Desert Photo Gallery

Primarily shot in Southern Utah with the exception of a few from Monument Valley in N. Arizona. I spend a good bit of time in the desert as I grew up in the thick woods of the Appalachia the stark contrast always fascinates me.

High above the desert floor near the top of a sandstone dome you can find cottonwood trees growing in tanks. Water collects during the summer rains and sustains these trees for years.
A gorgeous find deep in the heart of canyon country.
I hit this spot three evenings in a row and as luck would have it the last evening was just beyond expectation!
Iconic. Pure and simple.
Located on the Navajo Nation's North East corner it can be seen from over 80 miles away. In the midst of a clearing storm the peak cuts quite a dramatic pose.
I\'ve been wanting to wonder through Lower Antelope Canyon for some time. I was a bit torn about rumors of crowds and fees and the need for a guide but in all was simply blown away by the place.
Storms build quickly and do some real damage in quite a hurry in the canyon lands of the southwest. Luckily the building clouds seen here resulted in nothing more than a wonderful rainbow and pastel colored sunset.
I made the drive out to Cathedral Valley in Capital Reef National Park which is a solid 6 hours from my house to look around. The flowers just weren't ready so I returned a week later, got up for dawn at 5:15 and waited for the sun to just kiss the top of this tower.
This is an amazing location in Canyonlands and one I like to visit periodically throughout the year. It always amazes me just how much the sun moves north south from summer to winter. Astounding planet we live on.
Known to those in the \'know\' as the Second Wave I\'ve yet to find a more dynamic subject alive or well.. stone to photograph at sunset.
I've spent over 11 years working, playing & wandering around the Eastern Side of the Sierras and for some reason I've not spent much time around the Alabama Hills. Luckily that changed this past year. Have to thank Galen Rowell for this!
Frozen in time her serenity in the moment is indisputable. Who hasn\'t had that moment eyes closed, wind on your face blowing through your hair when everything is as it should be. Balanced.
The Court House Towers in Arches NP are amazing at any time of the year but spring is just outstanding. Best of Assignments Outdoor Photographer March 2011.
I've known about this panel for years and shot it a few times but I've never been lucky enough to be in the area when a gorgeous sunrise or sunset was present. Taking things into my own hands I ventured up in 7°F temps and got this night shot.
Located in an area that is still hard to get to and particularly arid it's hard to imagine farming, hunting, and living here a thousand years ago.
I hit this spot three evenings in a row and as luck would have it the last evening was beyond expectation! Gorgeous clouds and an epic sunset.
3000\' down and the whole world in front of you. I spent an hour and a half watching the sun rise and it\'s light move across the rim and walls of this part of the Grand Canyon. It was time well spent.
I was on my way to California and happened to be driving through the salt flats of Utah's west desert at sunset. I pulled off the freeway and just walked out onto the flats until I found this line leading me to the horizon.
I was fortunate enough this fall to make a trip to Monument Valley during the full moon. Something I'd been thinking about since last years trip.
There were 5 wildfires burning when I finally got a chance to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Though not being able to make it to Point Imperial was a disappointment I was rather astounded by the effect the smoke in the air had on the light at Cape Royal.
Akimbo means hands on hips with elbows out. For some reason this is what I see in this secluded stone arch.
Both the east and west mittens as well as Merrick Butte are iconic in almost any photo. Devoid of clouds though I find the best time to shoot them is predawn.
This silhouette was so dramatic to me. The towers and buttes of the Valley are all amazing even in the light before dawn. Simply an amazing place in any light.
This is one of the better places in my estimation to catch a sunrise. You'll need a guide and will have to pay quite a sum for the privilege.
Detail of three hoodoos that have eroded over the centuries from the canyon rim some 50 feet higher.
I\'ve always seen these from afar but never made the hike out to witness them during a sunrise. Glad I did.
Deep in the southern Utah desert lie countless ruins from multiple cultures. This is but one reminder of their past.
Always one of the best places to catch a sunrise. Unfortunately you are seldom alone to do so.
Needles district of the Canyonlands is a veritable maze of striated sandstone towers, pinnacles, canyons and meadows.
Pre dawn overlooking the Mittens in Monument Valley. Featured on Earthshots.org as the <a href="http://www.earthshots.org/2009/10/29/">photo of the day.</a>
What a sunrise! A mackerel sky, amazing scenery, and my camera.
Typically shot at sunrise Turret Arch also proves to be a remarkable place to catch a sunset.
Looking as though it was constructed last year this granary sits untouched as it has for hundreds of years.
Detail shot of one of the numerous white hoodoos in the area. This one was catching a subtle glow from an adjacent hillside.
After a bit of a hike it was nice to find this pool that was mirroring the blue sky and gorgeous multicolored stone around it. It gave me a chance to stop, look, and reflect on what is important.
One of a number of silent sentinels that have stood watch over this very remote part of Southern Utah.
Southern Utah at it\'s finest. Zebra Slot Canyon is a bit of a hike and a no joke shimmy to get into.
Sunset as seen from the Green River Overlook.
Due to the arch being slightly offset from the cliff and somewhat dependent on the cloud cover at dawn this arch really does glow with a reddish hue for about 15 minutes.
Taken from Point Imperial on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Fall foliage in foreground compliments the pastels of the sky as the sky changes from day to dusk.
Rays of light cast shadows and illuminate the smoke that has come from the 5 wildfires burning on the canyon rim.
False Kiva is a hidden gem in Canyonlands NP. Not mentioned in any park literature, presumably to preserve the site, it offers a breath-taking view in late afternoon.
The Paria Wilderness is a place that has enchanted so many people. Currently protect by limited access I consider it a privilege every time I get back here.
Always a breath taking view and especially so when there are just a hint of clouds on the horizon. Luckily a storm had just moved out some of the haze.
Moon set was not long after sunset on this evening and I consider myself very fortunate to have witnessed both.
All good and grand things must come to an end. On this day there was no better place to witness day\'s end than here.
Amazing ruin and granaries in Mule Canyon.
Learning to actually see the light as opposed to walking around with my eyes open is a lesson I constantly need to remind myself of.
I find it amazing the patterns and shapes that repeat in water, stone, wind shaped dunes and clouds. I don\'t dwell on it too much but when the fluidity of one element becomes apparent in another. Encased in this instance it does give you pause to wonder.
I was fortunate enough to have several days here to watch how the light changed throughout the day. The thing that struck me most at sunset was how the color climbed into the sky after the sun had set. The transition was subtle but color so rich.
The Wave in the Paria Wilderness area is rife with so many unique rock features. The rock really looks as though it's been pulled through a taffy machine and is so worth the approach.