Nature Photography: The Rains Return

July 23rd, 2010

After a three-month absence, an intermittent visitor has returned to the Southern Arizona desert.

While commonly referred to as "rain," this visitor is also referred to as "relief" and less flattering terms, the most common of which is, "Where in the #$%^& have you been?"

The rain in my back yard was a welcome sight on my sagging prickly pear cactii. The increased moisture means that they'll stand up straight again.

Nature photography - sagging prickly pear cactus, Tucson, Arizona

Tip: You can view more nature photography in my portfolio.

Website Design: Optical Sciences Researcher

July 15th, 2010

Robert A. Norwood is a professor in the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences. My website design showcases his research, publishing, teaching, scholarly presentations, and patents.

The home page features a collage of photos that I took of the sculpture, low water use landscaping, and architecture at the college. (If you're interested in water-saving xeriscapes, the College of Optical Sciences offers one of the best examples in all of Tucson.)

Tip: You can view more website design projects in my portfolio.

Event Photography: Flags and Memories

July 6th, 2010

When I was in my early twenties, I set the goal of bicycling through all 50 of the United States. I accomplished this over a 12-year period, and wrote and published two books about my experiences.

My travels also took me into Canada. During a 1987 ride down the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Banff, Alberta, I met another bicyclist from Quebec.

In heavily accented English, she told me that she didn't really feel like a Canadian until she'd gone out and pedaled around her country. I said that my American bicycle travels had done the same thing for me.

And that's why the Stars and Strips fly outside my house on the 4th of July...

This is my country, and, thanks to the generosity of the people I met on the road, I've seen it, heard it, and felt from Maine to California and from Alaska to Florida. You can see where I went by visiting my bicycle, nature, and travel photography portfolios.

Tip: You can view more event photography in my portfolio and on this blog. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. I specialize in concerts, festivals, parades, political rallies, and sporting events. To check availability and to request a proposal, please e-mail me or call 520-690-1888.

Website Redesign: International Environmental Law and Policy

June 17th, 2010

Ted Parson is Joseph L. Sax Collegiate Professor of Law and Professor of Natural Resources & Environment at the University of Michigan. His research examines international environmental law and policy, the role of science and technology in public policy, and the political economy of regulation.

I just finished redesigning his website, TedParson.com:

The site summarizes Dr. Parson's research, teaching, publishing, and policy advice. You can also catch up on his latest news and enjoy a string quartet performance. (He's a former professional cellist.)

The photo in the page headers is one of mine. It shows a late afternoon rain falling on Kicking Horse Pass in British Columbia.

Tip: You can view more website design projects in my portfolio.

Event Photography: Watershed Management Group Earth Month

April 26th, 2010

Throughout this month, Tucson's Watershed Management Group has been celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. WMG's Earth Month celebration included a block party, street painting, a bike tour of water harvesting sites, and several workshops.

The last two Earth Month workshops were held in my neighborhood. A nearby neighbor had a culvert cistern installed, while the action in my yard focused on tuning up the earthworks.

After the WMG volunteers enlarged a water harvesting basin in my front yard, it was time to move the hesperaloe, which I had planted in a shady spot.

My bad.

Hesperaloes are xeriscape plants that need full sun. So, let's give it a new home near the driveway. Plenty of sunshine there...

Event photography - transplanting hesperaloe during Watershed Management Workshop, Tucson, Arizona

I must say that, as of this morning, the hesperaloe appears to be thriving.

Elsewhere on the front yard xeriscaping project WMG's Matthew Bertrand (right) and Charlie, the go-to guy for any stonemasonry work, measure the slope of the drainage they've built at the edge of the enlarged water harvesting basin...

Event photography - measuring drainage slope during Watershed Management Workshop, Tucson, Arizona

The drainage will direct excess basin water into the rock garden that Matthew's standing on.

Nature Photography: Winter Rains Bring Spring Weeds

March 5th, 2010

It's been a very rainy winter here in Tucson. More than three inches of the wet stuff has fallen on my house and yard since January. We're supposed to get more rain this weekend.

In addition to bringing forth spring flowers like the ones on this front yard primrose...

Nature Photography - blooming primrose in Tucson, Arizona

...the rains have also given rise to a bumper crop of weeds...

Nature Photography - pulling weeds by the fistful in Tucson, Arizona

Which leads me to coin a new slogan: Weed-pullers of the world unite!

Tip: You can view more nature photography in my portfolio.

