Arizona, New Mexico, Utah

Caught this photo during a typical Arizona sandstorm. The Saguaro was near our RV. The original image was OK, but it was MORE INTERESTING to do some manipulation in GIMP. The experiment seems to have worked out. Looks more like a poster now. Seems surreal enough for the Sunday Challenge. See: swansonphotos.com/arizona

We were visiting the area, and parked our RV at a National Forest campground near the entrance to the National Park. This setup allowed us to visit the canyon rim at all hours, rather than trying to keep a schedule for a day trip. We got to the rim an hour before sunset, and set up our cameras. We took a large number of photos, while a crowd of visitors closed in on us. Fortunately, our tripods kept the most curious away. I like this image, with deep purple colors on the rock formations, and just a sliver of the last sun's rays. See: swansonphotos.com/arizona

Taken in Arizona. This cactus was blooming in the morning, and looks nice against the blue sky. Processed with GIMP. See: swansonphotos.com/arizona

Taken at Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona. See: swansonphotos.com/saguaro

Taken during the regular air show that occurs in Casa Grande, Arizona. We were there for the winter, and spent a day watching the show and looking at airplanes. Didn't buy any. Taken with the Nikon D700 See: swansonphotos.com/arizona

We had some spectacular sunsets during our visits in Quartzsite. I was taking sunset shots, when the paraglider flew overhead. I was able to wait until they were in the frame for this shot. For the Sunday Challenge, this offers several layers of yellow, from the bright sun to the deeper orange. See: swansonphotos.com/arizona

Taken at the Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona. I used the Panasonic GX85. The wind was blowing all of these delicate wildflowers around. It was difficult to get a clear shot. Processed with GIMP. See: swansonphotos.com/saguaro

Taken during our return visit 2017. Used the Panasonic GX85. See: swansonphotos.com/saguaro

Taken in Quartzsite, Airzona, while we had our motorhome parked in the desert. We had some beautiful sunsets and evenings.

Taken in Quartzsite, Airzona, while we had our motorhome parked in the desert. We had some beautiful sunsets and evenings.

A pretty famous stretch of road. There were many folks pulled over to the side to take photos. Some of the more adventuresome were lying on their backs on the center line of the highway, trying to get dramatic perspective. Anyway, I had to get some pictures as I drove this stretch of road, too.

This is a remarkable church, and much photographed. If you are in or near Tucson, Arizona, be sure to visit. This is a "characterful building" for the Sunday Challenge. See: swansonphotos.com/arizona/xavier.html

Right out of the phone. Everyone have a great Friday!

Taken at the Utah State Railroad Museum in Ogden, Utah, in 2014. This is the bell on a diesel locomotive. They had to put the bells lower down on these, unlike steam locomotives where the bell was right on the front on top. I converted the image to monochrome using GIMP. This and other rail-related Ogden photos have been made into an interactive slide show. Please see: swansongrp.com/reveal/ogden/rail.html

Taken at the Utah State Railroad Museum in Ogden, Utah, in 2014. I converted the image to monochrome with GIMP. This image, with others, is part of an interactive slideshow. Please see: swansongrp.com/reveal/ogden/rail.html

After our day's tour on the Cumbres and Toltec railroad, we spent the next day driving along the track area, and stopped at an overlook, waiting. The double-header came through the trees (with fall foliage), working uphill from Chama, New Mexico. Great sight. (looks good on a black background) See: swansonphotos.com/cumbres/cumbres.html

Taken in Arizona near where we used to park our RV. This is an open bloom of the "cereus" cactus in the RV park.

We were told about this place by some other folks at the RV park where we were staying. The small town of El Rito, New Mexico is pretty remote, but very interesting, and worth a visit. The highlight for us was enjoying a dinner at El Farolito. This tiny restaurant consistently wins statewide awards for their food. They were very friendly and welcoming. Image processed with GIMP.