Kofa Shadows #5
Kofa Mountains, Arizona
2022

Kofa Shadows #4
Kofa Mountains, Arizona
2022

Kofa Shadows #3
Kofa Mountains, Arizona
2022

Moonrise, Pusch Ridge
Oro Valley, Arizona
2023

Taken from the driveway of the house we are staying in the evening of the same day that I photographed yesterday’s image of the moonset in the morning from the other side of the house. I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve photographed a moonrise and a moonset on the same day.

(Pusch Ridge, which you can’t actually see in the photo, is a Wilderness Area in spite of being wedged against the busy town of Oro Valley. Hence the different locations noted for the two photos from the same house.)

Moonset, Oro Valley
Oro Valley, Arizona
2023

A shot of the full moon the other day. It’s not black and white, it’s not moonrise, it’s not New Mexico, it’s not 1941, and my name is not Ansel. But I was reminded of Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico nonetheless.

Prickly Perch
Kofa Mountains, Arizona
2022

I wasn’t the only one interested in the saguaro cacti and the mountains that day. This cactus wren was watching the cloud shadows pass over the mountains along with me.

Lit Saguaro
Kofa Mountains, Arizona
2022

We’ve been in the Tucson area which is replete with saguaro cacti for over a month now but this one is one of the first ones I spotted on the trip here in late December. Or more precisely, it was the first one that really caught my eye when I was taking the time to observe them closely. I liked the bright lit cactus against the darker background of the cloud shaded mountains.

Kofa Shadows #2
Kofa Mountains, Arizona
2022

Kofa Shadows #1
Kofa Mountains, Arizona
2022

Back in camp after our short hike up Palm Canyon, I ended up spending much of the afternoon in my lawn chair just staring at (and photographing) the mountains. I had not planned to do that–after all I was thinking a shot or two would cover the worthwhile views nicely. But the scattered clouds moving over the area kept casting such interesting and changing shadows over various parts of the mountains I was enticed to just sit and keep watching and shooting. Every time I thought I’d finally lost interest in the view, it would change yet again.

Palm Canyon #2
Kofa Mountains, Arizona
2022

It’s a good thing the palm trees were not too far into Palm Canyon as things got pretty rugged pretty fast in the canyon further up.