December 22, 2011           Today's Photo

 "Slow Reader"

And you thought you were a slow reader....

December 21, 2011        Today's Photo

 "Wall Abstract"

Just because it is beautiful......

December 20, 2011     Today's Photo

 "The Thinker"

     "Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time"  Betty Smith

Do we take the time to look around us. To feel the gentle wind on our face or the sounds surrounding us. More importantly do we periodically take to remember what is important...? 

 December 18, 2011                Today's Photo

 "Awesome Power"

You can feel pretty small when a thunderhead can dwarf the size of a ninety story high mesa.  As we look at the darkness of this storm, look again and you can see the light conquering it and shining through.  This photo for me is more about the hope displayed by the light then all the darkness.  We resist the thought, but man is not in charge......

December 15, 2011                 Today's Photo

 "Candy Cane Hill"

First of all, yes this is a real place and yes, it does look like this.  Millions of years ago red sandstone and white limestone were swept by water and wind into layers and then solidified under the weight of an inland sea.  The cycle continues as it is exposed again by winds and water into this fanciful wave like creation.  About 5 minutes after the sun had set this feature appeared to glow from all of the reflected light of the surrounding rock formations.  Today it looks like this.  After many tomorrows it will slowly "melt" exposing even more of it's treasures.

December 14, 2011                          Today's Photo

 "Racetrack"

Imagine football sized boulders on a dead prehistoric lake. This lake has no natural springs feeding it and it now sits in a desert valley, with only memories of it's past lush environment. For years it has dried to a rock like surface, completely level. How then do these 50 - 100 pound boulders move? And move they have. Their trails are evidence. Some go this way and some another. Even others seem to be heading straight at each other. Hmm.....

December 13, 2011                          Today's Photo

 "The Sentry"

This formation has been standing since before each one of us were born. With the approaching storm it's presence seems to grow and gain more power. 

 December 12, 2011                    Today's Photo

 "A tree in another time"

This scene is reminiscent of another era. This tree and this wall have stood side by side for decades. They in reality look weathered, thus let's view them as if we were in another time....

 December 11, 2011                       Today's Photo

 "Leeds"

All paths lead to Leeds...........

December 8, 2011                  Today's Photo

 "Golden Cave"

If you have hung in there with me so far with this project you realize that I like to explore and photograph the unusual. Sometimes I think the further I venture, the more I will discover!  I know, hopeless!  This colorful cave almost looks like a prehistoric skull. I explored this area for over an hour and someday hope to return. 

   ( to view all of the photos in this series go to  jimkayseraz.blogspot.com   At the end of each page click on "older posts" )

December 7, 2011                           Today's Photo

 "Last rays of autumn"

            "The one red leaf, the last of it's clan

             That dances as often as dance it can"

                       -  Samuel Taylor Coleridge

  (to see all of the photos in this series go to jimkayseraz.blogspot.com )

December 6, 2011       Today's Photo

 "Remote Lodge"

Now wouldn't you like to spend a long weekend in this secluded lodge. It sits on a high cliff overlooking Waterton Lakes, a beautiful spot in Western Canada. Wonderful in summer, brutal in winter.

 December 5, 2011               Today's Photo

 "Sand Dune"

It is with wonder that we view the magical and captivating shapes of a sand dune.

December 1, 2001                Today's Photo

 "Lavender and Lace"

In the middle of a dry, dusty, and empty desert lies this oasis of multicolored boulders. Millions of years ago various minerals were swept into this desert by winds creating layer after layer of color. Later an inland sea compacted it under tremendous pressure. When the waters departed it was erosion's turn. What is exposed is a small history of our earth. What a marvelous sight!       

 November 30, 2011                                Today's Photo

 "Executive Office"

This is your's truly executive office..... Every man has to have a place to hide out!

November 29, 2011                      Today's Photo

 "Standing Tall"

Here we are looking down into a dark canyon with many spires, pinnacles and in the midst of it stands one stately pedestal.  With all of the darkness it seems to shine and it is as if all of the hanging cliffs are pointing directly to it.

November 28, 2011                         Today's Photo

 "Phantom Photographer"

Yep, that's me. On the hunt for some new exciting place.  Sometimes I think I enjoy the adventure and discovery of these unusual places/sites as much as I enjoy photographing them!  We live in an age where we tend to think that our business dealings are our only source of "adventure".   It is nice to know there are still wild, seldom explored parts of our world. When these are discovered, the sense of solitude is almost overwhelming.

