Creekside Cottonwoods, Sabino Canyon (Infrared). This canyon could rightly be called the crown jewel of the Santa Catalina Mountains, the range on the northern border of Tucson. Its eponymous creek flows year round and thus creates a riparian area fostering a diversity of trees and wildlife. And for us humans, it’s a rugged, spectacular place to visit, hike, swim, and enjoy in many other ways.

A tram is provided to take folks up the lower portion of the canyon, and one can then walk back down for as much of the distance as one wishes. On a recent visit, we walked the entire way back, crossing the creek numerous times in the process. This view – captured with invisible light - is from one of those crossings. It was developed to mimic the look of Kodak’s long-discontinued Aerochrome color infrared film.

Tech info: Nikon D800E camera (modified for full spectrum response and with 550nm infrared filter on lens) with Nikon 28-300mm lens at 28mm, 1/400 sec. at f/16, ISO 500.

Image ©2024 James D. Peterson