky than good sometimes.

Spur Cross Eyelash Clouds

I made several trips to the Spur Cross Ranch Preserve at the end of the year. I kept hoping the fall colors would finally be peaking, but was more than happy when the clouds put on this amazing show. See more: Spur Cross Ranch Preserve

Fall on the Salt River at Bulldog Rock

This spot on the Salt River is one I'd photographed several years ago and wanted to return to. See it here: Salt River. A passing storm made the conditions ideal. When the sun popped out I gasped out loud it was so beautiful. Located just off the Bush Hwy, Water Users Park is the location where bus loads of happy inner-tubers put their butts in the water and float down the river on hot summer days.

Even though I struggled professionally, it was the best year yet for my landscape photography. Looking back is always a good way to put it all in perspective and get me excited about the possibilities of the year to come.

Many of these images can be purchased on my Fine Art American gallery.

Follow this link for high-quality reproductions and framing options.

Fine Art America

Thanks for looking, I appreciate your patronage and Happy New Year!

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Spur Cross Ranch Preserve

2013-12-16T08:57:00.001-08:00

The Spur Cross Ranch Preserve is one of my favorite photographic venues. It doesn't hurt that I don't have to drive a hundred miles to reach it either since it's just outside of Cave Creek, Arizona a mere 25 miles from home. I find myself going out there quite a bit checking on the progress of the Fall colors along Cave Creek. The creek is lined with giant cottonwoods and surrounded with some nice mountains.

Clouds are the only limiting factor and I won't shoot without them. On this day, I lucked out as a fantastic spread of clouds covered the sky. The sun was playing peek-a-boo and full sunlight was fleeting. I walked along the road to get this 180-degree view from above the creek. The Fall color was still a couple weeks off though.

Shortly after I arrived, the clouds couldn't have been more interesting. The bend of the creek, the rising mountains behind and the clouds radiating out like lashes accentuated the effect of making the scene look like an eye. I was surprised how much all these factors created this fisheye look.

The sunset wasn't a disappointment either. I hiked up a nearby hill so I had a good view to the west and would be in position. Still, it wasn't the barn-burner I was wishing for.

This view looking back towards the town of Cave Creek was very nice too. The sunset continued to go from yellow to red and purple. The city lights added a nice feel to the scene. This area has so many photographic possibilities and is a surprisingly calm and peaceful place considering how close it is to the Phoenix metro area. On this day, I saw no other hikers and only a couple cars passed me on the road.

See my Fine Art America gallery for a variety of high-quality products from individual prints and canvas wraps to metal prints and frame and matted works of photographic art.

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Beaver Creek and Montezuma Castle

2013-11-04T06:53:00.003-08:00

Montezuma Castle

It had been a while since I visited Montezuma Castle outside Camp Verde in central Arizona. This iconic national monument features an ancient Sinagua dwelling built into the side of a splendid cliff face. The rock its self is very interesting with it's layers of striated rocks. I didn't spend much time in the monument itself... there are only so many possible shots and the loop trail is very short. Here's a link to more of the history of the monument.

Montezuma Castle and Fall Sycamore

So, I wandered back out and found a side dirt road that led down to Beaver Creek. There was a nice vista overlooking the distant monument I couldn't resist. The creek was between me and the monument. Sycamores and cottonwoods showing off their fall color were a perfect frame.

Beaver Creek Bend

This serpentine creek passes the monument and winds along the valley floor before joining up with the Verde River. I shot this big bend on the way back to the highway after spending some time exploring the creek.

Beaver Creek Sycamore Sunstar

Exploring the creek was fun. I spent a couple hours around the creek finding some nice Fall color. See more of my work or buy a print of this image on Fine Art America.

Reflections on Beaver Creek

In the Middle of Beaver Creek

The side road that paralleled the creek provided several opportunities for my kind of photography. This might be a nice place to camp as well. There were numerous spots with fire pits and clearings by the creek. I'd bring plenty of bug spray though. I didn't have any problems on this late October day, but in the Spring... bug heaven.

See my Fine Art America gallery for a variety of high-quality products from individual prints and canvas wraps to metal prints and frame and matted works of photographic art.

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Fine Art America

2013-11-04T06:50:00.001-08:00

I have joined Fine Art America as an easy way for art lovers to buy prints, canvas wraps, framed and matted images and metal prints of my images. Fine Art America offers a variety of sizes and finishes and has very competitive pricing. I appreciate any support I get from this venue and welcome your comments.

