A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA

BY: Jeff Kida (Portfolio Editor)

KERRICK JAMES
Considered for: Breathing Space, July 2020
A sandstone formation commonly known as Teardrop Arch, just north of the Arizona state line in Utah, frames the buttes of the Navajo Nation’s Monument Valley to the southeast. Like many attractions in Arizona, Monument Valley has been closed for much of 2020 due to COVID-19.

“The photographer has put much more visual weight on the right side of this image, which works well here and demonstrates that rules are sometimes best broken. The clouds and cloud shadows are lovely.” — REBECCA WILKS

DEREK VON BRIESEN
Considered for: This Is the Start of Something Big, January 2020
Heavy snow covers trees and rock formations at Yaki Point, an overlook on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. This viewpoint is just east of the Canyon’s visitors center.

“The crispness of this winter morning, just after a storm has cleared, is palpable. The image conveys the hush of footsteps in fresh snow and the miracle of the reappearance of the sun. Snow beautifies every scene, and the photographer takes great advantage of it gracing the lovely tree.” — REBECCA WILKS

GURINDER SINGH
Considered for: There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills, October 2020
An unexpected snowstorm in early October creates a winter wonderland amid fall foliage along Forest Road 300, a dirt road that follows the Mogollon Rim and offers some of Arizona’s most impressive vistas.

“Some photographs are loud and brash and you can almost hear their energy, but this image is quite the reverse. Beyond the visual textures and layers and tones here exists an embedded sense of quietude — the ‘sound of silence,’ as it were. And that makes this image sing, for me.” — KERRICK JAMES

CLAIRE CURRAN
Considered for: This Is the Start of Something Big, January 2020
Wispy clouds lift from the Grand Canyon on New Year’s Day, as seen from Yavapai Point, an overlook known for its panoramic views of Arizona’s most famous natural wonder.

“All photographs are slices of time and photons, yet so many images have no innate time-sense. This crisp, snowy dawn at the Grand Canyon benefits from the swirling wreaths of fog as much as from the warm directional light and texture of the snow. This is a fleeting moment of sublime beauty, so soon vanishing.” — KERRICK JAMES

CLAIRE CURRAN
Considered for: There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills, October 2020
A cold morning at Lee Valley Reservoir, in the White Mountains, decorates autumn-hued leaves with a layer of frost. As Arizona’s highest-elevation reservoir (9,422 feet), Lee Valley Reservoir sees its share of cold mornings.

PETER COSKUN
Considered for: There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills, October 2020
Fallen maple and oak leaves form an autumn mosaic on the banks of Workman Creek, a waterway in the Sierra Ancha. This remote mountain range southeast of Payson is known for its dramatic canyons and lack of development.

“The abundant foliage that covers the forest floor often goes unnoticed until the chill of fall arrives. The cold air brings out its last colors in shades of reds and browns and greens. On wintry mornings, their edges curl and are often rimmed with a sparkle of frost, as if they are dressing up for their last dance of the year.” — SUZANNE MATHIA

TOM BEAN
Considered for: There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills, October 2020
Fresh snow flocks aspens near Hart Prairie, northwest of Flagstaff on the west side of the San Francisco Peaks. Hart Prairie, the site of a preserve operated by The Nature Conservancy, is best known for being home to the world’s largest community of Bebb willows.

“This image, for me, is all about beginnings, with the start of autumn being interrupted by the beginning of winter. The soft light of an overcast sky leads the viewer’s eye into and out of different depths, and into the solitude of the scene. This image’s strength is in capturing the beginnings of both seasons and the contrast of warm and cool colors.” — PAUL GILL

JACK DYKINGA
Considered for: There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills, October 2020
Leafless cottonwoods and cattails, mirrored by marsh water in morning light, make intricate designs at Whitewater Draw, a wildlife viewing area in Southeastern Arizona. This site
is famous as a roost location for sandhill cranes, more than 30,000 of which visit Whitewater Draw in winter.

“The strong diagonals of the tree branches, combined with the perfectly symmetrical reflection, produce an intensely graphic pattern of lines and shapes, which is calmed by the comfortable contrast of warm and cool tones.” — JOEL HAZELTON

PAUL GILL
Considered for: There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills, October 2020
The water of Oak Creek carries captured fall leaves as it cascades over boulders in Oak Creek Canyon, north of Sedona. The canyon’s perennial creek, thick foliage and dramatic sandstone cliffs make it a popular destination year-round.

