The American Southwest

Desert San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

The Year of the Desert Lily: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflowers in Spring 2024

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park occasionally has exceptional spring wildflower blooms. 2024 was one of those years, it was a nice, fairly typical bloom and not a Superbloom. The last Superbloom we had in Anza-Borrego was in 2017. (And no, 2019 was not a superbloom). But the 2024 bloom in Anza-Borrego…

Phil CollaMarch 28, 2024

Antelope Canyon Arizona The American Southwest

New Images of Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Tribal Lands, Page, Arizona

We recently made a quick Southwest loop and spent a little time in Page, Arizona, just enough make a trip into Antelope Canyon. It was super. The canyon itself was almost empty with just a few other people, and we were able to spend all the time we wanted walking…

Phil CollaMarch 3, 2022

The American Southwest Utah Zion

The Temple of Sinawava, Zion Canyon, Zion National Park

The Temple of Sinawava lies at the end of the Zion National Park scenic drive, where the canyon becomes so narrow one must proceed on foot. On approach to the Temple of Sinawava is the Pulpit, a dramatic sandstone column rising above the Virgin River, monolithic and huge yet dwarfed…

Phil CollaMarch 1, 2022

Arizona Horseshoe Bend The American Southwest

Earthshadow over Horseshoe Bend and the Colorado River at Dawn

Horseshoe Bend is a stunning 180° bend in the Colorado River which has eroded a dramatic, 1100-foot gorge below the surrounding mesa. It lies near Page, Arizona, Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell and is a short, easy hike from the highway to the precipice. Thankfully the personal injury attorneys have not…

Phil CollaFebruary 28, 2022

Arizona Grand Canyon The American Southwest

Alpenglow and Earthshadow over the Grand Canyon at Dawn

The best time to photograph the Grand Canyon is a short while before sunrise or just after sunset. On a clear, cold day, these are the two moments when alpenglow will bathe the terrain with soft but richly-colored light and when the Belt of Venus will appear opposite the rising…

Phil CollaFebruary 26, 2022

The American Southwest Utah Zion

Alpenglow and the Big Walls of Zion Canyon at Dawn

Shortly before sunrise I was greeted by this sublime scene. This is one of my favorite spots in Zion National Park, and I photograph sunrise here every chance I am able. This morning there were thin clouds hanging above the high cliffs, and together they caught the alpenglow that precedes…

Phil CollaFebruary 25, 2022

Arizona Grand Canyon The American Southwest

Dusk over the Grand Canyon from Grandeur Point

The Grand Canyon at dusk, viewed from Grandeur Point on the South Rim.

Phil CollaFebruary 24, 2022

Arizona Grand Canyon The American Southwest

Sunset over the Grand Canyon from Mather Point, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Sunset over the Grand Canyon, viewed from Mather Point on the South Rim.

Phil CollaFebruary 23, 2022

Arizona Grand Canyon The American Southwest

Grand Canyon Sunrise from Hopi Point, Grand Canyon National Park

A beautiful Grand Canyon sunrise, seen from Hopi Point on the South Rim.

Phil CollaFebruary 21, 2022

Slot Canyons The American Southwest Utah

Hiking Kanarra Creek Falls, Kanarraville, Utah

Kanarra Creek Falls is a beautiful slot canyon, a great spot for a hike and photography in the summer and fall. Also known as Kanarraville Falls, the creek and slot canyon are just north of Zion National Park's Kolob Canyon near Kanarraville, Utah. A 1.5 mile hike takes you from…

Phil CollaMarch 8, 2020

Antelope Canyon Arizona Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyons The American Southwest The Wave Utah White Pocket

The Ultimate Photographer’s Weekend in Page, Arizona

Great photography spots around Page, Arizona, including Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Canyon X, Radio Tower Rock, Rattlesnake Canyon, Stud Horse Point, Little Cut, the Toadstool Hoodoos, and the Wave and White Pocket. What visit to Page, Arizona is complete with a spectacular Horseshoe Bend sunrise? So you…

Phil CollaFebruary 24, 2020

Arizona Slot Canyons The American Southwest

Rattlesnake Canyon and Owl Canyon, Page, Arizona

There are many slot canyons in the area around Page, Arizona. In my opinion, Rattlesnake Canyon is the most sinuous and interesting to traverse. Rattlesnake Canyon is part of the Upper Antelope Canyon wash system, and one passes right by Rattlesnake on the way to Upper Antelope. Photographically, I have…

Phil CollaFebruary 1, 2020

California Carlsbad Desert San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

Sorry but No, 2019 Was Not a #Superbloom

It's official: 2019 was not a wildflower #superbloom. Huh? But Internet said? In spite of what was trending, 2019 in southern California was just #spring. What about #elsinore #poppypocalypse? That was an entirely predictable social media feedback loop of herd behavior. As far as the flowers themselves go however, Elsinore…

