Non-Arizonans will often ask “how do you cope with the heat?!” Sure, its hot down here, but we have tricks. Air conditioning helps, but it can only go so far. This is a peek at part of my heat management kit…

Strobist info: 285 HV on shelf above beer pointing straight down on them at 1/16th power. 580 EX II behind the salsa and aimed at the wall behind the beer, with purpleish gel at 1/16th power. Skyport triggers.

As I post this, I’m realizing that I enjoy photographing my beer almost as much as I enjoy drinking it. I have a lot of shots of beer cans, mugs, glasses, chalaices and goblets.. This from the archives, one of my favorite shots of beer for breakfast walking around Antwerp, Belgium -

Stay thirsty my friends.

I’m a little behind on my postings, but here are some cool shots from a couple weekends ago spent the weekend up on the Mogollon Rim. Our 1st night we camped right on the rim and found there was a pair of nesting red tailed hawks in the cliffs directly below us. I sat and watched them for hours. I couldn’t see the chicks, but could hear them below me whenever mom or dad came in with some food.

I caught this shot (made famous on Just JoeP’s blog) of one with a snake in its beak just before it dove into the nest to feed the youngsters.

I guess since this was a trip for Mother’s day I should show some of the group shots of us:

1. In a pinch, 2. Temple of the Sun: Framed, 3. cliché coyote, 4. Kissin Cottonwoods, 5. Taco at Devil’s Garden, 6. Sometimes

I recently took a trip to meet my dad and photographer friend Charlie Wood for another birthday hike. This was my 27th, and is the 3rd birthday expedition I’ve done in as many years. Last year was Canyonlands with Charlie and the year before was Zion.

This year, I met the guys in Escalante, UT. I drove over the ‘short’ route via the Smokey Mountain Road. This is a nearly 80 mile off road jaunt, over the Kaiparowitz Plateau. My first night was spent sleeping in the bed of my truck along the road:

Just to the right of this picture is the lights of Page, AZ. I’m perched on a large bentonite cliff — this is where the original was filmed….

The next morning I hauled butt over the sometimes washed out Smokey Mountain Road (see map) and was the 1st one to the ranger station in Escalante. Smokey Mountain road is beautiful, long, rugged, and remote. My kind of place.

We hiked into Coyote Gulch in the late afternoon, and had to search for a while to find a camp. Unfortunately, this American gem has been discovered. We had the displeasure of camping near a family with 2 small children who made so much noise it nearly spoiled the trip. We spent the 2nd day hiking down towards the Escalante river, but never made it — spent too much time photographing along the way…

After Coyote, my dad and I spent some time exploring Capitol Reef National Park using his wife’s charming home in Bicknell as basecamp.

Here is the map with my GPS tracks from the trip:
View Larger Map

You can download my GPS tracks as a Google Earth KML here

Have you ever been touring about and seen something you thought might
make a good picture? Well, this was one such case, and OH MAN was it a
gem… My mom and I found these road displays at near the entrance to Great Basin National Park just outside Baker Nevada…..

That old car…

I saw this old car from the road and thought it would make a cool picture with the puffy cumulus clouds and the rugged mountains in the backdrop…

Here’s looking at you

And then I got the first hint something is amiss…

The Sickness

I freaking love it. Thats a horse skeleton…

Totally awesome

Somebody out in the Great Basin is really, really sick. My kind of person!! This had my mom and I giggling for a long time.

I wonder how many New York minds have been BLOWN by this site…

The end of the road

Sometimes you have to know when it’s best to stop and have a drink of water. This guy may have been on his way to get some and got lost. After all, judging by his vehicle it was probably before the days of GPS.

Drink More Water!

Or you’ll end up like this fella!

Too Tall Tony

What can I say… This one had me dying — I almost drove off the road when I caught it. Had to turn around and get out to pay my respects to Too Tall Tony.

Alien in the bushes!

Look out, they probe in uncomfortable places!

MMMmmm Mississippi Mud!

Also on the road leading up to Lehman Caverns… The folks in the Baker Nevada area sure seem to have fun screwing with tourists.