Thursday 13 March 2014

The Coming Storm / Sedona Skies

Thankfully, I managed to escape the city limits of Scottsdale a couple of times during my recent trip to Arizona.

North of Scottsdale lies the town of Sedona - famous for red rocks and (so I am reliably informed) numerous sites of "Earth Energy".  While the rocks are very clearly red, the Earth Energy was less obvious.  Our tour guide was clearly a believer - remarkably for me, I managed to hold my tongue!

What was beyond doubt, was that there was a change in the weather coming.  The skies were as huge and wonderful as rocks they capped.

While shops on the main street were offering crystal cures and aura readings, the sky was putting on a display of real wonder.  In the next 24 hours more rain fell than in the past year.  When you look at the skies you can see why.

All of these shots are panorama crops from my wide angle lens - while not being straight out of the camera shots, I have done very little else to the pictures.  The sky really did look like this!

Please click on the images to see larger versions - I think that it will be worth the effort!





The "speck" in the middle of the final image is a raven!

You can find more skies from around the world at Sky Watch Friday.

34 comments:

  1. Gorgeous!!! Those red rocks of Sedona are dazzling no matter what time of year.

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  2. The third pic is my favorite. I love the combination of the stormy skies and the majestic red rocks.

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  3. wow - super fabulous Stewart, what an amazing place and great photos

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  4. Nice shots

    Mother Nature gives us so many different types of beauty.

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  5. that's an area i've always wanted to visit.

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  6. Perfect pictures that are Stewart.
    Beautiful place this is, the mountains are really great.
    Panoramic cropping of the photo is superb.
    Greetings Irma

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  7. I agree with Anni, the red rocks of Sedona are dazzling indeed!! Terrific captures for the day, Stewart, as always!!! Hope you're ready for a great weekend! Enjoy!

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  8. What wonderfully moody shots.

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  9. Oh my - I clicked to enlarge, and the details just popped out. These are fabulous! The first one is my favorite.

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  10. That's such a beautiful place! I'm glad you got to see it.

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  11. I have wanted to visit Sedona too. Always someplace new to see.. I love your dramatic sky shots. And the red rocks are beautiful. Great photos. Enjoy your weekend!

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  12. Great shots Stewart, not the typical ones that everyone does. Well, done. I grew up nearby so I remember what Sedona was like when it was normal. I have a friend who was born and still resides there who says he ran around all over and never felt any thing but tired! LOL! No energy for him :)

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  13. It is so much fun seeing Arizona through your eyes. Everything is new and exciting again.

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  14. Imagine coming all that way to visit Arizona and getting rain! Maybe you should bring your "energy" to California... They are suffering from a drought! I feel cheated...we toured that area without a guide...just as well...one of us isn't good at holding his ;)tongue!

    The skies are interesting for sure.

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  15. I would love to visit this area. The red rocks are amazing. I agree that the third picture has to be my favorite because of the contrast between the red rocks and the sky.

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  16. Beautiful scenery.

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  17. My husband and I were just in Sedona, AZ last March. I wish you a good time there and feel the spirit of the west.
    JM Illinois

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  18. Beautiful captures! Storms in American southwest are rather scary!

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  19. Ha ha, I just happened to see this, and I too had to hold my tongue while taking a tour in Sedona many years ago, such a beautiful place though~

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  20. Our sky is looking a little ominous today. I hope it rains... We've had snow this year, but could use a little rain out of those clouds!

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  21. Our sky is looking a little ominous today. I hope it rains... We've had snow this year, but could use a little rain out of those clouds!

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  22. Amazing images -- would love to see that area some day.

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  23. BEAUTIFUL! If ever there was a place for panoramic photos, it's this one.
    I love that area. We've gone as far as looking at property out there (not right in town). The views are so massive and ever present, that you really can't get away from them.
    Beautiful shots Stewart! If you are ever interested, I have quite a few Sedona posts.
    http://www.patricktillett.blogspot.com/#uds-search-results

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  24. Stewart these are gorgeous!!! Looks like you must be having a wonderful adventure:-)

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  25. Fascinating landscape. Gorgeous photos!

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  26. Glad you were able to make it to Sedona, Stewart, experience our southwest desert. Not sure what to tell you about Earth Energy!!

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  27. Beautiful skies. I love clouds and their movements---roiling and boiling. Great shots. MB

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  28. Ahh, Sedona, it's on my bucket list! Great shots!

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  29. These shots are simply stunning! I love the beauty in a stormy sky.

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