Chasing Dust Clouds

anwmn1

With the monsoon season in full tilt in Arizona we are occasionally hit with some dust walls and storms. Sunday looked promising so a fellow dgrinner and myself hopped in my Jeep and headed out to a remote area hoping to catch some great storm shots.

We target a WWII Internment Camp Memorial located in the Gila River Indian Community due to its position on a hill and the storms trajectory.

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The dust blew past us and we caught a little rain but no great activity in the clouds. We laughed at the driver of a Nissan Versa attempting to climb the loose rock road up to the memorial. They eventually got wise and parked along the side of the road and hiked up to see the memorial and the view.

Meanwhile we were not impressed by the storms activity so we decided to get back in the Jeep and venture deeper into the distant fields and desert to explore the area and hopefully grab a few good shots.

4. Double Rainbow


As the sun began to set the sky became quite amazing. Rich blue skies to the East, dark gray clouds with sheet lightning to the North, and a mixed sky to the South with some occasional lightning.

5. Facing South- we are a long ways out into nowhere


6. The Eastern Sky at last light



Our hopes of catching amazing lightning strikes were extinguished by a constantly shifting weather pattern. It was as if three seperate cells were fighting in the sky - each preventing the others from gaining any real strength and unleashing its furry.

7. The one and only shot I have with any lighting in it

wolf911

really like the last one, talk about a desolate, alone feeling.

Cornflake

Very nice, Aaron, and I agree with wolf that I particularly like the last one.

Your area isn't generally thought of as photogenic but it has its own magic, and you've posted a couple recently that capture it well. I'm more impressed with that, and more interested, than with yet another photo of the scenic wonders.

anwmn1

Thanks for the comments.

Don- I agree that the area down by me is not known for being a photographic hot bed. Actually I believe I am one of only two people that actually regularly try to shoot landscapes in this area.

We do have some hidden gems down here but they are not easy to get to. 4wd and not being afraid of scratched paint are requirements. Hopefully I can get some time to shoot two specific areas while we are getting these nice skies.