Here's a link to my profile page and artwork. Fine Art America / Reid Helms

A grand day at Grand Falls

2013-08-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

Grand Falls

Grand Falls is one of Arizona's least well-known scenic locations. Located 35 miles northeast of Flagstaff, it's a short drive on an innocuous Navajo Indian Reservation dirt road. Then all of the sudden it opens up to this gigantic cut in the earth and a waterfall taller than its most famous North American cousin, Niagara Falls. The chocolate-colored water is quite the unexpected sight.

Chocolate Falls from a previous trip

This seasonal flow is as dry as a bone most of the time especially in the hottest part of the summer. But fed by snow melt from the White Mountains in early Spring, it rages. I've been to the falls when the ground was rumbling under the impressive force and power of the falls. Spray jumps up in the air and wafts across the chasm making it difficult to keep the front element of the camera dry.

This trip was during its second seasonal flow at the end of summer and the monsoon rains. The falls were probably flowing at only half its volume as the Spring.

Chocolate Reflections

The Little Colorado River is wide and smooth before the big event. Reflections off the water with a stormy sky were very pleasing. I enjoyed walking upstream from the falls to capture the scene.

Calm and wide, the Little Colorado River

Sediment made the water look like something I stirred around in my morning mix of coffee and creamer. It's no wonder the falls have the nickname "Chocolate Falls."

The first bump before the big drop

A series of steps starts the waters decent before a couple big drops over the falls. I was tempted to get in the stream so I could shoot from the middle. But after hearing a couple horror stories from other photographers that recently had dunked their cameras, I changed my mind. I don't think the water was so deep, but it had to be very muddy and was probably really difficult to negotiate.

Little Colorado Baby Steps

Eventually the Little Colorado flows into the Colorado River at the beginning of the Grand Canyon. Grand Falls was created by an ancient lava flow that deposited a very hard rock across the course of the river. Unable to erode at the same pace as the rock below, a large waterfall was the result.

Monsoon storms made this trip very memorable. I managed to stay dry as the storms seemed to move around me all day. There was lightning and rain all around and was a godsend as it provided a fantastic sunset.

Another photographer was also there shooting away in the great afternoon light. I noticed she was packing up to leave when I walked over to her and I told her she should to stay a bit longer since the conditions seemed perfect for a colorful sunset. There was just enough of a gap between the clouds and the horizon to make it happen.

Sunset and Rainbow at Grand Falls

And it happened. The sky started with an orange glow before a full blown sunset. There was even a small rainbow. My panoramic technique was perfect for capturing both the setting sun and the rainbow in "one" work of art. I hesitate to call it "one" photograph as it was a combination of 10-frames stitched together to form one image. Along with the fact I was bracketing my exposures for HDR processing, 30 images were necessary to make the final image happen.

Sunset at Grand Falls

Smoke on the Water

On the way out I noticed a small forest fire that had been touched off earlier by lightning. A small plume of smoke was rising up from the foothills around the San Francisco Peaks. A couple acre flooded pan alongside the road was the perfect place to shoot it in the fading light. It was dark and foreboding. The Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water" sprang to mind. It was a perfect way to end a very dramatic day at Grand Falls.

See my Fine Art America gallery for a variety of high-quality products from individual prints and canvas wraps to metal prints and frame and matted works of photographic art.

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Mirror, mirror...

2013-07-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Tempe Town Lake and Mill Avenue Bridge

Inspired by Michael Shainblum's brilliant time lapse video, "Mirror City," I've been going through some old images trying to find ones worth of this kaleidoscope treatment. My first effort was a blue-hour morning shot of the Mill Avenue bridges. The technique is pretty simple in Photoshop, but the best things usually are.

The Railroad Bridge over Tempe Town Lake

Here's the old railroad bridge at sunset from a couple years ago. The lake was refilling after the rubber retaining dam failed and sent the entire lake and it's contents downstream. This is a really fun technique and one I'll have to keep in the back of my mind for the future.

Hayden Landing

This mirror image was also taken from a panorama at Tempe Town Lake. All this development is fairly new... within the last 10 years or so.

Light rail and railroad bridges

A variation on the bridge theme at Tempe Town Lake. The light rail bridge is to the left with the 1912 railroad bridge to the right. It's an interesting contrast of old and new building techniques.

San Diego Skyline

I took this shot many years ago while on assignment for a travel magazine. The last rays of the setting sun set the skyline on fire with yellows and golds. This was a natural shot to convert to the mirror-image effect and one of my favorites.

