ARIZONA SPRING 2016 - DAY FOUR

FRIDAY, MARCH 25^{TH -} 

Today was our last day in Southern Arizona. We started with morning light on Saguaro and other cacti. 

Saguaro Embraces The Moon

Organ Pipe Cactus

Saguaro and Creosote Nurse Plant

Before leaving Ajo and heading for the Phoenix area, we visited their beautiful church. 

Ajo Catholic Church

Ajo Church Window

Outside of the church was a gila woodpecker who had set up a nest in a saguaro cactus. 

Gila Woodpecker

In the Phoenix area we visited the Lost Dutchman Mine State Park for sunset. The base of the Superstition Mountains were covered with the yellow flowers of brittlebush. 

Lost Dutchman State Park

Superstition Mountains and Brittlebush

Due to it’s proximity to Phoenix it is very popular for day hiking. There are a number of hiking trails to choose from. One had to compose carefully to not include the hand of man in the setting sun landscape.

This evening we had a few clouds in the sky which make for better photography. It is a challenge to capture it as we see it. I experimented with High Dynamic Range Photography and was pleased with the results. The results are that you have a greater range of exposure and are able to photograph more of the range of light which we can actually see, but the camera can not capture in a single exposure.

Desert Sunset

Desert Sunset and Sky

After The Sun Set