November 27, 2011             Today's Photo

 "Small Cave"

This catacomb like small cave is tucked away on the side of a cliff.  It is hard to find and only apparent when you climb into the cave opening. Weather and time have created this wonderful little "jewel".  It is an incredible experience when you see it for the first time.

November 22, 2011                       Today's Photo

 "Home..."

We all seem to have a vision of home - be it a place, our family, loved ones or just a "safe" place to retreat to. Soon it will be Thanksgiving - are we really going to take the time to be thankful.....?  This weekend I encourage all of us to go to out personal "home" and thank God for all of our blessings this past year. Trust me, they are many when you look around and see the heartache around us. Rejoice in being with those we love...

 Today's Photo                  November 20, 2011

 " In a Mind's Eye"

Sandstone is truly a remarkable material.  Originally sand dunes swept by the winds into these fanciful forms by the changing winds. Then for millions of years they were buried under inland seas. The weight, minerals, and pressure solidified these dunes into solid rock. Eventually the seas recede leaving these huge "mountains" of sandstone that slowly get sculpted even further by the current day elements. This alcove on the side of a cliff will eventually collapse leaving small sand particles that will be scattered to the winds. For now we can just enjoy the beauty it presents.

November 15, 2011                 Today's Photo

  "At the Gate"

We all see gates several times throughout our day. Most are utilitarian and seem to say - keep out!  When I first saw this gate it was open and I was intrigued by it's artistic beauty.  I asked for it to be closed so I could see it with the path behind it. For me at least, it seemed warm and inviting.  As if it said welcome!  It is an interesting exercise to view a gate and ponder what type of person or persons conceived and designed their gate....

     October 13, 2011            Today's Photo

     "Side by Side"

     Two trees growing side by side next to a canyon wall......  (this time with an attachment)

    November 8, 2011                             Today's Photo

   "The Wonder of Fall"

No matter our age we all seem to sense the wonder and excitement of fall colors. We look for them each year and always wonder if they surpass the previous year. Is it a longing to experience beauty in our surroundings or something deeper.... This arrangement was in a dry creek in southern Utah.

Rembrandt Autumn

In most of the country it is autumn time.  A time when we feel alive and rejoice in the display of colors. What is it about fall and the colors that excite us so?  We feel this sense of excitement no matter our age or circumstances. This photo tries to capture that "feeling" of an autumn day in a surrealistic way. As if this is how we would dream about it.



At the Door

Who...?



Last Ride

They don't quite build 'em like they used to.......

Bell Rope

A frayed bell rope in a small Mexican church.  We don't know if it has been pulled recently or if just lies there neglected and forgotten.  We do know that it is waiting for someone to take it up, pull hard and let it sound out, calling to people who are in need of physical or spiritual comfort.  During our day we frequently have a "bell rope" waiting for us to step forward and pull it.  Why wait?



Blooming Cactus

A Prickly Pear Cactus display it bright yellow blossoms as it clings to an Arizona mountainside





Out of the Ashes

Each summer the western part of the United States lives under the threat of forest fire. Thousands of acres can be lost in a matter of days, property lost, lives threatened and sometimes lost.... But with all this destruction somehow hope seems to emerge. New life grows, homes are rebuilt - it slowly comes back. 

In all of this destruction, this once mighty charred tree trunk leaves us a gift - a sculpture as graceful and beautiful as any made by man's hand. A symbol that reminds us to look for the beauty in life.....



Glacier Lake

A beautiful lake formed by melting glaciers. Serene and powerful at the same time...

It once was written that if we gave a pencil and paper to anyone at random and asked them to draw their version of a perfect landscape - the majority would draw a lake surrounded by a forest and mountains.

Please Come on In

Hard to believe that you are viewing the actual entrance to a bed & breakfast in the little western town of Bluff, UT. It sits on a beautiful property complete with a swimming pool. It is a turn of the century structure that has been converted into a B&B. No we did not stay there.

Remember - Halloween is coming!



Coming Home

We all seem to have the desire to eventually return home, whether it is a actual place or a spiritual one. A place we can go to for rest, safety, and comfort.  A place where we are excepted and "belong".  This little birdhouse existing between the confusion around it, bathed in light, represents just such a place..... 



