Watson Lake / Peoples Valley, Arizona

Watson Lake


Peoples Valley

Prior to my friends art opening in Prescott, Arizona I went to Watson Lake which is literally a few miles form downtown Prescott. It's an incredible place with giant outcroppings of granite rocks. I wanted to get a nice picture of the place but did have a couple of challenges. I've never photographed in this area so I was unfamiliar with the location. Navigating a good location is tough because the rocks are huge and you have climb all over the place to get a good vantage point.

To my surprise Watson Lake is a park were you have to pay to get in. I didn't see the two signs that said, "closed at sunset". After I found a descent spot and the light faded to dark, I headed out to find a ranger waiting for me at my truck. He was very nice and didn't right me a ticket. I couldn't believe the park closed at sunset. How about 30 minutes or an hour after sunset. Photographers want the after light. I have to remind myself from time to time, I'm not special just because I carry a camera. I had to promise, I would fallow the rules next time and he let me go with a smile.

The second image isn't magic light and I'm positive it would be great at a different time of the day. It's a roadside shot of an open pasture with horses, Peoples Valley.

The Back Way Home

Peoples Valley


Off the road, State Rout 10, South of Skull Valley


Bar-B-Que, Peoples Valley


On my way back to Phoenix from Prescott, I drove the long way home through Skull Valley, Peoples Valley and Wickenburg. These are a few of the shots I made with my film camera along the way. Hyper clear images in the middle of the day. You have to embrace the harsh light and the contrast.

Dewey-Humbolt, Arizona

I took a road trip to Prescott to visit artist friend Phill Timper who was have an art opening last week. These are a few frames I made on the way up. This is the little town just East of Prescott named Dewey-Humbolt, Az.

Looking Back

On December 3, for First Friday art walk (Phoenix) I visited the Doris and John Norton Gallery inside The Phoenix Art Museum. The Gallery is dedicated to Photography and is in close collaboration with The Center For Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The Center is an archive and an academic research facility that houses thousands of photographs form over two hundred photographers ranging from the masters to contemporary works.

I went to the gallery to see the current show; Inspired Vision: by Brett Weston and Sonya Noskowiak. I have to tell you this is a great gallery and a diamond in the desert for the local photographic community.

While I was looking at the exhibit, I couldn’t help but to think about how fast digital has become the norm and that I was now looking at an archaic process. It was only 10 to 15 years ago that B & W printed on silver paper was still mainstream. It’s weird for me to be witness to a vanishing medium. The process is getting farther and farther away in my minds eye. The silver print has solidly become an alternative process much like the tin type, Collodium or Platinum Paladium.