Westgate Shopping Center

The Westgate Shopping Center in Glendale, Arizona was a fun one to do. It's interesting how this treatment tends to abstract the subject matter into symmetrical patterns of form and color, but still retains a realism.

The James Agency

I did the interior shots for this thriving advertising and marketing firm in Scottsdale a few months ago. The final photographic piece of the puzzle was this photograph of their newly installed sign. This mirror-image treatment is a departure from my previous ones as I used the images over and over, stacking them to make several mirror images. The red lines are passing cars captured with a slow shutter speed to blur the tail lights.

See my Fine Art America gallery for a variety of high-quality products from individual prints and canvas wraps to metal prints and frame and matted works of photographic art.

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Grand Canyon Splendor

2013-07-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

The Grand Canyon from Yavapai Point

It had been years and years since I'd been to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Wading through large crowds of people and having to wait for access to the views were the biggest reasons. And people tend to follow you when you step out on a overlook or the edge. This trip was no exception. As soon as people saw me below the railed overlook, they came in droves.

But it was okay, I knew what I was getting into. I did my own thing, used the cameras tourists handed me and took their photographs. People were all smiles and very friendly. It seemed like everyone was from somewhere other than the USA and was great sport trying to figure out all the languages being spoken as people would pass by.

Monsoon action

The weather was fantastic. The forecast before I left Phoenix was for 90 degrees and a 20% chance of rain. But the monsoon was in full swing and it rained on and off the entire afternoon. If it ever got above 70, I would be surprised. My rain shell kept me mostly dry but at one point I actually got cold. What a treat in the middle of July in Arizona especially in light of the triple digit temperatures I'd left behind in Phoenix.

After a hike and the biggest soaking of the day at Yavapai Point, it was on down the road to Grand View. I sat in the truck for a while as the rain came down hard. But it wasn't long before it eased up. I wandered down to the rail to see what the canyon looked like. A couple previous spots to pull over yielded a canyon completely veiled in clouds. It was like the canyon wasn't even there.

Grand View Point

The deep cut of the canyon from Grand View was really nice. The canyon itself was very colorful even on this overcast day.

Lipan Point

On down the road a bit more, the view from Lipan Point was stunning. I took this long telephoto panorama of the atmospherics of the various distant ridges. This kind of stacking was the big draw on the east side of the canyon and one I saw over and over. I spent some time here sitting on a rock and enjoying the scene. It was quiet and peaceful.

The Watchtower

The last stop was the Desert View overlook. This is the big stop as you come in the park from the east gate. It was crawling with people squeezing up to the railing to look out over the canyon. The Watchtower is another feature of this vista. I could see a steady stream of people climbing the stairs to the top and peering out.

I found the atmospherics here to be top notch. A long telephoto shot of the distant canyon produced one of my favorite shots of the trip. The sun's rays fanned out below the monsoon clouds. It was a pretty special site. But there would be one more surprise. I packed up and decided to go back to Yavapai Point for the sunset.

Yavapai Point Sun Drop

The large crowd of people assembled at Yavapai Point to witness this sunset actually broke into applause when the sun final went out of sight. I had goosebumps. We were all amazed when the sun dipped below the clouds and produced this scene. Even though I'd avoided the south rim and the crowds, that's what made this so special. The shared experience of seeing such a beautiful sight with so many adoring fans was a perfect way to end the day in this most iconic of America's national parks.

Sun Drop, Yavapai Point

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2013 Independence Day Fireworks Celebration

2013-07-05T13:58:00.002-07:00

Fireworks and the pedestrian bridge over Tempe Town Lake.

Tempe Town Lake was the location for my fireworks photography again this year. I decided to try another spot on the lake though. Right away, I broke the first rule on everybody's list of how best to shoot fireworks: Show up early. I had a nice Mexican food dinner at a nearby restaurant that took a little longer than planned. As a result, I practically ran to the spot I hoped to shoot from. The newly constructed pedestrian bridge over the west side of the lake seemed like a good spot.

As I was hurrying to my spot, the fireworks started going off behind me. I got to the bridge and frantically scrambled to set up. I had already set up the camera at home before I left which was the smartest thing I did all night.

Almost immediately, private security guards working the bridge were insisting everyone keep moving and stopping was not allowed. This was going to be interesting... Almost no one was listening though. The people that did listen would shuffle a few feet and stop. I did the same as they approached just to keep them happy. After a while, the guards gave up in disgust, but were not very happy about being ignored. There was a lot of grumbling going on from both the guards and all the people that walked by.