Phil CollaJuly 3, 2019

Carlsbad Desert Joshua Tree San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photographs of Southern California’s Spring Wildflowers — the 2017 Super Bloom

During March and early April of this year I was chasing the wildflower bloom around the southernmost parts of California. The wildflower bloom was indeed spectacular and went on for weeks with vast displays of color. Was it a "super bloom"? I'm not sure. Somewhere during March the interwebs began…

Phil CollaJuly 16, 2017

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Blood Red Moon Madness! A Tetrad of Total Lunar Eclipses

Lunar eclipse sequence, showing total eclipse (left) through full moon (right). While the moon lies in the full shadow of the earth (umbra) it receives only faint, red-tinged light refracted through the Earth's atmosphere. As the moon passes into the penumbra it receives increasing amounts of direct sunlight, eventually leaving…

Phil CollaDecember 23, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Perseid Meteor Shower over Joshua Tree National Park, August 2015

Each August the Perseid meteor shower takes place. This year it peaked during a new moon, which offered prime conditions for seeing many meteors. I photographed the Perseid meteor shower in Joshua Tree National Park using two compositions/locations: with Arch Rock as one feature and with a single joshua tree…

Phil CollaAugust 16, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Perseid Meteor Shower over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, 2015

The Perseid meteor shower occurs each August, peaking on the evenings of August 12 and 13. It happens because the Earth is plowing through the trail of dust left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseid meteors are named for the constellation Perseus in the northern sky, from which the meteors…

Phil CollaAugust 14, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse April 4 2015 from Joshua Tree National Park

I went up to Joshua Tree National Park to watch the lunar eclipse of April 4, 2015. Photographically, I was not sure what I was going to do. I've made a series of lunar eclipse sequence images (lunar eclipse October 8, 2014 and April 14, 2014 version 2 version 3).…

Phil CollaApril 5, 2015

California Desert The American Southwest

Moonflowers – Desert Wildflowers at Night

"Moonflowers" - with a nod to my favorite rock band, and the best guitarist of all time. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and the small community of Borrego Springs contained within, have had a reasonably nice wildflower bloom this year. That's great news, since it has been awhile since the last…

Phil CollaMarch 12, 2015

Arches The American Southwest Utah

Wild West Magazine – Shooting Star and Milky Way over Delicate Arch

A shooting star and the Milky Way over Delicate Arch at night, seen on the "parting shot" end page of Wild West Magazine. This is the first time I have had my work in Wild West which was nice! Cheers, and thanks for looking!

Phil CollaJanuary 11, 2015

Arches The American Southwest Utah

Sunset over the Garden of the Gods, Arches National Park, Utah

The sun sets over the Garden of the Gods in Arches National Park, Utah. Garry McCarthy and I were in Utah for a few days of hiking and night photography. While we shot the sunset from this scenic point we bumped into night photography great Brad Goldpaint, a nice guy…

Phil CollaAugust 13, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Sequence, Juniper and Standing Rock, Joshua Tree, 2014

For the eclipse of April 14/15, 2014, I wanted to depict the course of the eclipse across the sky with some recognizable landscape features in the foreground to anchor the composition. As the day of the eclipse went by, I watched the weather reports and decided Joshua Tree National Park…

Phil CollaJune 9, 2014

Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

Mesa Arch Sunrise and Night under the Milky Way, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Icon alert: this post is about Mesa Arch, a major icon which many now scorn and avoid as a subject of landscape photography, and which is known to have the crowd these days. I've photographed a few icons over the past 30 years, although many of them are underwater and…

Phil CollaJune 7, 2014

Arches Icons The American Southwest Utah

Icon: Sunset over Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

I unapologetically photograph a lot of icons and Delicate Arch is one of my favorites. There are few places in the United States that are more iconic than Delicate Arch in Arches National Park -- it is depicted on a license plate for crying out loud. Places like this are…

Phil CollaJune 1, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

The Eyes of Utah – Natural Arches and the Milky Way

The Eyes of Utah? I think these two images look like "eyes", at least to my eyes they do. The first one sort of looks like an evil serpent's eye, while the second resembles a whale's eye. (If you have never seen a whale up close, you'll just have to…

Phil CollaMay 23, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest

Light Painting Delicate Arch, Utah

The first few times I photographed Delicate Arch in Utah's Arches National Park, most of my compositions were close to the arch. After editing the results of my last visit to the park I resolved to make more distant compositions, for variety's sake and to put the arch into its…

Phil CollaMay 14, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Delicate Arch, Milky Way and Iridium Flare at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

I have shot Arches National Park a number of times, including a very fruitful trip some years ago to shoot astrophotography landscapes. I returned earlier this month for more, and found that I have reached a point where I need to find alternatives to the usual compositions. This one was…

