I drove up to Flagstaff with my dad last week, hoping to find some color. Although it wasn’t where I expected it to be, we hit a gold mine at Snowbowl. Gold referring to the golden aspens that populate the area. This particular shot was a surprise, since we didn’t expect to capture the trees and snow-capped Humphreys Peak in the same shot.

Many of us have been to Sedona and seen first hand, the incredible color embedded in the red rock landscape. The area has been photographed extensively, which makes it a greater challenge to capture something new. So I attempted to photograph in black and white, just to see if the formations themselves would still be compelling once their color was washed away.

Using a process that does more than simply remove the color from the image, I found that the scenes were still quite striking, re-directing the focus on tonality and texture. Click the image to see the full slide show.

Earlier this year I worked with popular model, Scott Alan and he suggested we collaborate on a project. Flash-forward several months and we decided to attempt a period piece, reminiscent of a Bogart-era film. Of course there were many challenges from location to wardrobe. A huge thanks to Carol McElroy for allowing us to use Durant’s, as well as Indigo at Retro Ranch for her consultation on the vintage clothing.

Models,  Scott Alan and Jaclyn Guthrie were incredible to work with, settling into their parts instantly. Carolyn Vinck, Carolyn’s Hair Design worked her magic to create Jaclyn’s hairstyle and Courtney Stewart provided her glamorous make-up. To everyone involved, thank you so much for your top tier work! This is one of the most enjoyable shoots I’ve been on.

I was honored to find out that Baxter Imaging was nominated for Best Photographer- Real Estate & Interiors category in the Arizona Foothills Magazine 2011 “Best of Our Valley” competition. If you agree then please vote using the link below. Votes can be submitted daily until November. Thanks for your support!

I rode into the Superstition Mountains with historic western writer, Ron Feldman. We met at Goldfield Ghost Town while my dad and I were on a photo excursion. I designed a book cover for Ron, and in exchange he lead me on a horseback photo tour, which is the oldest running outfit in Apache Junction.