Straight out of the camera. The fireworks did not disappoint at Tempe Town Lake again this year. And what was supposed to be a very windy night, was not that bad. A little breeze was a big help to moderate a fairly warm evening in the desert.

A 3-frame composite of the fireworks.

All in all, things worked out pretty good. I could have been closer to the action and the bridge was not the most stable platform to shoot from. There was a bit of bounce as people walked past behind me, but it didn't really show in the photos. Thankfully.

I doubt I'll shoot on this exact spot again next year though. The vantage point was okay. I liked the long reflections of the fireworks on the lake, but I may choose an entirely different venue next year. The crowds in Tempe are very large and a bit much. Last year it was a wall-to-wall, zombie slow shuffle back to the light rail line and the 45-minute trip home. This year I spent an hour sipping a beer near the train station waiting for the crowds to thin out and was the best strategy yet.

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2013 Supermoon

2013-06-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

2013 Supermoon Rising

Four Peaks was my destination for shooting the so-called Supermoon this year. I struggled with a suitable location, but decided on a saddle below the peaks. The drive from Phoenix is very entertaining as you wind through pristine Sonoran Desert and climb up the side of the rugged mountain. The road was better than I remembered too.

The saddle location afforded me both east and western views if I chose to shoot it as it rose in the east and set in the west. But I didn't spend the night. The tiny campground at the top was full and plenty of other people were also taking advantage of the conditions.

It was a while before I realized the moon had actually risen due to atmospheric haze and some light clouds on the horizon. Some 15 minutes had passed after it crested the horizon and I was able to see the moon.

I was surprised by all the confusion this year about the exact time the Supermoon would appear. I triple checked the date and time myself. It rose on Saturday, June 22 and set the next morning... Sunday the 23rd. It was only at 4:35am on Sunday that the moon achieved its full Super status and was at perigee with the earth. If I had waited until the moon rose on Sunday night, I would have missed it. The moon's phase would have been one cycle off, only 98% full and still a very nice moon, but really not that super at all.

There were plenty of photographers that did wait and missed the shot. I was really surprised that so many pro shooters couldn't figure this out. The news media kept saying it was on Sunday. And it was. Sunday morning at 4:35am. But so many thought that meant Sunday night and must have never checked the numerous sun/moon sites detailing the exact time schedule.

Last light and the rising Supermoon

I scrambled to find this interesting foreground element as the last light kissed the top of the closest hillside.

Supermoon and Earth's shadow

My final shots were taken as the Earth's shadow became apparent on the horizon. The dark blue band and darker distant mountains were accented by a warm glow of the setting sun.

There really isn't anything that special about the Supermoon. Even the term "supermoon" is a recent phenomenon. Okay, it appears brighter and is closer to the earth, but so what. The difference is imperceptible to the human eye. If you didn't know it was a Supermoon, you wouldn't think anything of it. The moon always looks big on the horizon as it rises. The size difference is only 16% from a normal full moon. 30% brighter is significant, but it always looks bright and the human eye compensates for this.

I think the big difference is how things are reported these days. Social media and the explosion of photography has everyone scrambling to shoot these kind of events. The moon is a very popular celestial object and has always had a large following. Something about the full moon stirs people's imaginations and awakens the mysteries of the universe to them. Having an object so close to our planet forces us to consider the possibilities and wonders of the universe. Human beings are creatures of adventure and exploration and once a month, the full moon lets each us do a bit of our own space exploration.

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Gamma Delphinus Meteor Shower

2013-06-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Gamma Delphinus Meteor Shower

My latest photographic safari was to shoot the Gamma Delphinus Meteor Shower. I decided a spot on top a mountain north of town would probably be a good location. It was far enough away from the light pollution of the Phoenix metro area that it might not be a problem. I'd visited this vista on the way to Seven Springs a couple times before and has 360 degree views. The main view faced east towards the meteor shower origin and worked out great.

The light from the FAA radio tower array was a bit much though. Keeping glare out of the shots was all but impossible. I really liked the idea of having the transponder tower in the shots though, so I tried to make the best of it.

The meteor shower was kind of lame. I had no idea if the fast moving and faint falling stars would actually image or not. I did manage to capture a few, but they were small and faint just like what I was seeing with my eyeballs. It had all but fizzled by 1:30 and I gave up at 2am and drove home.

Putting the above shot together was a nightmare. This was the first time I tried to do a Milky Way panorama. I usually have my act down shooting panoramas... it's kind of my thing. But the Milky Way was high overhead and I had to improvise. If I'd shot it a little earlier when it was lower in the sky, it would have been so much easier. So, I tilted the camera up and did my normal pan. Stitching the shots together manually took a while and was more difficult than I imagined. I finally achieved a decent pano and stacked the static shots of the meteors I'd managed to capture into the final piece.