Phil CollaMay 13, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree Panoramas The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Sequence over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, April 2014

The lunar eclipse of April 14 and 15, 2014 was a wonderful event to see. I went up to Joshua Tree National Park to photograph it for two reasons. First, the weather forecast in the high desert was for clear skies and, for the most part, the skies were indeed…

Phil CollaApril 29, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Blood Red Moon Sequence over Joshua Tree National Park

This is the first of my photographic efforts shooting the lunar eclipse the evening of April 14/15 2014. I spent the entire night out under the stars in Joshua Tree National Park, where I often shoot when looking for clear skies and stars at night. I photographed several compositions and…

Phil CollaApril 17, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Venus, Milky Way and Arch Rock at Astronomical Twilight, Joshua Tree National Park

Things are always better at astronomical twilight. Venus was often referred to as the “Morning Star” by ancient civilizations (and as the “Evening Star” as well). On this day, it was indeed the morning star, rising just moments before astronomical twilight began. This allowed for a very brief window of…

Phil CollaApril 11, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Natural Bridges The American Southwest Utah

Owachomo Bridge and Milky Way at Night, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Night Photo of Owachomo Bridge and the Milky Way After making the long drive to Natural Bridges National Monument, we arrived in time to enjoy a colorful sunset and eat some dinner while waiting for the sky to become dark enough for us to begin our photography. The weather was…

Phil CollaJuly 22, 2013

Arizona Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest The Wave

The Wave Under Stars at Night, North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness

Astrophotography and Night Photography at the Wave, North Coyote Buttes The Wave, a fantastic area of ancient, stone-frozen sand dunes and tortured rock, is a real favorite of mine. Among photographers it is both something of a Mecca as well as a cliche. There are quite a few photographers who…

Phil CollaJuly 16, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah Zion

Milky Way and Star Trails Over the Watchman, Zion National Park

The Watchman is one of the iconic landmarks in Zion National Park, such that throngs of photographers line the bridge each fall at sunset to photograph the Watchman with the Virgin River and autumn trees in front of it. We elected for a much different image, one with the Milky…

Phil CollaJune 23, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Live Oak and Rocks, Milky Way Galaxy, Joshua Tree National Park

Milky Way Galaxy, Live Oak and Rocks, Joshua Tree National Park at Night I have spent many evenings photographing the landscape and night sky at Joshua Tree National Park. The terrain is harsh and there are few trees other than Yucca and Joshua Tree. I did find one attractive live…

Phil CollaMay 9, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Valley of Fire

The Fire Wave at Night, Milky Way and Stars, Valley of Fire State Park

The Milky Way and Stars at Night over the Fire Wave in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada The Fire Wave in Valley of Fire: an interesting striped expanse of sandstone, now commonly photographed. I wanted to make some uncommon images of the Fire Wave, so I set up my…

Phil CollaApril 30, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Joshua Tree Panoramas The American Southwest

Milky Way and Moon at Night, Shooting Star, Comet Panstarrs, Panorama, Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park, Milky Way and Moon, Shooting Star, Comet Panstarrs, Impending Dawn. This panorama of Joshua Tree National Park was made at astronomical twilight during International Dark Sky Week recently (last week). Some slight blue color from the impending dawn appears behind and to the left of the…

Phil CollaApril 18, 2013

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest

Shooting Star over Delicate Arch at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

This image is also featured on my Landscape Astrophotography website: Delicate Arch at Night, Milky Way and Shooting Star, Arches National Park, Utah This is spectacular Delicate Arch, the most iconic and popular of the arches in Arches National Park in Utah. Looking back on 2012 I realize I made…

Phil CollaJanuary 13, 2013

Nevada The American Southwest Valley of Fire

Moonset over Fire Wave, Valley of Fire, Nevada

The moon sets over the Fire Wave, a candy-striped bowl of sandstone found in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, not far from Las Vegas. Who knew such a a serene and beautiful scene could lie only an hour from the world's greatest den of depravity and sin?…

Phil CollaJanuary 1, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

False Kiva at Sunset, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

False Kiva Photo, Sunset Canyonlands National Park, Utah One afternoon in Canyonlands National Park I came up with an ambitious plan: to hike to False Kiva on the edge of the Island in the Sky mesa, photograph the dusk and early evening there, hike out and then shoot Mesa Arch…

Phil CollaOctober 16, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Delicate Arch and Milky Way Stars at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch at Night, Milky Way and Stars Overhead. Arches National Park, Utah. I spent a wonderful evening photographing Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It was warm and dry, with a clear star-filled sky overhead and just a speck of breeze. I photographed Delicate Arch and the moon at…

Phil CollaOctober 15, 2012

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