Hi All - My family is moving to the Casa Grande, AZ this summer. I am very excited to experience more of the Southwest. We have been taking road trips to visit family at least once a year for the past five years or so. My husband grew up near Page, AZ, and his folks now live outside of Flagstaff.
I love the desert landscapes, and am very excited about the 300+ days of sunshine. My Northwest skin will take some time to get used to the sunlight, and I will miss the Northwest flowers in the spring. Above is one of my all time favorite shots, photo art of Skagit Valley Tulip Fields at the Roozengaarde Tulip Farm in Washington. A bit outside the norm for nature photography, but a good example of my work. Shot with Nikon D70, ISO 200, 18-70@18mm, cropped, curves, levels, color adjustments & many layers of artistic filters.
Speaking of flowers I am looking for some opportunities to shoot cactus blooms, when I visit Casa Grande later this month to finalize the purchase of our new home. I will be down April 23-26, if anyone has any suggestions I would love to know whereit is best to shoot around Phoenix/Tucson area. I have Tuesday April 24 & the mornings of April 25 & 26 to shoot. The rest of my time will be working with Fulton Homes and the design center who are building our home. Of course a bit of time visiting some of my family in the area too.
Just a quick background on my photography - I love working with artistic filter! My main subject matter has been flora, landscapes and a little travel photography. I have been active in several organizations over the last few years, including NPN, TPN & PNWNP for about four years now. I am currently the NANPA Summit Chair, and I organized the last two fine art exhibits for NANPA in Palm Spring '07 & Golden '06. I also have been active member with The Center for Fine Art Photography, and Society for Photographic Education (SPE) as the Northwest Treasurer. My volunteering has taken its toll on my field time, but I am stepping down from a couple of the positions to get settled into Arizona. Please take a look at My Portfolio or My Webite to see more of my work.
If anyone has any suggestions on desert blooms or would like to get out and shoot April 24-26. Please let me know! I am looking forward to meeting some of you, and I already know a few of you through NANPA. Happy shooting!
This is a surprise - never thought you'd be leaving the NW!
Welcome to the RMNP group. I miss seeing some of your macro flower images. Looking forward to seeing more of your work, now that you're not so busy with other organizations.
Picacho Peak State Park, alongside the interstate between Phoenix and Tucson is a prime wildflower site in good years. Haven't heard this year about the conditions. Lost Dutchman SP, east of Phoenix is also very good. There is also a privately owned gardens about 15-20 miles east of Phoenix, called the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, they have a website to check for local conditions. Also try the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson is a great place also. Good luck on your move!
Hi Ken - I will still visit the NW, lots of family here. I plan on making at least one trip a year in the spring for my flower fix. I have to make sure to put my macro lens to good work in the SW.
Don - I will check out some of the location you suggested. I have heard the wildflower bloom is not the best this year, but the cactus blooms aren't too bad. The botanical gardens and arboretum might be the best bet with a little help of watering. Thanks a bunch!
Hi Elizabeth - that'll be quite a change in climate! Not sure if you recall, but you and I shot together at the Portland Japanese Garden a few years ago while I was up that way on business.
I personally don't know the Tucson / Phoenix area very well. I have spent time in Sabino Canyon near Tucson, and also Saguaro National Park - both are beautiful. Stacy Egan and Sam Rua have provided information on these locations and a couple of other AZ locations in the Arizona Hot Spots section of the site.
Best of luck to you on the big move! Hopefully we'll see you posting some of your work here.
Posted by Laurent Baig on April 16, 2007 at 1:35 PM
Welcome to Arizona Elizabeth.
I'm in Tucson. You can't go wrong with just about anyplace in AZ. You've got a couple of options already. Let me chime in with:
Superstition mountains
state trust land (get a permit for this, it's everywhere)
ironwood forest national monument
sonoran desert national monument (3 sections)
Lost Dutchman state park
Catalina state park
organ pipe national monument
santa catalina mountains (mt lemmon)
santa rita mountains (mt wrightston)
Just south and west of Phx are some lands I haven't been to yet, but have been meaning to do so.
Wildflowers suck this year, though not by the roadsides. The palo verdes are incredible through both Phx and Tucson. The cacti bloom are looking good. The hedgehogs are blooming nicely. Prickly pear are blooming well in the canyons of the Catalinas. Ocotillos seem to be passing prime, unfortunately it was amazingly windy for the last week+, so I couldn't get any images of them. Saguaro and cholla are due in the near future. Early to mid May usually being the primetime for saguaro blooms from what I remember.
