Something is enchanting about the desert in the winter. It’s one of my favorite times to visit and explore the more arid parts of the US. Most people associate the desert with severe heat and lack of water, but winter can bring the opposite extremes, especially in higher elevations. Those intense opposites also helped carve and shape this region and its unique look. “Red Rock in Blue Light” was one of the highlights of my most recent exploration of Southern Nevada.

On our first night exploring the Nevada desert I wanted to find a nice scene to linger around after the sun went down. Lo and behold I stumbled onto this little ridge with a paper-thin rock ledge. Spending the hour leading up to sunset exploring all the nooks and crannies of this little crag, I settled down to this spot to capture the last of the waning light from that day. Not a bad way to end the day! You can see more of that trip in one of my earlier posts of my Adorned series here.
Anyone who has seen my 2025 Photo Calendar knows that “this”Red Rock in Blue Light” is the cover image and the December featured photograph. And for a limited time, you can get 20% off the print of this beautiful image in my Etsy shop. If you want to see more of my favorite photos from the Southwest check out this gallery.