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I arrived at Brown's Ranch (McDowell Sonoran Preserve) trailhead well before sunrise and walked straight to this previously sought after location; east of the parking lot.
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. :-)
You just can’t visit Seymour Arm, without visiting “Daniels Store” (or, as it's often referred to, “The Floating Store”). It floats year round in this pristine and tranquil bay, called Bughouse Bay on Shuswap Lake, BC. I’ve been visiting Seymour Arm with my family for many years, and I'm now a regular. It’s a unique, sleepy, off grid community that’s nestled at the very top of the Okanagan/Shuswap, and mere steps from the glacier mountains of the Monashees. There’s only two ways to get to Seymour Arm, either by boat or drive a logging road. That said however, once you’re there, its quaint beauty is immeasurable. Being there is like stepping back in time; it’s very community minded, casual, extremely relaxing and everyone helps each other. Folks regularly drive the gravel streets on their ATV’s, just as though it were their car (there’s always a few parked at the floating store!). Some visitors to Seymour Arm are there only to launch their boats so the can access their cabins, while others enjoy the pearly white sandy beaches. Campers, fishermen, hunters, gold-panners, swimmers, kayakers, canoeist, boaters, house-boaters and paddlers of all ages come to enjoy this region. One mustn’t (can’t!) forget Daniel’s store, it's love by all. They sell sporting goods, kids toys, alcohol, groceries, gas, and they rent water toys and sell local crafts too (this photo included). My children and grandchildren have very fond memories of the store; choosing their favorite penny candy or devouring an ice-cream cone on the picnic table on the store’s boardwalk was/is always revered as a special treat. There have been so many memories created and shared at the store and Seymour Arm; the valley is a profoundly large part of my love and family life.
