Desert | Russ Bishop Photography | Nature Photo Blog

September 16, 2011November 5, 2015

Get The Insurance, Shots

Peninsular Bighorn Sheep, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Wildlife photography is not my specialty, but I never pass up the opportunity to add a dynamic element to my landscapes when the local fauna is easily accessible. On a recent trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park I had heard that the endangered Peninsular Bighorn Sheep were frequenting the canyons, so I made a point of seeking out these magnificent animals. Still after three days in the park and many miles on the trail I had plenty of great images of blooming succulents and lush oasis, but not a single animal.

Then shortly before leaving the park I decided to make one last trip up Borrego Palm Canyon where, just a half mile up the trail, this handsome creature appeared on the ridge above me. Assuming I might only get a glimpse before he darted up the canyon wall, I took my obligatory insurance shots then waited to see his reaction. Much to my surprise he wasn’t in a hurry, so I left the trail (in a wide arc giving him plenty of room) to get a better angle. At first he was attentive to my movement but not agitated as I crossed the ridge and moved closer, then he seemed to accept my presence and for the next hour provided me with an amazing one-on-one photo session that I won’t soon forget.

Now I would have loved to have ended the day on that note, but unfortunately as the title of this post suggests, my luck had run its course. Not twenty minutes after heading down the trail, I somehow managed to slip on a rock (something I haven’t done in 35 years of traipsing through the wilderness), fell hard on my right side, and watched in horror as my Nikon body and 70-200mm lens lay in five pieces not far from my head. Fortunately I wasn’t injured and my equipment was insured. In fact, the great people at Rand Insurance (who underwrite my Nanpa policy) were so efficient that I was able to replace the equipment within ten days – just in time for an upcoming trip to Europe.

So if there is a moral to this story, it’s to keep taking those insurance shots when opportunity presents itself (and with a little luck you’ll come away with much more). And above all, make sure your equipment policy is up to date!

July 14, 2011November 6, 2015

Frozen in Time

Log sections on Blue Mesa, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

It’s hard to imagine that the vast desert that surrounds you as you whisk along Interstate 40 in Arizona was once a primordial swamp. During the Late Triassic period, about 225 million years ago, this area was a lush forest that was home to many large amphibians and early dinosaurs. The colorful Chinle Formation, which gives the Painted Desert its warm hues, also contains the sediments that have preserved the fossil trees, plants and animals of this ancient time.

At the center of this lunar landscape lies Petrified Forest National Park, which was set aside in 1962 to preserve the unique remains of this otherworldly place. In addition to its colorful badlands and fossil remains, the park also contains more than 600 archaeological sites, including petroglyphs and pit houses from some of its earliest pueblo inhabitants.

April 12, 2011November 6, 2015

Dangerous Beauty

Barrel Cactus in bloom, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Spring in the desert is a land of contrasts. Normally barren fields and rocky hillsides, washed clean from winter rains, take on a new dimension as wildflowers begin to dot the landscape and succulents explode in a kaleidoscope of color. Here a spiny barrel cactus displays its delicate flowers on Yaqui Pass in Anza-Borrego State Park. Though the vibrant show attracts wildlife and photographers alike, the sharp needle-like spines are a constant reminder to look but don’t touch.