Tall saguaros anchor a nighttime view of the Milky Way galaxy near San Manuel, northeast of Tucson. By Sean Parker
Midsummer Nights
Photographing Night Skies As you’ll see in this portfolio, there are several ways to photograph stars, planets and the Milky Way. Some of the images are a single exposure, others are a stitched…
The Gila River flows around a curve within the boundaries of the proposed Great Bend of the Gila National Monument. By David Wallace
The Great Bend Of The Gila
The Gila River sleeps in its bed southwest of metropolitan Phoenix, curled up in a long and lazy bend of dry sand, its water penned behind a series of upstream dams. This section, known as the Great…
A visitor to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park looks through a telescope during the Grand Canyon Star Party. Photograph by John Burcham.
The Dawn Of The Dark Age
When you’ve been driving for seven hours in search of a starry sky, there are a few things you don’t want to see near the end of the trip. Clouds are one of them. My wife, Jen, and I are…
A Grand Canyon motor rafting trip prepares to launch into the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. Photograph by Dawn Kish.
Preparing For Takeoff
The boats might be dories, jumbo motor rigs or modest rowing rafts, and the groups might be large or small. But one thing is constant when it comes to rafting trips through the Grand Canyon: After…
Dave Foster casts up and across the Colorado River at Long Bar. Photograph by Scott Baxter.
A River Runs Through Him
As the sun dips behind the sandstone walls of Marble Canyon, the temperature dips, too. It’s 4:15 p.m., and Dave Foster stands in waders in the middle of the Colorado River, water up to his waist. We…
Hanging foliage grows along a perennial spring that feeds East Clear Creek. Photograph by Joel Hazelton.
The Unexpected Nature of Arizona
Delicate wildflowers bloom among the leaves of corn lilies in the Chiricahua Mountains of Southeastern Arizona. As a “sky island” range, the Chiricahuas harbor many…
Evening light illuminates the rolling foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains along Gardner Canyon Road, an ideal route for exploring the range. Photograph by Norma Jean Gargasz.
The High Roads
Before You Go Each of these drives includes travel on unpaved roads that sometimes don’t see a lot of traffic, so make sure you have the right vehicle and are aware of weather and road conditions…
One of the Grand Canyon’s steep cliffs dwarfs a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) as it navigates the gorge. Photograph by John Sherman
Talon Search
Like playing right field, counting migrating raptors at the Grand Canyon is a test of patience and focus. With extended periods of absolutely nothing being interrupted by fast and furious action, it’…