Ridgeline near, Ridgeline far

A view from the Pyramid trail shows two ridgelines of South Mountain in the foreground with the ridgeline of the Estrella Mountains in the background. There is certainly no lack of opportunities for hiking in this amazing state.

Location: 33°19'8.862" N 112°5'12.45" W

Camera Body: Canon EOS R3

Lens: Canon 70-200mm F2.8

Tripod: Peak Design

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#myphx #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #shotoncanon #CanonR3 #canonexploreroflight #epic_landscape #estrellamountains #getoutside @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

Phon D Sunset

I made a last-minute decision to head out toward the Phon D Sutton Recreation area and ended up paying the price by having to nearly run up a nearby hill to get set up for the last colors of sunset. Situated along the banks of the Lower Salt River the area is an oasis for canoes, tubing and fishing.

Location:33° 32' 48.528" N 111° 39' 40.332" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#myphx #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #shotoncanon #CanonR3 #canonexploreroflight #epic_landscape @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

The Superstitions

A simple case of the right place at the right time I managed to catch a mix of clouds, rain, sunlight, and a rainbow crossing the face of the Superstition Mountains.

Location: 33°26'12.786" N 111°32'44.844" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #shotoncanon #1DxMarkii #superstitionmountains #canonexploreroflight #epic_landscape @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

Saguaro

The Saguaro cactus is one of the most prominent plants in Arizona. They can tower above the desert with an imposing height over 30 feet tall and weight (when full with water) of up to 4800 pounds. For such a large plant the root structure is relatively shallow with most roots only 4-6 inches underground but spread out from the base as far as the cactus is tall. Provided the right conditions the saguaro cactus can live 150-200 years.

Location: 33°18'12.876" N 112°6'4.728" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #weownthenight_az #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #epic_landscape #CanonR3 #canonphotography #adventurenthusiasts @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

Trail 104

Trail #104, aka the Dutchman Trail, winds its way through the Superstition Wilderness near Gold Canyon.

Location: 33°24'10.524" N 111°19'45.798" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #phoenixaz #epic_landscape #Canon1DxMarkii #shotoncanon #tontonationalforest @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

The Tree

A tree grows out of the rocky ground, framing Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.

Location: 34°50'33.708" N 111°49'32.46" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #shotoncanon #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #sedona #epic_landscape #Canon1DxMarkii #canonphotography #adventurenthusiasts @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

Cactus Sunset 2021

I returned to the 19th Ave trailhead recently to repeat a shot I took back in 2019.

Location: 33°20'52.434" N 112°6'8.826" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #phoenixaz #epic_landscape #Canon1DxMarkii #shotoncanon @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

Superstition Nights

Our monsoon season has pretty much ended here in Phoenix, but we had storms roll through on and off a few days ago. After watching the show from home for a while I decided I needed to get out and capture the scene from somewhere other than my own bedroom window. I headed out to the Superstition Mountains about 3am and stayed there until just after 6 as the storm was abating the light from the day started affecting my long exposures. This image is a 3 shot blend that I thought worked best, but there certainly wasn’t a shortage of amazing photos to be had.

Location: 33°26'51.138" N 111°30'8.178" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #weownthenight_az #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #superstitionmountain #epic_landscape #Canon1DxMarkii #canonphotography #adventurenthusiasts @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

Boyce Thompson Milky Way

We have at least three significant wildfires burning east and northeast of Phoenix. Record drought and unusually hot weather have made these fires extremely difficult to contain. After spending a day taking some pictures at South Mountain I had the idea to try and get a time-lapse of the fires from an area well away from the firefighting operations. Photos posted by others showed visible flames from Apache Junction and East Mesa so at midnight I decided to drive out to a parking area across from Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Whether the fires had died down a bit by that point or I just didn’t have a good vantage point the end result was that I couldn’t even see a glow from my vantage point. My location was well outside of Phoenix and about 3.5 miles outside of Superior, AZ. As such there was very little light pollution and while a view of the fire was not to be seen I had an amazing view of the stars and the Milky Way.