Milky Way Panorama

Night photography is all the rage right now. A bunch of my favorite photographer friends on Facebook and Google+ are cranking them out in various locations around the country. Seems like everyone has switched gears. I've seen some amazing images on lakes, with bridges, on roadways and in the mountains... and quite a few panoramas too. It's much harder than it looks and my Nikon D7000 was barely sufficient in producing quality images. I think my 10mm lens was actually too wide and added too much distortion to the sky especially in the panorama shots. It was a good learning experience though.

Nevertheless, I had a blast shooting and hoping things would turn out. The night was cool enough I had to wrap a blanket around me to stay warm. This was in light of the fact it had been over 110 in the valley that day. Needless to say, I was delighted to feel the cool air and get a bit of a chill. I felt like a creature of the universe as I gazed into the night sky anticipating the next shooter. It sort of reminded me of fishing... waiting for the next bite and hoping it would be a big one! And like fishing, I can't wait to try it again!

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Marble Canyon Splendor

2013-05-26T19:44:00.001-07:00

Rising full moon, blue light and green airglow

I spent a couple days in the House Rock Wilderness south of the Vermillion Cliffs above Marble Canyon. This was a location I'd been to before, but my timing had been all wrong and had arrived at midday. I was going to make the most of this trip though and had this vision of a shot I might get. I imagined the canyon illuminated by both the blue light after sunset and the light from the full moon on the cliff faces.

The first night I did my best to shoot the rising full moon, but the shots suffered from very windy conditions. My blue light capturing technique usually allows for a normal ISO setting and a long shutter speed. But gusty conditions had my camera and tripod vibrating like crazy. So, I was forced to use a high ISO setting to achieve a fast enough shutter speed to prevent camera shake. The shots were extremely noisy even with the noise reduction settings on the camera. Post-processing helped, but the light from the moon was only okay and most of the canyon was in shadow. A little green airglow on the horizon was a nice added bonus.

So, I laid down in the back of the truck that night with my fingers crossed the wind would dissipate by morning. I had one more shot at the blue light before sunrise. At 3 am, I peeked out to see the moon had gone behind clouds that had moved in. I was very happy to see some clouds, but It still didn't look good. The sky was a big flat gray mess. The moonlight was heavily filtered and like a giant soft box. That's good for portraiture, but bad for landscapes.

Moonlight and Blue Light

I woke again at 4 am to see the moon was dropping below the clouds. I jumped out of the truck. No wind... I got really excited. I grabbed my camera gear and quickly walked to my vantage point. Was I going to get my dream shot? When I got to the canyon's edge, I could see the light was fantastic and much better than the night before. Moonlight was on the opposite side of the canyon and the blue light was hitting hard. Perfect. I must have taken 500 shots...

Sunrise over Marble Canyon

The clouds also provided a spectacular sunrise a few minutes later. You just never know if a sunrise or sunset is going to go off. I was confident it was going to be a good one though. The clouds weren't heavy, but light and wispy. It was very exciting to see the colors emerge and the sunrise do it's thing as the moon slipped below the horizon.

This is one of my favorite photographic locations in the state. The views are mind blowingly beautiful, almost too much so. Watching the full moon rise the night before was a very special experience and one that I will never forget. But it paled in comparison to the show I saw the next morning.

There were even a few surprises... I was able to see where a couple river rafting companies had parked for the night below. Small headlamps and electric lanterns were tiny points of light along the beach. With my binoculars I could see the white-water rafts lined up at the beach along the Colorado River. I imagined what a good time they must have been having and what their day floating down Marble Canyon had been like. I'm pretty sure they missed the gorgeous sunrise so deep in the cut of the canyon though. The whole experience was nature at it's best and I felt very fortunate to be a witness.

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The James Agency

2013-05-23T06:51:00.003-07:00

I just finished a shoot I started a few months ago for The James Agency, an advertising, public relations and marketing firm in Scottsdale. The last piece of the puzzle was a shot of their newly completed street sign. It looked great in the blue light...

A sign from above...

Traffic and the blue light

Initially, they needed some interior shots to promote their new office on Hayden and Indian School. I was more than happy to oblige. The office was mostly Scandinavian chic with nice accent colors and cool glass fronted offices. Event the nick nacks were fun and tastefully done.

