© 2020 Romi Boon All Rights Reserved
Just west of Carefree, Arizona is Bartlett Lake, a reservoir lake formed by the damming of the Verde River. We had heard that the Arizona Desert poppies where bountiful here, so we just had to check it out! On our arrival, we noted these yellow-orange poppies covered the landscape and they were indeed beautiful! That said however I was most taken by the unique mix of saguaro trees and the soaring mountains in the background. Some of the key elements that I like in this photo include: -The darkest dark shadows (group mass), demands the viewer's attention, creating a strong focal point. -The strong vertical lines (the saguaro trees), adding contrast. -The color variety, that makes the depth of field stand out.
It was early in the morning, on Thanksgiving Day, October 2017 when we dressed warm for an all day, high altitude, alpine ATV ride. The Monashee mountain range, in October, is unpredictable however we prepared for it. As we gained altitude it became foggy, the falling snow started to stick to the road and the wind was bitterly cold in our open ATV's. "If the snow gets much deeper", we remarked "we'll have to turn around". We pressed on and eventually stopped to have lunch in the middle of this winter wonderland (we were thankful for thermoses of hot coffee!). While there my girlfriend and I ventured into the forest and happened upon this lake. Wow, what are the chances that behind this tree, that tree, around the corner and over a rise, there would be a lake! I immediately noticed the reflections, they were darker than the trees themselves, “Wow”, I remember exclaiming and began taking photos. By days end we were exhausted, cold and hungry but as luck should have our timing was perfect for us to enjoy the Seymour Arm Community Association's Thanksgiving dinner. What a great day to share with friends! The spiritual serenity of the alpine incredibly majestic; I'll never forget this special day that I shared with my dear friends, nor this hidden treasure.
When there's a combination of sunshine and fog, I'm out the door with my camera! The fog was lifting fast and thought I was too late, but then I turned the corner and saw this; I was elated. The sun shone primarilly on the one spot of fog that was left in the valley, and it happened to be where the vibrant fall colors were. There's usually a lot of planning involved in getting a good shot but sometimes there's a little luck too.
