The effect of rain and fog on mountain scenery can be strikingly atmospheric.
In this scene, a mysterious mist drifts across the valleys that lie between the hills flanking the base of Piestewa Peak, the highest mountain in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. The sun can’t cut through the clouds that envelope the peak, but its presence does lend a touch of warm color, as do the patches of green vegetation that line the rocky slopes. Sharp eyes might even notice the presence of several saguaros that stand like sentinels on the diagonal crest that slices though the center of the image. I made this image from my own back yard, using new technology – a Panasonic G1, the world’s smallest interchangeable lens camera. This lens offers a focal length equivalent to 90-400mm, and is equipped with a UV/Haze filter. I zoomed it all the way out to cut through the mist and reveal atmospheric detail in the scene, which is more than a mile away.