My Uncle Tom was game for picking us up at an ungodly hour to explore Saguaro National Park East at sunrise. The trade off between sleep and yummy light is always, always worth it, though it’s very hard to remember that when the alarm goes off in the pitch black.

We pretty much had the park to ourselves and slowly drove the loop, stopping frequently for photo opportunities. Tom, driving, was every bit as gracious as my mom (who is used to my craziness) about my requests to pull over or back up in random places. Being an artist himself (his medium is video), he gets it.

Anyone who knows me understands my strong preference for neutral colored clothing in photos. Portraits, that is. I want the focus to be on faces and connections between people, not on distracting wardrobes. My thoughtful mom chose her outfit carefully based on this. But landscape photography requires a pop of color to spot a person. Poor mom was so disappointed when I told her she was blending in with her surroundings! Momma, you get all the points for effort.

A quick stop for coffee, and we were off to the San Xavier del Bac Mission. It’s under renovation, so between that and COVID restrictions, access was limited. Still, it’s a stunning place.