The American Southwest

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of the “Heart of the Wave”, North Coyote Buttes

Sitting on the rim of the main bowl of the Wave -- right where the photograph below was taken -- I watched a couple of hikers arriving. There reaction was natural: no sooner did they step foot through the entry passage than they looked around at the strange surroundings in…

Phil CollaApril 26, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

The Wave in the North Coyote Buttes: The Perfect Skatepark?

Before X-Games and Tony Hawk, nay even before Bahne skateboards, Chicago trucks and Cadillac wheels, there was the Wave. Formed in the days before mankind walked erect, indeed before there was a mankind, God created the ultimate skatepark, one that has yet to be improved upon. The Wave has waited…

Phil CollaApril 25, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Photo of Diagenetic Coloration in Sandstone, North Coyote Buttes

Not far from the Second Wave is a broad swatch of sandstone displaying exellent examples of diagenetic coloration, various iron oxides producing different colors in the Navaho sandstone strata, dating from the Jurassic era: Striations in sandstone tell of eons of sedimentary deposits, a visible geologic record of the time…

Phil CollaApril 24, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

Hiking the Wave in Arizona’s North Coyote Buttes

Walking around the area surrounding the Wave in Arizona's Paria Canyon / Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, one is certain to find this interesting alcove. During the time of day that it lies in shade, it receives only deep red light reflected from neighboring walls. That, combined with its own coloration, results…

Phil CollaApril 23, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part IV

Once I reached the Wave and got over my initial wonder, I began to wander around and explore the whole area. For a photographer it is hard not to start taking photos as soon as one sets foot inside the Wave. Just like everyone else, I immediately shot some pics,…

Phil CollaApril 22, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part III

The walk to the the Wave is really not all that difficult. There are only a few hundred feet of elevation gain, and it is only about 3 miles from trailhead to the Wave proper, so one would be hard-pressed indeed to consider it anything more than a moderate hike.…

Phil CollaApril 21, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part II

The last 20 minutes of my flight to Vegas were crazy, with the plane dipping and bobbing all over the place in the wind. The steward seemed to enjoy it, stating that it was just normal flying conditions for Vegas when summer approaches and the weather warms up, so I…

Phil CollaApril 20, 2008

Arizona The American Southwest The Wave

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part I

I have long heard comments from hikers and landscape photographers about the beautiful and bizarre sandstone formations of the North Coyote Buttes area of Arizona. I am not a serious landscape photographer nor am I a what you would consider a "desert lover". However, on a lark, I decided to…

Phil CollaApril 19, 2008

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photo of Dune Evening Primrose

My favorite desert flower to photograph is the dune evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides). It is so elegant and striking that even a blind monkey with a broken camera can get a good shot of this flower. I've seen them in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park during years of good spring bloom,…

Phil CollaMarch 4, 2008

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photos of Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers

I got out for a quick look at some wildflowers at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on Sunday morning. I got out there at 6am just as the sun was rising, and by 8am the light had grown so harsh I put my camera away and just hiked around. The bloom…

Phil CollaMarch 3, 2008

California Desert The American Southwest

Palm Tree Farm

I wandered around a palm tree farm in the desert, feeling like I was amid some kind of midget forest. The palm fronds were just above my head, and the ground was covered in thick fuzz and trimmings from the trees. Due to the wide lens I used, these trees…

Phil CollaMarch 1, 2008

Antelope Canyon Arizona Slot Canyons The American Southwest

Slot Hobbit

I recently got the news that I was one of the fortunate to receive a permit to visit the Wave, part of the North Coyote Butte area in Arizona, in April. It's a place I have long heard about, and the photos that others have shot there make it look…

Phil CollaJanuary 18, 2008

California Joshua Tree National Parks Photo of the Day The American Southwest

Photo of Joshua Trees at Sunrise

We went out to La Quinta last weekend to visit our new baby niece. A big storm system was passing over California but the Coachella Valley got very little rain from it. I made a sunrise run out to Joshua Tree National Park and did a little exploring as the…

Phil CollaJanuary 8, 2008

Antelope Canyon Arizona Slot Canyons The American Southwest

Photographer in Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon near Page, Arizona. In January I spent a day there shooting the upper canyon (there are two slot canyons, "upper" and "lower") and had a blast. We had Antelope Canyon virtually to ourselves (a small group of five) for several hours. A photographer works…

Phil CollaJune 13, 2007

California Desert The American Southwest

Photo of the Borrego Badlands from Fonts Point

From Font's Point in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, one can look across the Borrego Badlands (Carrizo Badlands), once an ancient lake but now a corrugated, tortured, barren wasteland (e.g., Mordor). Carrizo Badlands viewed from Fonts Point. Image ID: 05530 Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA Carrizo Badlands…

