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A short uphill walk through an old growth forest lead me to a set of switchback stairs, a viewing platform and a 115 foot (35 meter) suspension bridge that overlooked this 99 foot (30 meter) waterfall. As I hiked up to the waterfall I was very quick to notice the terrain; it was SO lush! The old growth forest floor was covered with large broad leaf ferns and the surrounding trees were draped with heavy green moss; which in itself was photo worthy but because my time was limited I couldn’t stop. At the top of the stairs was a viewing platform and a suspension bridge that crossed over to the other side of the canyon. It was quite the sight to see and because the gorge was so narrow and deep, you can imagine how loud the sound of the cascading water was! I walked across the sturdy steel cable suspension bridge to a viewing platform on the other side. It however had a limited view of the falls so I decided this view was far better. From this view I noticed the natural lead in lines and the highlights created by the open sky above and although one might consider downed tree lying across the water a distraction, one might also consider it a point of interest (as I do).
The "Desert Agave" grows in the lower elevations of the Sonoran and Majavi deserts where it is hot and dry. The leaves have a distinct cyan/bluish tinge and are quite thick, and can grow up to 27 inches in length. The pronounced teeth along leaf edges are dark-tipped, a third of an inch long, and like most agave the underside of each leaf bears a permanent imprint of the teeth from the once underlying leaf (created when the two were growing together). The black tips are really sharp so you don’t want to back into one by accident (!), as I found out not long ago when I recently transplanted one ....ouch! I cropped this photo so that it leans (if you will) towards an abstract view; notice how I’m only showing part of agave. I love the flow (the diagonal and horizontal lines), the “teeth” and subtle colors. This photo would look great as a stand alone statement piece or blend well with a busier desert photo.
Finding and planning photographic locations takes time (sometimes multiple visits) and physical effort but the rewards often yield some amazing photographs! The physical effort however doesn’t seem like a chore when I’m engulfed in my passions (early morning starts, cycling, hiking and photography); it’s then that I’m in my “happy place”! What could possibly be more fun than searching for spectacular locations, and then later have a prize photograph to go along with the memory! That said however, both weather and lighting play such a big roll and sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate but oftentimes I end up with the most amazing unexpected shots! This photograph has such a story. I had been searching for quite some time for a desert scene that wasn’t cluttered with desert debris (the overgrown desert and the fuzzy bushes (as I call them!). The overgrown vegetation often fills the entire foreground scene which stops the viewer’s eye from traveling through the photograph. That said, I was thrilled to find this location with its uncluttered foreground and strong composition. Notice the diamond shape of the predominant shadow and how your eyes follow its lines to the cholla and ocotillo. Then the ocotillo leads your eye up and back over to the top of the rocks; creating a circular path for your eyes to travel. The other thing I like is the combination of darks and lights. The shadows and highlights (which is often referred to as the darkest darks and the brightest whites) are complimentary in any photograph or painting. I found this location on an early morning bike ride at Brown’s Desert Ranch (a hiking/biking area in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale) but unfortunately the best light was long gone so I made a mental note to return. That said, checking the next day’s weather forecast is always a big part in planning my photography shoots and although (on this day) it was more overcast than I had expected the sun did poke through occasionally; just enough to get this shot!
