Kaleidoscope #317

by D.M. SessousJuly 3, 2018June 24, 2018

Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.
― C.S. Lewis

Below is the original photo used to create this image. This was taken at a scenic view and hiking trail outside of Sedona, AZ during a recent vacation. I was surprised and delighted to find this patch of royal-purple irises. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

Save

Kaleidoscope #316

by D.M. SessousJuly 2, 2018June 24, 2018

My mother named me after a miracle of nature: Waris means desert flower. The desert flower blooms in a barren environment where few living things can survive.
― Waris Dirie, Desert Flower

Below is the original photo used to create this image. This is a close-up of a vibrant flowering bush taken outside our hotel in Mesa, AZ while on a recent vacation visiting family in the area. April was truly a lovely time to visit, everything was in bloom! No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

Save

Kaleidoscope #315

by D.M. SessousJuly 1, 2018June 24, 2018

“Don’t think about what you’ve left behind,” The alchemist said to the boy as they began to ride across the sands of the desert. “If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. And one can always come back. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Below is the original photo used to create this image. This was taken at the Grand Canyon during a morning hike along the southern rim on the Greenway Trail. I’m still fascinated by the stark beauty of this dead tree, juxtaposed against the vibrant green of the pine and the watercolor sky. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

Save

Kaleidoscope #314

by D.M. SessousJune 30, 2018June 24, 2018

The house, the stars, the desert — what gives them their beauty is something that is invisible.
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Below is the original photo used to create this image. This gathering of saguaro and funky gourd-like cacti were part of the landscaping in front of my Gramma’s house in Mesa, AZ. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

Save

Kaleidoscope #313

by D.M. SessousJune 29, 2018June 24, 2018

Maybe these desert birds could explain to him the meaning of love without ownership.
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Below is the original photo used to create this image. This was taken at the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, AZ during a recent vacation. This has become one of my favorite spots to see when visiting family in the area. April might possibly have been the best time to visit with everything in bloom. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

Save

Kaleidoscope #312

by D.M. SessousJune 28, 2018June 24, 2018

Everyone just keeps on disappearing. Some things vanish, like they were cut away. Others fade slowly into the mist. And all that remains is a desert.
― Haruki Murakami, South of the Border, West of the Sun

Save

Kaleidoscope #311

by D.M. SessousJune 27, 2018June 24, 2018

The desert, when the sun comes up…I couldn’t tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began.
― Tom Hanks

Below is the original photo used to create this image. This was taken on my last night in Arizona, just outside of Mesa during a recent vacation. The skies had been almost crystal clear, and I was grateful to have a vibrant sunset, I kept excusing myself from dinner to run out to the parking lot to take more pictures. I especially love how the cloud formation looks like a bird in flight, a Phoenix perhaps…? No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.

Save

Kaleidoscope #310

by D.M. SessousJune 26, 2018June 10, 2018

Do you imagine the universe is agitated? Go into the desert at night and look at the stars. This practice should answer the question.
― Lao Tzu

Save

Kaleidoscope #309

by D.M. SessousJune 25, 2018June 10, 2018

The dunes are changed by the wind, but the desert never changes. That’s the way it will be with our love for each other.
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Below is the original photo used to create this image. This was taken at the Grand Canyon during the tail end of the sunset golden hour. The colors were glorious and I’m so pleased with the watercolor intensity. No special lighting or retouching, just a snap from my smart phone.