At the end of every month, I do my “monthly photo recap” where I pick out 10 “favorite” photos.
It’s a way to appreciate and reflect on I created, and to creatively regroup for the next month.
So here goes for November 2024.
1. Marigolds in Infrared
My friend Vince kindly let me borrow an infrared converted camera for a while, and so these marigolds in my backyard were my first subject. Without filters, the camera shoots at 470nm, so all of the infrared spectrum and a good portion of the visible spectrum as well. This is an unfiltered 470nm image.
2. Frank Henry’s Bank in “Flamingo” Infrared
One day I met my friend Chris (and his friend Rob) at this location, the bank on 44th Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix. It was designed by Chris’ father Frank Henry, who was a fantastic architect, studying under Frank Lloyd Wright and practicing the style of organic architecture. This is an infrared photo of the bank that I took with a 550nm “orange” filter. The color treatment is called “flamingo”.
3. Glowing Chollas
Early in the month I went out to Wickenburg and explored a new-to-me area, the Sophie’s Flat Trail. These glowing chollas caught my eye, and I was experimenting with the new telephoto lens I got last month. I’ve photographed lots of backlit teddy bear chollas — one of my favorite subjects — but have never done them at such a long focal length before.
4. Boyce Thompson Palm Tree in Infrared
On Black Friday, instead of going shopping, my little family went for a walk at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. I brought only the infrared camera, and this was one of my favorite compositions from the day. This is with the 550nm “orange” filter, and this time I choose a vibrant yellow / blue color contrast.
5. Frank Henry’s Bank in Monochrome
Another from Frank Henry’s bank, this is NOT an infrared capture. I love this photo as I think the composition really showcases his one-of-a-kind “dendriform” columns.
6. Golden Prickly Pear
Another from Sophie’s Flat, this is me once again experimenting with the telephoto, this time with a prickly pear that seems to be missing most of its larger spines — but still has plenty of those tiny glochids that you don’t want to mess with.
7. Windmill in Infrared
This old windmill stands in the middle of Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Although not obvious, this is a 470nm infrared capture. I liked how this composition came out, and processed it to have an old-timey vibe.
8. Milky Way, Comet, and Saguaro
This is the subject that I most wanted to photograph at Sophie’s Flat: the comet + the Milky Way + some Sonoran Desert vegetation. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is visible as a small smudge on the right side. If I could’ve made it out a week earlier, I could’ve gotten the comet larger and brighter, but my schedule didn’t work out. Grateful I was able to go out and photograph it at all though.
9. Boyce Thompson Visitor Center in Infrared
In the 10 days I’ve been photographing “false color” infrared, I’ve noticed that I like some human elements in these types of photos. Scenes with strictly nature feel weird in false color to me. Maybe I just need to wrap my head around it. Either way, I do like how false color frees my mind from worrying about if I did the photo “the right way”, and let’s my artistic expression run free.
10. Frank Henry’s Bank in Amber Infrared
I’ll cap it off with one more 550nm IR from the bank. I like how this scene shows the dendriform columns, rubble masonry, and the sculptures. I’m not sure the name of the sculpture artist.
So that’s my monthly recap! Can’t wait to see what December brings.
