"On Stage Colorized"

Finding and planning photographic locations takes time and physical effort but the reward can yield the best memories and photographs. Scoping out a location is never a chore, it’s a joy! When I’m engulfed in my passions (early morning starts, cycling, hiking and photography); it truly is my “happy place”. What could possibly be more enjoyable than traveling and discovering spectacular locations. I feel blessed. When cycling, on this early morning at Brown’s Ranch (north-east Scottsdale), I noticed how this dark hillside made the foreground saguaro trees stand out and this particular tree was stunning. Saguaro trees come in many shapes and sizes; some have no arms (they don’t grow an arm until they’re approximately 60 years old), while others have so many arms that I wonder how it can possibly stand upright! If you need a dose of humor in your day just look at the saguaro trees as humans, and you’ll notice that some configurations are incredibly hilarious! I viewed this saguaro tree however was model material (so perfectly formed). The color version of this photograph is also a winner however I love how the de-saturated colors created a more powerful and demanding scene. I named this photo “On Stage” because it has all the necessities of a desert “stage” (a perfectly formed saguaro tree, a dark background and the sun’s rays of light).