Location: 33°16'58.89" N 111°9'56.2" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #saguarolake #Canon1DxMarkii #epic_landscape #milkyway @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

Picacho Road

Picacho is a small rural town outside of Phoenix as you head south toward Tucson. The area is a bit of an anomaly as it is home to miles and miles of farmland in the middle of our generally barren desert. I had driven out there to fly my drone and ended up staying for the sunset.

Location: 32°43'9.978" N 111°32'14.046" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #bestofthegrandcanyonstate #papagopark #Canon1DxMarkii #igertucson @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective @conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

Mt. Lemmon Vista

Mt. Lemmon is the highest point in the Santa Catalina mountains with an elevation of 9,159 feet and sits just east of the city of Tucson. The mountain is home to numerous hiking trails, an observatory and a ski resort. The mountain is a popular destination for the residents of Tucson and Phoenix, particularly during the summer months as the temperature at the summit is generally 20 degrees cooler than it is at the base.

Location: 32°22'13.614" N 110°42'40.578" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #bestofthegrandcanyonstate # #Canon1DxMarkii #igertucson @w2az @westbysouthwest @arizonacollective@conquerarizona @see_arizona @lifeisgoodarizona @arizonahiking @hikeaz @arizonaadventures @arizonasky @arizonaisgorgeous @canonusa

Mt. Lemmon Vista.jpg

Mountain Peak

From the San Sophia gondola stop, the clouds would intermittently obscure our view of the mountains ten miles away. It was simply a waiting game until the cloud cover would clear and the mountains would peek through.

Location: 37°55'50.79" N 107°50'0.186" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase photos from this feed on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igcolorado #exploreincolorado #canonusa #yourshotphotographer #adventurethatislife #besofcolordao #visitcolorado #coloradocameraclub #viewcolorado #coloradotography #Canon1DxMarkii #goexplore #wanderlust #photooftheday #instagood #igers #picoftheday #instapic #instadaily #bestoftheday #travel #visittelluride #Tellurideski #tourist #travelgram #travelbug #canonusa

Arrivals & Departures

Was out running around the other evening and managed to catch a shot of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport basking in the glow of another amazing Arizona sunset.

Location: 33°27'6.72" N 111°56'40.914" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase this and other photos on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #landscape #adventurethatislife #Arizona #phxskyharbor #1dxMarkii #superstitionmountains #bestofthegrandcanyonstate

The Dragonfly

One advantage of working 3pm to 3am is that I tend to be up most of the night whether I’m working or not. Friday night into Saturday morning I stayed up all night thinking I would just head out and get some early morning shots of the moon. After that was done I wasn’t tired so I decided to venture out to Butcher Jones Recreation Area along Saguaro Lake and hike the Butcher Jones Trail. This is a relatively easy out and back hike and at its’ furthest point overlooks the lake. It was here that I noticed this singular Dragonfly sitting on a branch and, not having a proper taco lens, decided to use my telephoto to get as close as possible without disturbing it.

Location: 33°34'1.344" N 111°30'11.772" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase this and other photos on my website: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #nature_prefection #greettheoutdoors #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest  #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #landscape  #adventurethatislife #Arizona #TontoNationalForest #Phoenix #canon1dxmarkii

A-Mountain Flyover

A-Mountain, or Tempe Butte as it is officially called, is a small …well…mountain (although a hill is probably a more apt way to convey it’s size) That sits on the ASU campus in Tempe, Arizona. If you so desire there is a quick 1 mile out and back hike to the top which provides panoramic views of the ASU campus and Tempe Town Lake. Also notable is that the mountain sits almost directly under the flight path for Phoenix Sky Harbor airport and thus provides a great spot for watching local air traffic. This picture was shot a little more than half way up the mountain, shooting against the rocks as the plane flew over.