Phil CollaMay 24, 2007

California Desert The American Southwest

Photo of 17 Palms Oasis

17 Palms Oasis is located in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, several miles down the lunar-looking Arroyo Salado wash. The drive along Arroyo Salado is fun and relatively simple, although a four-wheel drive car is recommended. Seventeen Palms Oasis, consisting of (not surprisingly) 17 palms, appears out of nowhere as you…

Phil CollaMay 23, 2007

Antelope Canyon Arizona Slot Canyons The American Southwest

Photos of Antelope Canyon Slot Canyon

Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon near Page, Arizona. I recently spent a day there shooting the upper canyon (there are two slot canyons, "upper" and "lower") and had a blast. We had Antelope Canyon virtually to ourselves (a small group of five) for several hours. A hiker admiring the…

Phil CollaJanuary 30, 2007

Arches National Parks The American Southwest Utah

Photo of Turret Arch, Arches National Park

Turret Arch at sunset, viewed from North Window, in Arches National Park, Utah: Turret Arch at sunset, winter. Image ID: 18146 Location: Turret Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, USA Turret Arch photos.

Phil CollaJanuary 28, 2007

Canyonlands National Parks The American Southwest Utah

Mesa Arch Photo

Mesa Arch stands at the edge of Island in the Sky mesa in Canyonlands National Park. It juts out and over a 600-foot drop into Buck Canyon. While small by Utah standards, Mesa Arch lies in a dramatic setting and easy access make it a destination for most visitors to…

Phil CollaJanuary 25, 2007

Arches National Parks The American Southwest Utah

Photo of Pine Tree Arch, Arches National Park

Pine Tree Arch is a natural sandstone arch in the Devil's Garden area of Arches National Park in Utah. It gets its name from a small pine tree growing in the middle of the span. It is found on a short spur trail stemming from the more travelled trail to…

Phil CollaJanuary 24, 2007

The American Southwest Utah

Photo of Wilson Arch, Utah

Wilson Arch is a large natural sandstone arch about 25 miles south of Arches National Park in Utah. A short walk up a steep slope takes the hiker right to the base of the arch, with a fantastic view on either side of the arch. Wilson Arch rises high above…

Phil CollaJanuary 23, 2007

Canyonlands National Parks The American Southwest Utah

Mesa Arch Sunrise Photo

Mesa Arch is a spectacular natural sandstone arch at the edge of the Island-in-the-Sky region of Canyonlands National Park. It literally juts up and out from the mesa, hanging over the chasm with an unbroken drop many hundreds of feet below. For a few minutes at sunrise, if the horizon…

Phil CollaJanuary 17, 2007

National Parks The American Southwest Utah Zion

Waterfalls at Temple of Sinawava, Zion National Park

On a recent visit to Utah I had a chance to spend some time in Zion National Park. A number of ephemeral waterfalls were flowing, the result of rainstorms that had passed over Zion Canyon a few days before. The Temple of Sinawava, a widening in Zion Canyon at the…

Phil CollaMay 2, 2005

Cactus California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Red Barrel Cactus Photos, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Thanks to John Dougherty for kindly helping us to correctly identify a number of flowering plants from recent visits to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. One of our favorite subjects was the Red Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus) which were just beginning to show their blooms. Barrel cactus, brittlebush and wildflowers color…

Phil CollaMarch 18, 2005

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Canyon Sunrise, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Anza Borrego Desert State Park is currently experiencing an epic, once-in-a-lifetime bloom of desert wildflowers, bushes and cacti. The sand verbena and desert primrose flowers that had covered the valley floor so spectacularly in places in February seem to be receding or largely gone, replaced with poppies and lupine. However,…

Phil CollaMarch 16, 2005

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photos of Wildflowers at Anza Borrego Desert State Park

The spring wildflower bloom is happening right now at Anza Borrego Desert State Park, as well as many other places in California. The bloom appears to be early and thick this year due to the heavy rains we had over the past few months. Here are some examples, shot Sunday…

Phil CollaFebruary 10, 2005

Previous 1 2 3

Photo of the “Heart of the Wave”, North Coyote Buttes

The Wave in the North Coyote Buttes: The Perfect Skatepark?

Photo of Diagenetic Coloration in Sandstone, North Coyote Buttes

Hiking the Wave in Arizona’s North Coyote Buttes

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part IV

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part III

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part II

A Day At The Wave, North Coyote Buttes, Part I

Photo of Dune Evening Primrose

Photos of Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers

Palm Tree Farm

Slot Hobbit

Photo of Joshua Trees at Sunrise

Photographer in Antelope Canyon

Photo of the Borrego Badlands from Fonts Point

Photo of 17 Palms Oasis

Photos of Antelope Canyon Slot Canyon

Photo of Turret Arch, Arches National Park

Mesa Arch Photo

Photo of Pine Tree Arch, Arches National Park

Photo of Wilson Arch, Utah

Mesa Arch Sunrise Photo

Waterfalls at Temple of Sinawava, Zion National Park

Red Barrel Cactus Photos, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Canyon Sunrise, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Photos of Wildflowers at Anza Borrego Desert State Park

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