Oh So Indie

THE DESERT IS BEAUTIFUL TOO

By Jake DeBruyckere

There is a stereotype I hear too often when I tell people I’m a photographer from Phoenix. “What do you take pictures of, everything is so brown?” Well, yes, there is a lot of brown but there is indescribable beauty hidden in the desert, and it’s not that hard to come across. Venture into the desert during golden hour and stay after the sun sets, just don’t forget your water! The light is less harsh and casts a warm glow over all the cacti and the land. The shadows start to get long, the air gets cooler, and everything but the wildlife is quiet. The birds are chirping and bugs whiz by and yet there is a stillness that can be felt throughout. It’s noisy and quiet at the same time. When the sun finally starts to slip below the horizon is when things get interesting. The sky burns red, orange, and pink and floods the desert below and suddenly you are wondering where all these colors came from. The greens in the cacti are vibrant, the mountains glow pink, and, during spring, the desert floor is littered with yellow and white wild flowers. (And people say the desert is just brown…) Just as fast as the sky was on fire and the mountains glowed pink, the colors fade and the last light dims. _____