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The northern lights are truly Mother Nature’s fireworks. This was my first photo shoot of the aurora borealis and although it wasn’t a spectacular display this photograph (along with the experience being up at such a strange hour) has me hooked. As I stood in complete darkness, I felt a fearless sense of peace in the solitude, and a calm in my own stillness. It was amazing! I look forward to my next “wee” hour photo shoot!
Clear skies are not what a photographer wants, including me. A beautiful sky (along with lighting), can make or break a photograph, that's why you'll see me out on the desert when most people are at home enjoying their morning coffee or having dinner. When there is a storm brewing my eyes are focused on the sky and if I feel it's warranted, I'll make my way to a previously found composition (which was the case here). Finding a composition in the desert can be very difficult, and at times downright frustrating! I can walk miles just to find one, or none. "Why?", because the perfect composition is usually ruined by the surrounding vegetation, especially by the fuzzy trees (as I call them). In this photography however, they add to the composition by separating the foreground from the background. This photo was taken during one of Arizona's famous sunsets; which illuminated the desert floor with a vivid glow and gave the storm clouds these beautiful colors. This moment lasted seconds, so my efforts of pre-planning paid off. :-)
I captured this photo while on an early morning bike ride through Brown’s Desert Ranch (a hiking/biking area in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, in Scottsdale Arizona). Brown's Desert Ranch is not only vast but it's beautiful. The trails meander through lush desert cacti and saguaros while a variety of mountainscapes flank the edges. On this day, I chose to cycle the trails. I store the bike in the back of my Jeep (which I tow behind my RV). I often chuckle, "If I can't drive my RV to a location, then I drive my Jeep. If I can't drive my Jeep to a location, then I ride my bike. If I can't ride my bike, then I have my feet." I love, and am thankful for, that freedom. It was quite some time before the sun rose however, I thoroughly enjoyed the solitude while I cycled and scoped out this location. You can see by the colors in the clouds and the angle of the shadows that this photo was taken right after sunrise (my favorite time of the day, in all regards). The mountain in the background is called, "Pinnacle Peak", a well-known local landmark.
