I will be spending the week of March 22 in Tucson visiting family. Actually I be just bit north of Tuscon in Oro Valley.
Will have a little time for photography.
I plan to spend a morning at the Dessert Meseum.
Any recommendations for landscape or desert flowers shooting locations? expecially for sunrise and sunset? North side of the city preferred.
Appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance.
Posted by Jason Woerly on March 11, 2010 at 12:10 PM
From Oro Valley you would be only a couple miles from Catalina State Park, the west/northwest facing mountains would be a good sunset destination.
From the desert museum you will be at the border of the Tucson Mountain district of Saguaro National Park. Probably too early for the blooms, maybe someone local to the area can give more insight there, but a more than worthy landscape destination. Signal Hill is a can't miss spot there.
I recently toured the Tucson area last year about this time. It may be a bit early for wildflowers, but the desert scenery in general should be well worthwhile. I wouldn't concentrate on just the north part of town when there is so much to see elsewhere. To give you some ideas, check out my "picture of the day" blog posts from 2/25/09 to 3/13/09 http://wyattphoto.blogspot.com/2009/03/picture-of-day-22509.html. Sabino Canyon, near where you're staying, would be a good spot, as well as that part of Saguaro NP. I think the better areas are just south and west of Tucson in the other section of Saguaro NP and, as you say, the Desert Museum, is not to be missed. One other spot, about an hour(?) NW would be the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. There's also a well-known (by the locals) sunset spot just south of the ridge/pass to the east of Tucson on the highway dropping to the south and heading towards the Desert Museum.
Posted by Todd Caudle on March 11, 2010 at 1:25 PM
Tucson has a Dessert Museum??? YUM!
Posted by Bill Brennan on March 11, 2010 at 2:10 PM
Chris, you should be seeing the first of the cactus blooms and wildflowers when you are in Tucson. Temps are expected in 80's next week, good news for the desert bloom.
Locations as outlined above will give you a good start.
Spotted a cactus that is about to bloom this morning at SaddleBrooke, near Catalina.
Bill Brennan
Posted by Bob Falcone on March 12, 2010 at 8:44 PM
I spend a week or so in Tucson every March, and never stop finding new places to shoot. All the above recommendations are great. If you're at the Desert Museum late enough, I'd suggest doing some sunset shooting at the top of Gates Pass. This is one of several great shots I got from there last year... http://www.bobfireman.com/WesternSunset.jpg\
I find that the eastern Saguaro National Park is very nice early in the morning, but can be good at sunset if you find a perspective that doesn't include the city lights on the horizon.
Also, check out the Tohono Chul Park on the north side of town for the hummingbirds that hang around there.
Discussion
7 repliesWill have a little time for photography.
I plan to spend a morning at the Dessert Meseum.
Any recommendations for landscape or desert flowers shooting locations? expecially for sunrise and sunset? North side of the city preferred.
Appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance.
From the desert museum you will be at the border of the Tucson Mountain district of Saguaro National Park. Probably too early for the blooms, maybe someone local to the area can give more insight there, but a more than worthy landscape destination. Signal Hill is a can't miss spot there.
Locations as outlined above will give you a good start.
Spotted a cactus that is about to bloom this morning at SaddleBrooke, near Catalina.
Bill Brennan
http://www.bobfireman.com/WesternSunset.jpg\
I find that the eastern Saguaro National Park is very nice early in the morning, but can be good at sunset if you find a perspective that doesn't include the city lights on the horizon.
Also, check out the Tohono Chul Park on the north side of town for the hummingbirds that hang around there.