From a brief, unplanned emergency trip last year to Phoenix, Arizona, these black and white snapshots taken with my phone camera are full of the details and drama that I find so interesting when visiting this desert metropolis.
Seeing the improbable elements of modern civilization woven through the rugged desert environment offered a welcome bit of aerial photography inspiration. Jagged rocky ridges and distant mountains contrast with the criss-crossing marks of civilization. Power-lines, winding roads, urban city grid layouts, the dark water of reservoirs, and a scattering of vegetation tucked in gullies and along highways, all add the surreal sense that this human development is both persistent and fragile in such an extreme climate.
This particular flight was at the edge of monsoon season, and on approach to the airport a curtain of misty rain obscured the landscape beyond. I chose to process these frames as black and white because the strong contrast and tonal greys compliment the juxtaposition of man-made geometric structures and patterns with the rougher-edged natural elements.
As always, the best camera is the one you have with you. I sometimes wish my camera phone was the newest, highest-resolution model, but being able to quickly snap a few creative frames like this is always rewarding.
