Arizona – Page 4 – Different Isn't Wrong, It's Just Different

mexican gold poppies sonoran desert wildflowers — Mexican Gold Poppies

It is the beginning of the wildflower season in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. Last Sunday the state was covered in dense fog and on Wednesday I was out looking for wildflowers. Paul Gill, co-author of Wild in Arizona (new version coming out in March, and a must have book) gave me the heads up on some poppies that were already in bloom west of Tucson. I couldn’t resist making a last-minute drive down on Wednesday afternoon to see the field of poppies and to get a few shots!

Gathering up all my gear, packing snacks and plenty of water, my GPS and my Wild in Arizona book in case I wanted to check out some other locations, I was ready to go! Driving down I-10 past Picacho Peak State Park, it looked completely green and lush! A good sign there will be lots of wildflowers in this location.

Once I arrived in Tucson, I headed south on I-19 and then west on Highway 86. I had never been to this area and was quite curious as to what I would see and find. Southern Arizona has a challenge with illegal activity. I have been to Nogales, Mexico just across the border from Arizona and you will see U.S. Border Patrol vehicles along the way. However, just being 15 miles west of I-19 on Highway 86, I was surprised to see so many vehicles. In just over an hour there were 8-10 vehicles and twice they had people pulled over. Yes, it was nerve-wracking as I was by myself. I found a field of poppies and stopped to make a few images. The poppies were large and tall and so vibrant! I didn’t stay long as my comfort level with all of the U.S. Border Patrol activity had me concerned. The fields of poppies haven’t peaked as there were many unopened blooms and other wildflowers were just starting to show. If the opportunity arises, I would love to go back in this next week and travel even further west to chase those ever beautiful Arizona wildflowers. The beginning of wildflower season has started in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and this area sure brings hope that it will be a spectacular season!

On Sunday, February 1st we had an amazing dense fog here in the Sonoran Desert. So dense, you could only see about 100 feet in front of you. I left my house about an hour before sunrise and driving out to the desert was certainly a challenge. There is a gallery of 19 images at the end of this post, you can click on each to see a larger version. The Sonoran Desert typically does not have dense fog, certainly a rare occasion and I was excited for such a photographic opportunity!

fog in the Sonoran Desert with trees and path

My first shot was right next to where I parked. I have seen this sidewalk and trees before, but too much clutter is typically in the background. On this morning, a much different scene with the fog eliminating all the clutter. While processing this image I tried several variations, color, black and white, adding a layer of texture and finally chose split tone.

fog in the Sonoran Desert

l chose a trail that was new to me. It is a new trail and not officially open, however, a few days before I asked a some men working on the trail when it would be open. They stated it would be March before it officially opened. I stated there were some large saguaros that I wanted to photograph and they said to it would be fine for me to do that as the trail is marked. Why did I choose this trail? The trail is flat and winding with many large saguaros. I enjoy using the curvy trails as leading lines in my images. Also, this trail leads east and I was hoping for some surreal images once the sun rose. Hiking this trail alone, I was on alert for coyotes and javelina. I could hear the birds waking up and calling, but I couldn’t see them. As I wasn’t familiar with the trail, I turned around after making several images and headed to a trail I have photographed several times in the last few weeks. Once the sun came up, the fog quickly burned off. It was as if I had been put on another planet with the fog turning from gray to yellow.

spider web covered in dew drops

After the sun broke through the fog you could see the desert was glittered with dew drops. Looking at all of the vegetation sparkle, especially when backlit, was breathtaking. I was seeing spider webs that I had never seen before, but walked by many times. They looked like jeweled necklaces and were stunning. Although I had planned on shooting landscapes, I couldn’t pass up getting out my macro lens to photograph the dew drops. By this time the trail was quite busy with hikers and cyclists. Not the best when you have your tripod set up for macro photography. The sun was rising quick and I hadn’t brought my diffuser/reflector with me and the beautiful sidelight was quickly becoming top light, not the light a photographer wants.

What a year 2015 is turning out to be – January 1st we had an unusual amount of snow, February 1st an unusual dense fog, what will March 1st bring? I am so very fortunate to have been able to experience and photograph the dense fog and snow in the Sonoran Desert!