Event Photography: Dillinger Days and Downtown Tucson Construction

January 26th, 2010

This past weekend, I attended the annual Dillinger Days celebration in Downtown Tucson. This event commemorates the 1934 capture of "Public Enemy Number One," bank robber John Dillinger. The festivities centered around the Hotel Congress, where Dillinger and his gang of outlaws stayed when they first hit town.

The hotel boiler caught fire, forcing the evacuation of the hotel. The Dillinger gang got out safely, then they realized that they'd left a couple of suitcases full of guns, ammunition, and money inside. They asked a fireman to retrieve the suitcases, and, just to make the trip worthwhile, the gang gave the fireman a hefty tip. Then they found other places to stay.

After the firemen returned to their station, they spotted a photo of John Dillinger in True Detective magazine. Time for Tucson's Bravest to pick up the phone and alert Tucson's Finest. Who arrested Dillinger and his gang a few days later.

The 2010 edition of Dillinger Days happened right after a major rainstorm hit Tucson. Same storm left a lot of snow on the Santa Catalina mountains, which are "jailed" behind the Union Pacific railroad fence that's just north of the Hotel Congress...

Nature photography - snow-covered Santa Catalina Mountains

If you're into antique cars, Dillinger Days was the place to be. Talk about fun for the whole family...

Event photography - Family admiring antique car at Dillinger Days in Downtown Tucson, Arizona

I was very impressed by the amount of work that went into the restoration and upkeep of these cars...

Event photography - Antique cars at Dillinger Days in Downtown Tucson, Arizona

What's even more impressive is the fact that most of them are still working automobiles. And, as you can see, they are much loved by their owners...

Event photography - Antique Ford at Dillinger Days in Downtown Tucson, Arizona

On the other hand, some of them still need work. This 1939 Chevy Sedan Bus was used to transport University of Arizona athletes during the 1940s. That was its heyday. Its current owners acquired the bus after it had been left to rot in the desert for more than 30 years...

Event photography - Antique Chevy Sedan Bus at Dillinger Days in Downtown Tucson, Arizona

The highlight of Dillinger Days is the re-enactment of the gang's stay at the Hotel Congress. Abundant seating is set up outside the hotel, and here are some smart people who arrived early...

Event photography - Mostly empty seating at Dillinger Days in Downtown Tucson, Arizona

I didn't show up in time to get a seat. Hence, no re-enactment photos in this post.

One final point: Even though there's still a lot of construction Downtown, a lot of things are open for business. Take, for example, Maynards Market and Kitchen, which is across Toole Avenue from Hotel Congress...

Architectural photography - Exterior of Maynards Market and Kitchen in Downtown Tucson, Arizona

I've done a lot of blogging about the weekly Meet Me at Maynards social run/walk around Downtown, and you can read those posts here.

Nature Photography: Snow in Pennsylvania

January 7th, 2010

Throughout much of the continental United States, the big story is the cold and snow. Even though I live in the Arizona desert, I can relate.

Just got back from visiting family in eastern Pennsylvania, where they were still talking about (and coping with) the two feet of snow that fell on December 19. That was Philadelphia's second largest snowfall since records began in 1884.

Say what you will about what snow does for driving conditions, it does make for a good photo op...

Nature photographer - snowy field in Westtown, Pennsylvania

Nature photographer - snowy woods in Westtown, Pennsylvania

Tip: You can view more nature photography in my portfolio.

Construction Photography: Tear Down the Wall

October 30th, 2009

My front yard was graced (if you want to call it that) by a crumbling brick retaining wall. The wall had no seep holes, which meant that it was gradually being weakened by moisture.

Time to tear down the wall.

I wanted replace the old wall with something more attractive. Since I'm a member of the Watershed Management Group's Water Harvesting Co-op, I had a great opportunity to enlist others in working and learning project.

WMG's Matthew Bertrand and I formulated a plan: We'd replace the wall with a rock garden full of low water use plants. (The new plants would fill in the outermost zone of my xeriscape, which is the arid zone. The other two zones are oais, which is closest to the house, and transitional, between the oasis and the arid zone.)

Here's Matthew, hard at work during our pre-workshop meeting. He's removing one of three barrel cactii that will be re-planted in the rock garden...

Construction photography - landscape cactus removal

Then it was wall demolition time. Here's Li'l John Excavating on the job. And let me tell you, the demolition was so well done that it was like watching a ballet dance with a backhoe...

Construction photography - brick wall demolition with backhoe

Workshop day, Sunday, October 25, dawned bright and sunny. Soon, my front yard was filled with eager WMG Co-op members.

The first order of business was moving rocks and rubble out of the way so that the crew could get to work. Then they set about removing the few bricks that the backhoe couldn't get at...

Construction photography - removing bricks from where wall had been