“This Zen-like image is all about balance and motion: the explosive cascade in the lower left versus the smooth cascade in the top right, the milky rapids at the base versus the ink-black water at the crest, and the opposing curves of the cascade forming a beautiful ‘S’ through the composition.” — JOEL HAZELTON

SUZANNE MATHIA
Considered for: Table of Contents, June 2020
Sunlight breaks through clouds during a storm above the strangely textured “brain rock” of White Pocket, a remote destination on Northern Arizona’s Paria Plateau.

“The first impression of this image is the drama of the parting storm and how it illuminates the waves of weathered rock. This is accentuated by the centered composition, which adds a sense of isolation and tension between earth and sky. Overall, the impression of hope is what I take away from this image.” — PAUL GILL

PAUL GILL
Considered for: Wildflowers of the Sonoran Desert, March 2020
Sego lilies (Calochortus nuttallii) grow in abundance in Central Arizona’s Mazatzal Wilderness, which protects the mountain range of the same name. Like many of Arizona’s native plants, sego lilies have traditional uses among several of the state’s Indigenous tribes.

“These two images instantly took me to a quote by Edward Abbey from Desert Solitaire: ‘The extreme clarity of desert light is equaled by the extreme individualization of the desert life forms. Love flowers best in openness and freedom.’ The simultaneous beauty and resilience of the desert never ceases to amaze me.” — GURINDER SINGH

JOEL HAZELTON
Considered for: Wildflowers of the Sonoran Desert, March 2020
A blooming hedgehog cactus reaches toward the setting sun at Phoenix’s South Mountain Park and Preserve. In the background is the Sierra Estrella, a rugged mountain range protected by a 14,400-acre wilderness area.

PAUL GILL
Considered for: Table of Contents, August 2020
Monsoon storm clouds gather over sunflowers on the slope of O’Leary Peak, an extinct lava dome volcano northeast of Flagstaff. An old jeep road now serves as a moderate hiking trail to the top of this peak.

“Oh, the joys of a perfect photographic day leading to the perfect photograph! This is what works: the glowingly vibrant colors, the rough texture of the sunflowers contrasted with the softness of the clouds, and the two trees that entice your eyes to the middle of the image.” — CLAIRE CURRAN

REBECCA WILKS
Considered for: The Journal, June 2020
Morning light casts a glow on the misty water of C.C. Cragin Reservoir on the Mogollon Rim. Formerly known as Blue Ridge Reservoir, this lake is an important water source for the nearby town of Payson.

“Low-angle sunlight reaches deep into a canyon, highlighting an aspen, a conifer and mist rising from the surface of still waters. Our attention goes first to the lighted, soft greenery; then we are drawn into the details of the shaded areas of sandstone cliffs and dense, dark forest, creating a quiet, cool, meditative image
of restful earth tones. ” — TOM BEAN

GUY SCHMICKLE
Considered for: The High Points, June 2020
Ocotillos and agaves anchor a view of a rainbow during a monsoon storm in Red Rock Country. Beneath the rainbow is Cathedral Rock, one of the Sedona area’s best-known sandstone formations.

“At first, the direct sun lighting the red rocks and creating a rainbow seizes our attention; then we’re pulled back to gaze into the desert plant community where we stand. The decision to include the Arizona flora of the foreground emphasizes the life forms of an environment where usually it is the landforms that receive our attention. There is only one place on Earth where we could be.” — TOM BEAN

SUZANNE MATHIA
Considered for: Picture Perfect, Part 1: Havasu Canyon, August 2020
The famous blue-green water of Havasu Creek, a Colorado River tributary, nourishes diverse greenery at the bottom of Havasu Canyon. The canyon is the home of the Havasupai people and is accessible only via hike, mule ride or helicopter flight.

“A primer on the color green, from deep forest to emerald. The log, with its complementary red hues. The showy yellow of the flowers, like small spotlights. All a holiday for the eye. ” — CLAIRE CURRAN

REBECCA WILKS
Considered for: The Journal, June 2020
The calm water of the West Fork of Oak Creek mirrors the cliffs and pines of Oak Creek Canyon. This branch of Oak Creek is accessible via one of the state’s most popular hiking trails.

