Photographing butterflies at the Desert Botanical Garden

Last month I visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix with some friends. It's one of the most beautiful places in the area. There are so many incredible plants and birds and critters to see, but by far my favorite part this visit was the Spring Butterfly Exhibit.

Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly (Battus philenor)

Buckeye Butterfly (Junonia coenia)

As you walk into a lush, tropical and colorful tented area you see the exhibit is chock FULL of these amazing winged creatures. They are very fast and I was ill-prepared to take photos, but I did my best with my limited camera equipment.

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)

Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly (Battus philenor)

All of these photos were taken with my Nikon D3100 and a 50mm f/1.4 lens (my favorite) and I think it did a pretty good job!  However, I'm still looking forward to the purchase of some new equipment in the near future that I've been scrimping and saving for.  UPDATE: I am very happy and excited to announce that I have finally upgraded my camera to a full-frame - it was part of my birthday present this year! Yay birthdays! 

Julia Butterfly (Dryas iulia)

Julia Butterfly (Dryas iulia)

Buckeye Butterfly (Junonia coenia)

Luna Moths mating! (Actias luna)

 I love macro photography.  I could have stayed in there all day. It was so peaceful and lovely to watch these gentle creatures flit about and glide through the air.  Ahhh, nature.

South Mountain Horsemanship - a photo essay and photographic business profile

I feel very lucky to have been able to profile this incredible business in Phoenix.  South Mountain School of Horsemanship is an intimate riding school with a huge heart for teaching students the ins and outs of all things equestrian.  With a wealth of knowledge and experience along with a heap of patience and kindness, Cassandra Smith is an accomplished horsewoman who provides fun and valuable lessons that are relaxed and never rushed.  The love and respect she offers her horse companions is reflected in their well-groomed appearance and gentle demeanor.  Pru, Sassy and Coconut are three of the sweetest and loveliest horses I've ever met (and the most photogenic).

Here's a few of my favorite images from our photo shoots.  

To see more from this shoot, you can visit my new website at sarahbethsmithphotography.com!  That's right, I'm finally taking the plunge and starting a photography business.  I'm offering artistic, slice of life portraits and photography services in the greater Phoenix area Fall through Spring and in the Seattle metro area during the Summer.

You can still see my visual art/fine art photography at sarahbsmithart.com.

arizona in black and white

This place feels like the landscape of a beautiful, alien planet.  On the complete opposite spectrum from the Pacific Northwest.  I am intimidated, reverent and intensely curious.  The desert, hot and dangerous, is teeming with extreme and rugged life.  I don't know that I've ever been anywhere where there is so much wildlife everywhere I look.

The very bright sun has been a challenge to learn to photograph in, but I've found the light lends itself to dramatic black and white photos and helps create the feeling of that beautiful alien landscape I see when I look through the camera.

I wish I was a book cover

In November, my world was turned upside down when my family made the arguably crazy move to Arizona.  I've hardly been able to catch my breath, let alone work on anything creative since we started packing.  But, I've taken a few photos here and there as we explore the area, and I know that I'm subconsciously influenced by the desert.  The colors here are amazing.  Soft, ethereal and airy but vibrant at the same time.

I started dabbling with edits and layers in Photoshop and suddenly found myself creating images that were unlike any art I've ever created.  I felt skeptical of myself, but kept going, and feel like I'm finally starting to hit my stride and really enjoy what I'm making.

When I began looking at them in a series, I was reminded of book cover art.  I for one have always appreciated a beautiful and inspiring image to go with the text and usually end up choosing a book with a great cover (same with wine labels!) over something boring.  Plus, I like fantasy and strong female characters, and there's definitely that element in these new images.

I've taken some time in the last couple weeks to sift through old images I've always wanted to work on and am experimenting.  Not all are my favorites, but some I love.  Like this one.

I for one would LOVE for my art to be on a book cover some day.  But if not, I'll keep working on this collection, and keep you posted as it evolves...