Location: 33°25'41.37" N 111°56'8.412" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase this and other images at: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #nature_prefection #greettheoutdoors #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #landscape #adventurethatislife #Arizona #Prescott #canon1dxmarkii #tempebutte

Canyon Lake Sunset

As I mentioned in the post from earlier this week Highway 88 provides numerous observation points as it winds its way through the desert mountains. One of these spots lies just past the West Canyon Lake Marina. You can pull over, park your vehicle and a short but steep climb will bring you to a plateau on the ridgeline overlooking Canyon Lake. I spent about four hours at this spot and was able to capture a wide variety of photos ranging from sunset to starlight.

Location: 33°31'51.054" N 111°24'11.514" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase this and other images at: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #nature_prefection #greettheoutdoors #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #landscape#adventurethatislife #Arizona #Prescott

The Road

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
(an Irish Blessing)

Location: 33°23'50.562" N 111°20'26.958" W

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View and purchase this and other images at: medic1photography.com

#landscapedesign #mountainlove#nature_prefection #greettheoutdoors#igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona#azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife#arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz#igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona#everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest #azfamily#fox10phoenix #abc15arizona#yourshotphotographer #landscape#adventurethatislife #Arizona #Prescott#canon1dxmarkii #irishblessing

Marcos De Niza Trail

A friend and I decided to find a less-traveled trail of the offerings on South Mountain. The Marcos De Niza Trail starts at the trailhead off of 48th street, climbs quickly and runs along the ridgeline on South Mountain until meeting up with the National Trail. This picture was taken at the terminal point of our hike but the trail continues on for another 1.5miles before meeting the National Trail at the Buena Vista overlook. The day also highlighted the challenge that is dressing for hikes in Arizona during the winter months. The temperature dropped from near 80 at the start to mid 50’s by the time we made it back to the car.

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View this and other photos on my website: medic1photography.com

Photos Available for Purchase:

At SmugMug: https://medic1photography.smugmug.com/Sale/i-pLG2WXb/A

and Fine Art America https://fineartamerica.com/featured/marcos-de-niza-trail-matt-perkins.html?newartwork=true

#landscapedesign #mountainlove #rockets #sunsetlover #sunsetbeach #nature_prefection #sunsetsky #greettheoutdoors #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest  #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer #landscape  #adventurethatislife

Desert Stream

Rivers and streams do cross through the desert here in Arizona. Sometimes big, sometimes small, sometimes dependent on the amount of rainfall we’ve had recently…..but always seeming to stand in stark contrast to the dry and cracked landscape they cross.

Follow me on Instagram @medic1480

View this and other photos on my website: medic1photography.com

Photos Available for Purchase:

At SmugMug https://medic1photography.smugmug.com/Sale/

and Fine Art America https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-matt-perkins

#ShotoniPhone #landscapedesign #mountainlove #mountaingirls #rockets #sunsetlover #sunsetbeach #nature_prefection #sunsetsky #greettheoutdoors #igersarizona #exploreaz #igersphx #ilovearizona #azgrammers #weroamarizona #arizonalife #arizonahighways #visitarizona #instagramaz #igarizona #explorearizona #lifeisgoodarizona #everythingarizona #azlife #igsouthwest  #azfamily #fox10phoenix #abc15arizona #yourshotphotographer

Storm Front

I’m not going to lie. These are not the best photos. The composition is horrendous and other then the obvious I don’t feel like these photos tell much of a story. Sometimes, however, the power of the subject matter alone is such that average to below-average photos become acceptable. I for one would rather look at stunning subject matter shot so/so then tedious or boring content shot extremely well. We had, what I (not an Arizona native) would call, our first real storm of monsoon season today…….and it was awesome.

Follow me on Instagram: @medic1480

Each photo was created by stacking 9 exposures on top of each other.

(click on images to view full screen)

IMG_0107004.jpg