“My eye travels through the cool beauty of this photograph on the warm, sinuous line created by the reflection of canyon walls. The single red stone anchors this perfectly.” — AMY S. MARTIN

TOM BEAN
Considered for: The High Points, June 2020
Fog mingles with ponderosa pines on the slopes of Anderson Mesa, south of Flagstaff. This landform is a scenic destination along the Arizona Trail, an 817-mile route that crosses the state from north to south.

“Not only does this image capture a rare and ephemeral moment on the landscape, it also strikes an artful balance between the opposing tones and textures of the blanketing fog and the serrated forest. The symmetry of the juxtaposed elements creates an unexpected, and appealing, equilibrium.” — AMY S. MARTIN

PETER COSKUN
Considered for: The High Points, June 2020
Numerous mature saguaros guard the hillsides in the Superstition Mountains, east of Phoenix. Scorched by several wildfires this summer, the Superstitions remain a favorite hiking destination for local residents.

Such. Incredible. Light. A classic example of Southwest desert contrasts. Colors: warm and cool. Textures: the craggy cliffs, prickly cactuses and soft, ethereal skies. Lines: ramrod-straight saguaros curving beautifully from the bottom right of the frame across to the golden cliffs and back into the skies. All serving to accent that incredible light. Oh, to be standing there!” — Derek von Briesen

AMY S. MARTIN
Considered for: The Great Escapes, July 2020
A desert stingbush (Eucnide urens) blooms near the bottom of the Grand Canyon as mirror-like water reflects nearby cliffs. This perennial shrub, also known as desert rock nettle, is found in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah, along with northern Mexico.

“My late mom, an accomplished landscape oil painter, loved these kinds of scenes — called them ‘abstract realism.’ So real, but with shapes, colors and a certain interpretive mystery that are pure abstract. A delightful puzzle: Look down to see up. The mottled texture at the top of the frame, rock-hard but really a perfect reflection in mirrored waters. All anchored by a perfectly blooming desert shrub. Hang it on the wall!” — DEREK VON BRIESEN

DOUGLAS KOEPSEL
Considered for: The High Points, June 2020
A lupine blooms amid ferns on the north side of the Flagstaff area’s San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountain range in Arizona. The Peaks’ biodiversity is what led naturalist C. Hart Merriam to establish a scientific base camp there in the late 1800s.

“This image is about Nature finding a way to stand out. From the sea of green, she pushes up the purple to make a bold statement that attracts the attention of all sorts of critters, including us.” — SHANE McDERMOTT

PAUL GILL
Considered for: Wildflowers of the Sonoran Desert, March 2020
Desert mariposa lilies (Calochortus kennedyi) emerge from a sea of smaller blooms along the Apache Trail (State Route 88) in the Superstition Mountains.

“Wildflowers pop themselves into existence with a relentless reach for the sun. Their short journey into this life almost seems heroic. From the dense, dry earth and carpeted foliage, they unfurl with fierce determination and astonishing beauty, all in celebration of the sun.” — SHANE McDERMOTT

DAVID MUENCH
Considered for: The Great Escapes, July 2020
The rugged Kofa Mountains of Western Arizona form a backdrop for a “portrait” of a healthy cholla cactus. Found throughout the desert Southwest, chollas are known for their barbed spines, which readily attach to animals and people.

“The silver cholla’s brightness demands the viewer’s attention. By setting the cholla against the darker red-rock buttresses of the Kofa Mountains, maximum impact is achieved.” — JACK DYKINGA

SHANE McDERMOTT
Considered for: The Great Escapes, July 2020
Stars fill the night sky over the sandstone hoodoos of Blue Canyon, a remote destination on Hopi Tribe land. Visiting this otherworldly landscape requires a tribal permit and a guide.

“By using juxtaposition of mysterious stone sentinels against layers of moving clouds, an otherworldly effect is achieved. The overall effect is dramatic, and the bright sprinkling of stars reinforces that feeling.” — JACK DYKINGA

DEREK VON BRIESEN
Considered for: This Is the Start of Something Big, January 2020
Clouds fill the Grand Canyon during a winter sunset, as viewed from the South Rim’s Yavapai Point. On average, the South Rim receives nearly 5 feet of snow per year.