AWE NATUREL

From the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley in the north to the Sonoran Desert and Chiricahua Mountains in the south, Arizona has more than its share of natural wonders. Talk about naked beauty ... this is Arizona in its natural state. EDITED BY JEFF KIDA

[preceding panel] The snowcapped San Francisco Peaks loom over the sandstone hoodoos of Ward Bench, on the Navajo Indian Reservation of Northeastern Arizona. “In planning this photo, I wanted to adjust a pose of the hoodoos against the peaks,” says photographer Jack Dykinga. | Jack Dykinga [left] The turquoise waters of Havasu Creek pool beneath Mooney Falls. “Peering over Mooney Falls, I gingerly crept to the very edge of the cliff,” says photographer Suzanne Mathia. “I was captivated by this breathtaking view of the water as it flowed calmly after a 200-foot drop.” | Suzanne Mathia [above] Clouds hover over Blue Mesa, in Petrified Forest National Park. “This angle just really worked for the photograph,” Dykinga says. “It leads your eye into the storm.” | Jack Dykinga

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[preceding panel] “I planned this HDR shot of Toroweap for a while,” says photographer Shane McDermott. “I wanted the rising sun to align with the river bend below. So many images from Toroweap portray such a sharp and abrupt drop into the abyss below. No doubt dramatic, but perhaps not overly inviting.” | Shane McDermott CAMERA: NIKON D800; SHUTTER: 1/8; APERTURE: F/16; ISO: 100; FOCAL LENGTH: 14MM; HDR IMAGE: 5 EXP FROM -4 EV TO +1 EV CAMERA: ARCA SWISS; FILM: FUJI 4x5 VELVIA; SHUTTER: 1/4; APERTURE: F/32; ISO: 50; FOCAL LENGTH: 400MM

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[preceding panel] Mitten Ridge peeks from behind Sedona's Bear Wallow rock. “Photo opportunities, for me, seem to come in waves,” says photographer Mark Frank. “On this day, for example, the weather was nearly perfect. I was able to capture three or four quality shots in a 30-minute period. There are many times when I can go for months and not see what I had in front of me that day.” | Mark Frank CAMERA: NIKON D200; SHUTTER: 1/3; APERTURE: F/20; ISO: 100; FOCAL LENGTH: 46MM [left] A summer monsoon creates a double rainbow over the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. “In every case, when there’s bad weather, I try to photograph the moods and feelings of the storm,” says photographer Jack Dykinga. | Jack Dykinga CAMERA: NIKON D3; SHUTTER: 1/25; APERTURE: F/16; ISO: 200; FOCAL LENGTH: 70MM