The Desert Bloom & New Work
- joshua6029
- May 7
- 6 min read
Or not so Bloom, I should say. This was not the spring for abundant flowers but in the Sonoran Desert there is ALWAYS something captivating to photograph and nothing beats being out in nature in the spring time. This workshop is always aimed at capturing the awakening of the spring wildflowers and cholla cactus blooms that occur when the desert has had its winter rains. However it was one of the driest winters Arizona has had in a very long time and so I am grateful that I still had a small group of folks willing to join me on this years Desert Bloom workshop. With a last minute cancellation of a beloved husband and wife team it left us with just 3 folks on this years trip making it an even more intimate group where we were able to dive deeper than usual on a lot of topics. I always pride myself on keeping the groups small for this reason. Able to meet you whereever you are along your photography journey and that was exactly the case on this trip. Sonetimes I've got folks who feel solid in their shooting ability but want to learn more about post processing, and sometimes its starting from the basics and sometimes theyre right in the middle, or happy with where theyre at but maybe want a fresh perspective. Afterall were never too wise to learn.
For 4 days and 3 nights we chased some of my favorite sonoran scenes and weather and focused a lot on near-far composition, focus stacking and even some night photography. The week leading up to the trip was a week of temps over 100º in Phoenix but luckily it cooled way down right in time for our arrival and we had quite a few unexpected clouds for our otherwise clear forecast which was a welcomed treat to lay the least. We even came accross a few low lying flowers, mostly the hedgehog cactus flowers but because theyre so low growing, theyre usually obscured by the thick desert vegetation making them next to impossible to compose tastefully. We also encountered quite a few rattlesnakes this year which I carefully relocated away from the trail and the area we'd be using for the evenings as well as a few tarantulas and scorpions! Its always a very special treat for me when I can introduce folks to the native wildlife, geology or flora of an area. Theres so much more to being out in nature than just taking photographs. My lifes passion at my core is the natural world and its animals, insects, geology, fossils, and eary human history, despite my work being more artistic and vibrant.
Right after the workshop concluded a late season winter storm was making its way through flagstaff and the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Having neber been to the southern rim I figured it was a great time to visit. My partner Shawna and I made our way north into the storm and arrived just as it began to hit the canyon. Fog began forming along the canyon rim and a chill began setting in. Overnight a dusting of snow had fallen over most of the canyon and the fog was breaking up resulting in some incredible conditions I tried hard to timelapse with my telephoto lens while my second camera was capturing other images.
Once the weather dried up and cleared out after about 24 hours we headed east, toward a more familiar place, the new mexico badlands. I never ever get tired of visiting this place. There simply arent that many places where I can continue returning time again and find something new every single time. NOT to mention, the abundant dinosaur, turtle, crocodle and plant fossils from the cretacous period. The last of the dinosaurs. From when that area was a fertile marshland, river delta system. Below are a few bones, 2 large vertebrae I believe to be from a Hadrosaur, and a smaller and badly eroded section of limb bone, possibly crocodilian.
My primary focus in new mexico though, was night photography but also Panoramas! The last of the winter milky way fading and the summer milky way rising. An unexpected phenomenon was the zodiacal light that was glowing to the west long after the sun had set. Ive never noticed it so prominently as I have this spring! I dont normally shoot panoramic images but even the 12mm, my primary lens isnt wide enough to catch the whole arc of the milky way so I used a really right stuff-multi row pano head to make it easy to capture the whole sky. However I couldnt resist atleast one new wide angle shot while out there. The zodiacal light was too awesome! And of course, you cant JUST go there for night photography and on our first night had an explosive sunset! Im still working on images from that evening! The wild formations of this area make fror amazing panoramic scenes. I enjoyed this so much that next year I am offering a spring version of my most popular workshop, the "Alien World" workshop which will be focused on panoramic images with the low angle of the winter and summer milky way (Learn more about the spring trip HERE)
After a couple of nights in New Mexico it was time to get home and work on an ever growing backlog of images including a small gallery of telephoto images I've been working on. Oftentimes these long lens scenes sit on my hard drives and become forgotten about but recently I decided that I wanted to share some of these more "intimate" scenes. Its interesting to me the different approach it requires from the usual wide angle scenes I am so fond of. I tend to approach photography very methodically, very intentionally. I seek compositions that showcase order, organization, balance, symmetry, juxtaposition and drama. I process each image to stand alone, on its own. Strong, striking and hopefully leaving the viewer feeling like theyre right there alongside me. The warm sun caressing your cheeks as it fades beyond the mountains. The wind rustling... Its all about the whole experience. Something I find very difficult to do with a long lens. I hope that when you look at my work, you feel that, even just a little. And of course I couldnt resist including a couple of wider shots amongst the new work below. I hope you enjoy them. (make sure you click on them to expand to full view)
As I write this I am just afew days away from hitting the road to Death Valley and the Eastern sierra region. Thankfully the temps are dropping and even though we will be in the back country thousands of feet above the main valley where its always much cooler, it'll be very mild and comfortable weather for a few days of camping and exploring with another small crew! As always attempting to avoid the crowds and the tourist hot spots seeking out solitude and inspiration in the harder to get to, far away places most folks never see!
Im hoping for some dynamic weather and another fruitful trip before its back to moab for a few days of recovery before setting out on a 7 day private workshop accross Utah and Arizona with a lovely husband and wife photography duo. Beginning in Monument valley and Hunts mesa, then visiting some of the locations we visited during the Sacred Lands workshop with our Navajo and Hopi guides and ending back here in moab by way of hanksville. A few days home and then off again on an exploratory trip to the Great Sand Dunes with my buddy Blake Rudis of F/64 Academy. One of the best photo educators out there. Be sure to check out his site and courses if you havent yet!
Thank you so much for reading!!
And of course Prints are always available. I offer Acrylic, metal and canvas prints ina variety of sizes perfect for any space. If youre interested in owning a print, please email me (HERE) to begin the process!
If youre interested in joining me for a trip this year our next upcoming workshop is one you wont want to miss! Wildflowers in the alpine basins of colorado! Based out of silverton, Colorado, a small gold rush town tucked deep in between the San Juan, Weminuche and cimmaron mountains. For 4 days and 3 nights we will camp and overland accross high mountain passes in search of meadows of alpine wildflowers and the darkest skies around. Camp meals cooked by moi, expert guidance, and an adventure of a lifetime!
Petals & Peaks ~ July 14th-17th, 2025. Learn more HERE
If youre interested in where folks rented their overlanding rigs: Outdoorsy.com and Turo.com
I am also in conversations with a company with a fleet of overlanding rigs that may become a steady resource for these trips.
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