BY: David Muench

Let There Be Light

Light in desert country is both a boon and a bane for photographers. Early morning and late afternoon provide the boon with streams of light that produce warm golden colors and photographs that give the desert landscape a remarkable softness and beauty. The bane of desert light comes with late morning and early afternoon when the sun's rays are harsh and hot, producing photos that appear washed-out, almost colorless. In the hands of master photographer David Muench, however, desert light becomes a tool to create incredible pictures, such as those you'll find here. (PREVIOUS PANEL, PAGE 25) An ocotillo towers above a staghorn cholla in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. (RIGHT) Many-armed Joshua trees seem to welcome visitors to the Grand Wash Cliffs.

A Portfolio by David Muench

Let There Be Light

Let There Be Light

(PREVIOUS PANEL, PAGES 28 AND 29) Teddybear cholla flourish below the Kofa Mountains, where bighorn sheep live. (LEFT) Cholla, organ pipe, and ocotillo crowd a cactus garden in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.