Within the Lens: Christopher Creek, AZ

Fact: 102 degrees is deemed "not that hot" in Phoenix suburbs during the peak of summer. (We hit 117 in central Phoenix recently. New record!) Phonecians like to talk about how it's a dry heat, but let's be honest; anything over 100 degrees period is uncomfortable after about five minutes. In light of this, I packed up and headed north with family to cooler climes in the Payson area for the week.

Our creek-side cabin in the beautifully green (and shady) woods.

We stayed in a cabin perched right above the fervent babbling of Christopher Creek, about 20 minutes east of Payson. The average daytime temperature in the sun still ranged from 85-90 with humidity, but in the abundant shade we enjoyed an apparent temperature of 75 or so.

Nature has always inspired me artistically, and I had the camera ready and waiting to capture the beauty. I'm currently rocking a Nikon Coolpix E8800 that I bought on ebay for about $150.

Aside from capturing some great images in and around the creek, I also managed to twist my knee and put myself out of commission for the next two days.

Toward the end of the week, we made a quick excursion to Woods Canyon Lake, about 10 minutes east of Christopher Creek atop the Mogollon Rim. The view just before descending to the lake was breathtaking.

On our final day, we headed north of Payson to visit the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. There was a nominal admission fee of $5 per person, and the Ana Mae trail was a quick 10 minute jaunt down to the creek bed and backside of the cavern below the bridge. The natural bridge is made up of travertine created by deposits of plant and other natural materials over thousands of years.

The hollow under the bridge was astounding, and allowed for some excellent experimentation with lighting and shadow.

The outer edge of the cavern framed the bright open sky perfectly.

Overall the trip to the Payson area was fantastic and gave me an opportunity to rekindle my artistic passions. I'm already looking forward to my next photo excursion, and I really hope I was able to capture some of the existing natural beauty within the lens.




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Featured on The Photography Daily: Leisure on 8/23/15.
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