Flaring Joshua

A little something to start your November with. I managed to capture this crow in flight above the Joshua trees at sunset. Even with the lens flare I think this shot turned out cool.

Joshua Moon

If you ever have the chance to visit Joshua Tree National Park you'll find that the northwest side of the park is loaded with these strange looking trees that makes it appear you stepped into a Dr Suess story. I made this shot as an almost full moon was rising over the mountain behind the tree. It looked nice in color, but I like the feel of the black and white version more.

Hands Up!

The first thing I think of when I look at this shot is someone in an old Western yelling, "Reach for the sky". However, the Mormon pioneers whose name for the tree stuck, considered the limbs of the Joshua trees to resemble the upstretched arms of Joshua leading them to the promised land. This Joshua Tree is doing a great job of leading the way as another day comes to an end on Joshuar Tree National Park. Almost as if the tree is reaching for those last rays of sunlight before the day turns to night.

Joshua Blues

A blue morning in the Hall of Horrors area of Joshua Tree National Park. The Hall of Horrors is a popular rock climbing area in the park, although on this morning I was the only one there. The rocks on the left are the attraction for the rock climbers, but I was here to capture the Joshua Trees at sunrise, albeit the rocks were a nice added bonus.

Chollo Highlights

There is a beautiful field of Chollo cactus in Joshua Tree National Park that we stopped by at midday while exploring the park. The temperature was ove 100 degrees fahrenheit and we didn't want to stay too long under the blazing sun. There is a short 1/4 mile walk through the field of cactus with an interpretive field guide. The cactus are black on the bottom due to a wildfire that swept through the field a few years ago. When I looked through my camera lens and saw how the midday sun was lighting up the cactus' needles, I knew I had an interesting shot in the making. Definitely a cool place to visit, even on a hot August day.

Pastel Joshua

Missing the pastel colors of Easter that are usually everywhere this time of year in the US. Thought I'd try to make up for the lack of pastel colored items by converting one of my images into a painting. My version of dying eggs without the eggs. Hope this brings a little pleasure to your day. Photo by Steve Coyle Photography (www.stevecoylephotography.com)