POW: Southwestern Landscapes

 "Mountain Sunset"

 "Joshua Tree Silhouette"

 "Mountains in Saguaro"

"Spiky"

The sunny skies of Southern California and Arizona provide a welcome break from the long winter months back home. The landscape here is vast and open: a desert criss-crossed with mountains which seem to rise straight out of the flatlands. Trees are uncommon but cactuses abound, dotting the landscape with their strong stems and sharp spines. In Joshua Tree National Park, the sun set at Key's View, overlooking the San Bernardino Mountains and the Coachella Valley beyond. The sky is hazy with pollution, funneled into the valley from the industrial regions along the coast. The Joshua trees for which the park is named are illuminated and silhouetted as the sun sinks below the mountains. In Arizona, giant saguaro cacti fill the view in every direction. They cover the rocky mountainous landscapes where it seems no plant should grow and their dangerous spines reach extend precariously towards the path. These incredible landscapes are truly unlike any other. 

Light Painting

"Round & Round" 

"Fiery"

"Roller Coaster"

"Color Flash"

I really enjoyed the light painting assignment. It was a much greater challenge than I had anticipated, as far as creativity goes. I found that by experimenting with a variety of different light sources, I was able to get a lot of different, interesting results. I also realized that light painting is a lot more than waving a flashlight around in the dark -- although that can be cool. It requires some deliberateness and a clear idea of what effect you are trying to produce, just like in any other photography setting. As I worked more with the light painting, I was able to figure out what effect I wanted and create that.