McKlintock? Oklahoma? No, Arizona!

I paid a visit to the San Raphael Valley in Southern Arizona. This photo was taken from the back porch of a famous house used in the film's McKlintock, Oklahoma!, and several other western movies. If you watch John Wayne's movie McKlintock, this identical view can be seen in the movie...only the windmill and barn is hardly rusted! This Arizona valley is so beautiful and has so many rolling hills that they shot many scenes at this house to include the vast grassland. Who would have thought Arizona could look like Oklahoma!

I used a point and shoot Kodak to shoot this, but it too became one of my early favorites that got me excited about shooting digital photography.

Cowboy Sunrise

This was one my early favorites. I was hiking in the desert south of Tucson when I observed a cowboy riding over the ridgeline. Noticing the dazzling sunrise above him, I quickly focused on the rider and snapped a few as he rode by. I still love this photo to do this day. The depth of the contrast, the sharpness of the outline of the rider and his horse, and the mesquite horizon all came together to make what I thought was a great shot.

Them cowboys are up and at 'em at an early hour!