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Species: Foothills Paintbrush (Castilleja integra)
Habitat: Meadows, slopes, roadsides; desert grasslands and scrub, piñon-juniper, spruce-fir forests
Location: Wagon Mound, New Mexico
Public Land: Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark
Description: Driving north on I-25 beneath a sky heavy with gathering monsoon clouds, I felt both awe and urgency. The storm rolled in fast, dark and dramatic—but its beauty was magnetic. I pulled off the highway, drawn by a feeling more than a plan, and found myself face-to-face with a cluster of brilliant red paintbrush wildflowers—glowing with quiet intensity beneath the looming sky. They seemed to gather strength from the tempest. As the clouds parted in the distance, a band of light broke through. I pulled to the side of the road, set up quickly, and framed the image. The flames of color lead the eye, and the spirit, toward the promise of clearing skies. Sometimes, it’s the briefest, most unexpected moments that yield the most powerful photographs—and a reminder that beauty often waits just off the road.
Wagon Mound itself is public land managed by the National Park Service but it is surrounded by private lands and difficult to access. Something I hope is not the future of more of our public lands.
Prints: Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.
Species: Foothills Paintbrush (Castilleja integra)
Habitat: Meadows, slopes, roadsides; desert grasslands and scrub, piñon-juniper, spruce-fir forests
Location: Wagon Mound, New Mexico
Public Land: Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark
Description: Driving north on I-25 beneath a sky heavy with gathering monsoon clouds, I felt both awe and urgency. The storm rolled in fast, dark and dramatic—but its beauty was magnetic. I pulled off the highway, drawn by a feeling more than a plan, and found myself face-to-face with a cluster of brilliant red paintbrush wildflowers—glowing with quiet intensity beneath the looming sky. They seemed to gather strength from the tempest. As the clouds parted in the distance, a band of light broke through. I pulled to the side of the road, set up quickly, and framed the image. The flames of color lead the eye, and the spirit, toward the promise of clearing skies. Sometimes, it’s the briefest, most unexpected moments that yield the most powerful photographs—and a reminder that beauty often waits just off the road.
Wagon Mound itself is public land managed by the National Park Service but it is surrounded by private lands and difficult to access. Something I hope is not the future of more of our public lands.
Prints: Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.