In May, I had the opportunity to return to Arizona! I went the first time in March 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic. The day I was flying home was the day they were talking on the news about the spread of the virus in the US. Luckily, I did not catch it on the plane. No one was wearing masks that early.

This time, I got to spend one night in Tempe, then spent 3 nights in Tucson. I spent time taking photos in the cities and in the desert. This time around, the saguaro were blooming! And the weather was perfect. On one morning we rented e-bikes and had a great time wandering in the neighborhoods adjacent to our resort.

As I was processing my photos, I learned several things. I had some obsessions this trip: I got a little obsessive with the palms trees in Tempe and, of course, got obsessed with the saguaro blooms in the desert in Tucson. Sprinkled among those are my typical photos of urban buildings and their geometry, and shadows and light.

First, the palm trees. Loved these in black and white, for some reason.

Next, this particular building in Tempe really grabbed my attention. Likewise, I like these shots in black and white. I loved the angles and lines.

Here are some colorful shots of the architecture on the campus of ASU. I had such a great time wandering aimlessly on campus. So many unique and compelling designs. And, also, here are just some random shots on the way to and along the Tempe Town Lake.

I feel honestly like I cannot get enough of the Sonoran Desert. I was in awe the first time I went and I was just as much in awe this time. It is hard for me to fathom that this strange landscape belongs to the same earth that holds kudzu vines killing southern trees.  I enjoy taking pictures in both color and black and white, and really l loved the blooms! And I even got a pic of a road runner! That was fun.

I would say that one of my most favorite things that I have photographed recently is the San Xavier del Bac Mission. This particular day, with those bright blue skies as the backdrop, I got some of my favorite most recent photos. These final three being my favorite triplet that I’ve taken in awhile. I could have stayed all day and played around with the angles and the light.