Transformation-Sonoran Desert

This photograph was made a few years ago using an Arca-Swiss 8×10 large format analog camera. I initially created traditional contact prints in the darkroom. To a photographer, it reflects exquisite craftsmanship and tonal richness. But to non-photographers, the subtlety can sometimes be lost.

To better communicate the image’s impact to a broader audience, I scanned the original negative and produced a 28×22-inch pigment print, matted with a 5-inch border and framed to 40 inches wide by 35 inches tall. The result allows viewers to fully experience the ultra-high resolution and immersive detail that large format photography offers.

This image has been shown in several exhibitions and received outstanding feedback—including from Dr. Becky Senf, Chief Curator at the Center for Creative Photography. I’ve photographed this location in the Sonoran Desert many times—with and without clouds, using various cameras including digital—but this first image remains the strongest.

Sadly, the location has since changed dramatically. What was once a hauntingly quiet desert scene is now a fenced yard filled with heavy construction equipment. Like many of my photographs, the subject no longer exists as it once did. These fleeting, altered landscapes are part of an ongoing series I call Transformations—a meditation on impermanence, time, and the evolving relationship between humanity and the desert.

I hope you enjoy this apocalyptic glimpse into the ever-changing Sonoran Desert. Feel free to leave a comment or a like.