Be sure to remember, we get a second flowering season at the end of the monsoons in September.
Thanks Rick & Laurent! I will definitely check out your recommendations.
Laurent - We will have to meet up sometime to shoot. It will be great to know a couple of photographers from the area.
Rick of course I remember shooting with you at the Japanese Gardens! Here is one of my favorite Portland Sunrise shots, which I took while we were waiting for the gardens to open. I will have to post this one on the clouds topic as well.
It will be great to get to know all of you better through the RMNP site.
Discussion
6 repliesI love the desert landscapes, and am very excited about the 300+ days of sunshine. My Northwest skin will take some time to get used to the sunlight, and I will miss the Northwest flowers in the spring. Above is one of my all time favorite shots, photo art of Skagit Valley Tulip Fields at the Roozengaarde Tulip Farm in Washington. A bit outside the norm for nature photography, but a good example of my work. Shot with Nikon D70, ISO 200, 18-70@18mm, cropped, curves, levels, color adjustments & many layers of artistic filters.
Speaking of flowers I am looking for some opportunities to shoot cactus blooms, when I visit Casa Grande later this month to finalize the purchase of our new home. I will be down April 23-26, if anyone has any suggestions I would love to know whereit is best to shoot around Phoenix/Tucson area. I have Tuesday April 24 & the mornings of April 25 & 26 to shoot. The rest of my time will be working with Fulton Homes and the design center who are building our home. Of course a bit of time visiting some of my family in the area too.
Just a quick background on my photography - I love working with artistic filter! My main subject matter has been flora, landscapes and a little travel photography. I have been active in several organizations over the last few years, including NPN, TPN & PNWNP for about four years now. I am currently the NANPA Summit Chair, and I organized the last two fine art exhibits for NANPA in Palm Spring '07 & Golden '06. I also have been active member with The Center for Fine Art Photography, and Society for Photographic Education (SPE) as the Northwest Treasurer. My volunteering has taken its toll on my field time, but I am stepping down from a couple of the positions to get settled into Arizona. Please take a look at My Portfolio or My Webite to see more of my work.
If anyone has any suggestions on desert blooms or would like to get out and shoot April 24-26. Please let me know! I am looking forward to meeting some of you, and I already know a few of you through NANPA. Happy shooting!
This is a surprise - never thought you'd be leaving the NW!
Welcome to the RMNP group. I miss seeing some of your macro flower images. Looking forward to seeing more of your work, now that you're not so busy with other organizations.
Ken
Don
Don - I will check out some of the location you suggested. I have heard the wildflower bloom is not the best this year, but the cactus blooms aren't too bad. The botanical gardens and arboretum might be the best bet with a little help of watering. Thanks a bunch!
I personally don't know the Tucson / Phoenix area very well. I have spent time in Sabino Canyon near Tucson, and also Saguaro National Park - both are beautiful. Stacy Egan and Sam Rua have provided information on these locations and a couple of other AZ locations in the Arizona Hot Spots section of the site.
Best of luck to you on the big move! Hopefully we'll see you posting some of your work here.
I'm in Tucson. You can't go wrong with just about anyplace in AZ. You've got a couple of options already. Let me chime in with:
Superstition mountains
state trust land (get a permit for this, it's everywhere)
ironwood forest national monument
sonoran desert national monument (3 sections)
Lost Dutchman state park
Catalina state park
organ pipe national monument
santa catalina mountains (mt lemmon)
santa rita mountains (mt wrightston)
Just south and west of Phx are some lands I haven't been to yet, but have been meaning to do so.
Wildflowers suck this year, though not by the roadsides. The palo verdes are incredible through both Phx and Tucson. The cacti bloom are looking good. The hedgehogs are blooming nicely. Prickly pear are blooming well in the canyons of the Catalinas. Ocotillos seem to be passing prime, unfortunately it was amazingly windy for the last week+, so I couldn't get any images of them. Saguaro and cholla are due in the near future. Early to mid May usually being the primetime for saguaro blooms from what I remember.
Be sure to remember, we get a second flowering season at the end of the monsoons in September.
Best of luck!
Laurent - We will have to meet up sometime to shoot. It will be great to know a couple of photographers from the area.
Rick of course I remember shooting with you at the Japanese Gardens! Here is one of my favorite Portland Sunrise shots, which I took while we were waiting for the gardens to open. I will have to post this one on the clouds topic as well.
It will be great to get to know all of you better through the RMNP site.