While visiting Arizona one of the things that people enjoy is the abundance of nature
. Both the plants and the animals seem to be begging to be photographed. When the state of Arizona is mentioned, many people envision tumbleweeds and dry deserts dotted with ghost towns; this is not the Arizona of today. Arizona is a photographer's paradise and it has something for everyone. Here are a few of the prime places to visit and what they offer up for photography enthusiasts.
East of the city of Phoenix you will find the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. This is one of the best places to capture the beauty of the flora of the state. It was built in the 1920's to showcase the natural beauty of the flowers that populate the state's desert environment. If you are going to photograph flowers in the wild in Arizona the best time of the year to do so is March and April. Remember that the abundance of plants or lack there of is totally dependant on how much rain fell the previous winter. You can make a full wildflower photo gallery in just one visit.
You can also get great photographs in Lake Havasu City. Millions are drawn here to see the purported transplanted London Bridge. It is situated on the lake and is the entry point to a rather quaint little English Village. It may not be truly England but the people go through a lot of trouble to keep an authentic Old World feel. The surrounding area is filled with nature's bounty just ripe for photographing.
A trip to the Sonoma Desert Museum will provide you hours of awe inspiring landscapes to photograph. It is also a place where you can get pictures of some of the seldom seen animals of the desert. From snakes and lizards to the wildcats of the desert plains all can be spotted from the relative safety of the nature trails. If you like birds this is the place to find them in droves. The arboretum here has a sampling of all the birds of the state as well as many of the flowers.
The desert is often driven through and summarily dismissed from the minds of most people because what they initially see is a bland stillness. This is also true of the Sonora Museum. The desert is a place that cannot be appreciated in a glance it takes a stillness emanating from within to contemplate its beauty and wonder. Photographers have long been aware of this and that is how we get some of the most amazing desert wildlife photographs on the planet. The next time you are visiting Arizona bring a camera and spend a little time getting in touch with nature. Given the opportunity, you will come back home with some amazing pictures of a land teeming with life and color.