The Phoenix Rising

For me image making is about creating moods.... stirring emotions. Whether it evokes the same mood or emotion in the viewer as it did for me is really irrelevant.  Just so it moves you in some way.  When I was in the presence of this natural wonder my emotions were going wild!  That nature could have created this large natural stone gargoyle was almost outside my belief.  It stands about 25 feet tall on a plateau about a 60 mile drive down a dry creek bed. Here it stands, day after day. Who knows for how long or how much longer it will continue.



Rain over the Grand Canyon

A huge rain cloud dumps rain just over a specific area.



Nothing, Arizona

My profession takes me periodically to Las Vegas. I usually drive and on the route there is one stretch of 93 miles with only one little town/village of only 304 population. Other then that one little town there is only desert, mountains and cactus. No cross roads, gas stations, houses or people. Some time ago some brave soil decided to erect a new town - Nothing, AZ. As you can see it grew to a whopping population of 4! It clearly shows not only the population but also the highway number (93) and the mile marker. Over the years I would pass this place while it was still "alive". I never stopped to photograph it until recently when it was abandoned. Today even this trace has disappeared.....



The Guardian

High on the edge of a cliff stands this "guardian like rock structure. For several minutes each day the light is reflected off the foreground limestone creating this flaming monolith

The Cockscrew

Now what in the world is this...?  Over a great deal of time, water has worked it's way down through a sandstone cliff. As it continued it's journey downward it has sought the road of least resistance and in so doing created this sculptured wonder. Most of the day it is in darkness and reveals it's light show only when the sun is just right. I had camped there over night to make sure I could experience and capture the moment.



Z Rock

Wind and erosion combine to create this wonderal natural work of art



Corn Lilly

The abstract and lyrical quality of these plants create beautiful photographs with several different interpretations. They are common in the Northwest and Pacific Northwest, especially at moist higher elevations. Interestingly they created a disturbing trend in the 50's - large numbers of sheep were giving birth to one-eyed lambs. Scientists investigating the mystery eventually determined that mothers of these “Cyclops sheep” had grazed on a plant called the corn lily. They apparently contain a compound that blocks embryonic development.

Analogies anyone......



The Mighty Saguaro

The tall, columnar shape of the saguaro cactus is very familiar to those who live in and around Phoenix.  But very rarely will a saguaro will grow with a fan-shaped crest growth at the tip. These are called "crested" saguaros and they occur in only about 1 in 10,000 plants, and thus few folks have seen one in it's natural state.  Botanists have not yet fully explained why this mutation occurs; perhaps it is caused by frost damage, although many other explanations have been offered. Whatever the cause, I find the swirling shapes strangely beautiful. I first discovered this one when it only had a 6" bud being formed and over the last 14 - 15 years it has enlarged to it's current shape.  I'll keep watching...



In All it's Majesty

Mammoth Springs, Yellowstone NP.  Heat, water, limestone and a rock fracture system through which hot water can escape to the earth's surface creates these colorful patterns.  A thin layer of this hot water is constantly spilling out it's minerals as it flows over this cliff face.  Over time the colors and formation change, but still retain their wonder!

This is a link to past volcanism.



Mountainside

When standing in front of a beautiful scene it can be difficult to clearly determine "what is this a picture of".  In mountainside -  is it a photo of a mountain top, a vast expanse, clouds or a tree.  In many way it is all of them however there was most likely one element or "hook" that initially attracted you. Exploit that hook, build around it an an attempt to have your viewer come back the the very item you were attracted to in the first place.

When I first saw this view I was very attracted to the one healthy tree growing on a mountainside however the sky was clear and thus it all looked rather boring.  Coming back later the clouds were gathering and after waiting awhile this cloud formation complimented the tree and the scene. It now it had the drama I felt when I first discovered the tree.

We Now See Through A Glass Darkly

1 Corinthians 13:12



"End of the Road"



A desolate desert scene with miles of empty space...  Suddenly there is an old road that winds it's way to a now dead cottonwood tree. Why a road leading to the tree and then stopping?  How did this tree ever grow there in the first place and then why did it die...?  I find this scene to have a stark loneliness to it but yet a lovely haunting beauty. Your reaction may very well be far different from mine....

 Summer Sunset

July and August are the very hot days here in Arizona. We wait and hope for the Monsoon rains. This year there has been very little rain but there have been terrific sunsets. This was one formed as Jennifer and I walked around our little town lake. It was terrific while it lasted!