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Quail Lane Studios

Gallery 2-3 - Southwest Mountains and Canyons

    These are the scenes of the rugged Southwestern US.  They are unique, as the landscape itself is unique.  Although the snow in Alpine Glory and in No Way Through seems strange to those unfamiliar with the Southwest, the territory extends from well below sea level to miles above it.  In other scenes, the landscape seems on fire.  In every case, the scenes are real, very real, and it is the art of digitography that has brought them alive.  Be sure and check our other galleries;  they each overlap a little.

    For your convenience, we've placed only a few images on each page of this gallery.  When you are ready, go back to pages 1 or 2 in this Gallery, or use the tags at the top to view other galleries on our site and place your order.

 

Morning on the Mountain

Morning on the Mountain

Morning on the Mountain©.  The sun’s up.  Not everywhere yet, but you can see the glow in the mountain outcrop.  Meanwhile, the sun’s rays have yet to hit below the tips of the trees in the foreground.  In a little while, the rich colors of the mountain will be joined by the forest below.

 

Ocotillo Hillside

Ocotillo Hillside 

 Ocotillo Hillside.  There has been a little rain on the mountain, and the gangly ocotillos are celebrating by leafing out and igniting the bright scarlet torches on their tips.  In a month, the prickly pears will take over the mountainside with a profusion of yellow blooms.  In the meantime, a jack rabbit surveys the situation, unsure what makes the best lunch among all the possibilities being offered.

 

Santa Rita Springtime

Santa Rita Springtime

Santa Rita Springtime©.  Fascination lies above the Catalina River valley.  It is poppy season and the Arizona summer poppy (caltrops) has covered the desert hillside with a golden elegance.  They don’t need the spring rainfall of the California poppies seen earlier to the west.  Rather they rely on a low lying vine-like growth that continues toward summer monsoon.

 

Snow in the Desert

  Snow in the Desert©.  Yes, it does snow in parts of the Sonoran Desert.  This particular part lies north of Tucson and east of Phoenix where a late winter storm has crested the Superstition Mountains and blown across the southern ridges of saguaro, sage and ocotillo.  The deer didn’t look warm, but at least she had plenty of water.  The next day, the snow was completely gone.

 

Spider Rock

Spider Rock©. Think of it as a towering remnant of a by-gone era.  Spider Rock is all that remains within the enormous canyon carved out of rock by the seemingly tame stream on the floor of Canyon de Chelly.  Here distances are deceptive.  The rock towers over 1,000 feet above the valley, and the wall in the background is miles away. Watch out, don’t get too close to the edge. 

 

Window to the Sky

Window to the Sky

Window to the Sky©.  Once there may have been a flat sandy beach here. Over the ages, wind and water have gradually worn down that beach as the land has lifted into our desert country.  Left behind is this magnificent golden arch.  Here the arch appears to frame a patch of sky, as well as the remaining life of a twisted old juniper.

 

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   One last comment:  We know these images are tempting; they are also copyrighted.  Downloading for printing or other copying  is expressly forbidden.