The Queen Bee's office

Conference and meeting room

Art Department awesomeness

The art department was a nice big open space and a place any artist would love to work. Polished concrete floors and lots of task lighting were nice touches. Even those darn pesky overhead fluorescents were baffled in a pleasing way.

They have the coolest vibe and never hesitate to get a little nutty during the work day. I saw a couple posts to social media showing a meeting with a spontaneous Harlem shuffle breaking out amongst the staff members. Another post had their Creative Director break dancing in the hallway. Pretty awesome in my book. I've worked in offices where this wasn't the case and really appreciate that kind of hilarity. It sure makes you want to work there and definitely work with them. Pretty savvy I'd say.

Scandinavian chic

More awesomeness in the creative space

Thanks to Veronique James and Shane Tang for opportunity and I look forward to working with you in the future. Looks like you've made the place your new home! Here's wishing you all the best!

McCormick Ranch night shoot

2013-05-17T09:07:00.001-07:00

Here's a beauty in McCormick Ranch I shot for my friends at Venture REI...

Thanks to Dan, Libby and Lisa!

Need a professional to make your next property look it's best?

Call me today! 480-432-1181.

Sycamore Canyon

2013-05-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

Sycamore Point

South of Williams, AZ is this stunning overlook of Sycamore Canyon. Sycamore Point is some 27 odd miles down the road past Whitehorse Lake. I'd spent the day on the other side of this vista looking for another overlook situation like the one I'd found last summer from Harding Point.

West Fork of Oak Creek

My secret overlook of the West Fork of Oak Creek was my favorite find from last summer. So, I stopped here on the first day to camp. I didn't really have a plan in mind when I got in the truck that day. I drove through Sedona and just had to see the West Fork from high above one more time. It was just as stunning as I remembered.

I was curious if a technique I usually reserve for my real estate photography would produce the same kind of drama. As I was shooting I was thinking, "it's too damn dark out. These are going to be crap." But I know when the "blue light" hits shortly after sunset and what it does to my camera's sensor... it produces this etherial electric-blue glow. Any surface exposed to the sky also turns blue. It always feels like magic when I finish the post-processing and look at the finished product.

Rainbow over Sycamore Canyon

After a great night, I explored the rest of Harding Point. I bounced around on a series of forest service roads most of the day. It was grueling. Some of the roads were crazy rough. I should know better by now. By the middle of the day, I was physically sore and worn out. I had to do something else. So, I decided to try to find Sycamore Point. It was in the neighborhood, sort of. I wasn't really sure how far it was... somewhere south of Williams.

I'd seen some photos of the canyon, but didn't think it would be as great as it was. But it was great. I guess low expectations aren't a bad thing. And as an added bonus, the weather in the area was just like I like it. Storm clouds were all around dropping rain in the distance. I even managed to capture the most fleeting of rainbows. It surprised the heck out of me and fortunately I was ready. One more minute later it was gone.

Falling Rain at Sycamore Point

The storm across the canyon was fantastic. The rain was sporadic and put on quite a show the entire time I was there. The place was so quiet, peaceful and powerful all at the same time. It was hard to put into words. The light was slowing moving across the ridges on the other side of the canyon as the sun ducked in and out of the clouds behind me.

Last Light over the Canyon

It seemed right for a great sunset, but was pretty much a fizzler. The sun's last rays did manage to light up the falling rain in the distance. Like the rainbow, it was incredibly fleeting lasting maybe only 60 seconds.

On my way out, I drove by a small herd of pronghorn standing in a field just off the road. It added to all the wildlife I'd seen that day... I'd seen four mule deer and three elk cows. I'd heard a turkey gobbling from my campsite while still laying in my tent. There were eagles and ravens, robins and gnatcatchers. Swifts and swallows flew around on all the cliffs. A squadron of turkey vultures had buzzed my campsite that morning... None of this is ever lost on me. I always feel so fortunate to see whatever is around.

The blue light was hitting so I stopped one last time to shoot a juniper I'd seen as I was driving to the point earlier that afternoon. There was something perfect about this tree and I made a special point to find it again in the dwindling light. It was the final zen moment in an almost perfect day.

I only spent a couple hours at Sycamore Point, but it filled my soul and left me totally satisfied. So, instead of camping somewhere else for the night and continuing my journey the next day, I drove straight back to Phoenix. I didn't get home until after midnight. I quickly unloaded the truck and promptly downloaded my camera to the computer. I had to see if the photos I'd taken even came close to the spectacle I had witnessed a few hours before. I wasn't disappointed in the least.

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