Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • Double Arch is found in Arches National Park in Eastern Utah and is part of the amazing red alien sandstone landscape that is called the Moab Desert. This area has the largest number of natural stone arches than anywhere else in the world, but what makes this rock formation so unique is that they were both eroded from the very same piece of stone. Most arches are formed from water erosion flowing either within or from the sides of the rock over the millennia, but these two arches were formed from water eroding from the top of the stone, downwards. For this reason they are called pothole arches. Because this photograph was made at the beginning of a sudden storm, you can see the rainwater running down the rock from the top of the arch, and this is the very process that carved these arches to begin with, and that will also eventually one day cause this magnificent national treasure to collapse.
    Double Arch, Moab Desert, Utah
  • One of the 2000+ arches found in the Moab Desert in Arches National Park, lit by an extraordinary moon on a hot summer night.
    Moab Desert at Night
  • The wonderous rock formations of Utah's Arches National Park look even more spectacular on a wildly moonlit night in the Moab Desert.
    Moab Desert in Moonlight
  • The famous Delicate Arch stands 65 feet (20 meters) above its sandstone base in the surrounding canyons and ravines in Arches National Park in eastern Utah's Moab Desert.
    Delicate Arch
  • The famous Delicate Arch stands 65 feet (20 meters) above its sandstone base in the surrounding canyons and ravines in Arches National Park in eastern Utah's Moab Desert.
    Delicate Arch
  • The famous Delicate Arch stands 65 feet (20 meters) above its sandstone base in the surrounding canyons and ravines in Arches National Park in eastern Utah's Moab Desert.
    Delicate Arch
  • The famous Delicate Arch stands 65 feet (20 meters) above its sandstone base in the surrounding canyons and ravines in Arches National Park in eastern Utah's Moab Desert.
    Delicate Arch
  • The famous Delicate Arch stands 65 feet (20 meters) above its sandstone base in the surrounding canyons and ravines in Arches National Park in eastern Utah's Moab Desert.
    Delicate Arch
  • The famous Delicate Arch stands 65 feet (20 meters) above its sandstone base in the surrounding canyons and ravines in Arches National Park in eastern Utah's Moab Desert.
    Delicate Arch
  • Some of the amazingly beautiful rock formations photographed here at dusk in Arches National Park in Eastern Utah.
    Moab Rock Formations
  • High on the plateau north of Moab, Utah, this extremely feisty and aggressive little Beck's desert scorpion was found under a shaded rock on a hot summer day at the far northeastern end of its range. I had to consult a professional arachnologist for the correct ID of this species as far too many of these small desert species look very similar.
    Beck's Desert Scorpion (Paruroctonus..cki)
  • This particularly spiky fishhook cactus (also known as a barrel cactus) is common in the Four Corners region where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. What is interesting about this cactus is that it is a xerophyte - which means it is extremely tough in extreme environments, and can withstand long periods of time with little to no water in the blistering summer heat of the high desert in summer, and the deep freeze of winter. If you look closely, you can see where a scorpion has dug a burrow under this one, high on the plateau north of Moab, Utah.
    Smallflower Fishhook Cactus
  • Touted as the world's smallest butterfly (at least this is true in North America) this one was one of hundreds I found at late dusk in the Moab Desert all seemingly asleep among a few bushes on the side of the road in Arches National Park in Eastern Utah. The wingspan at best is half an inch.
    Western Pygmy-Blue
  • The plateau side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana uniformis) is one of five distinct subspecies of the side-blotched lizard found across the western United States, found only in Eastern Utah, Western Colorado, Northeastern Nevada and the extreme northwestern tip of New Mexico. Unlike its boldly-patterned cousins found to the south, west and southwest, the plateau side-blotched lizard tends to have a more spotted pattern, characterized by many tiny blue spots, unique to this subspecies. This one was photographed in Eastern Utah's Moab Desert after a sudden summer storm.
    Plateau Side-Blotched Lizard
  • The famous North and South Window arches at 4am on an incredible moonlit night deep in the Moab Desert in Arches National Park in Eastern Utah.
    North and South Window Arches at Night
  • Balanced Rock silhouetted against the moonlit sky on an extraordinary night in the Moab Desert at about 4am in Eastern Utah.
    Balanced Rock in Silhouette at Night
  • A waning gibbous moon on a warm summer night in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah at nearly 4am. It was so bright out that I could easily navigate between the cacti and jagged rocks without my flashlight!
    Desert Moon
  • Touted as the world's smallest butterfly (at least this is true in North America) this one was one of hundreds I found at late dusk in the Moab Desert all seemingly asleep among a few bushes on the side of the road in Arches National Park in Eastern Utah. The wingspan at best is half an inch.
    Western Pygmy-Blue
  • An incredibly tiny western pygmy-blue sits motionless in a shrub on a hot summer evening in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Western Pygmy-Blue
  • The desert cottontail (Audubon's cottontail) is a common rabbit native to the American Southwest, very similar to other cottontails around the world, but adapted to live in arid, desert-like environments. It gets all of its water from the grasses, cacti and other forbs. It is also a very important food source for the many carnivores of the desert including golden and bald eagles, great horned owls, ferruginous hawks, badgers, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and humans. This one was photographed early on a summer evening in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Desert Cottontail (Audubon's Cottontail)
  • The desert cottontail (Audubon's cottontail) is a common rabbit native to the American Southwest, very similar to other cottontails around the world, but adapted to live in arid, desert-like environments. It gets all of its water from the grasses, cacti and other forbs. It is also a very important food source for the many carnivores of the desert including golden and bald eagles, great horned owls, ferruginous hawks, badgers, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and humans. This one was photographed early on a summer evening in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Desert Cottontail (Audubon's Cottontail)
  • The desert cottontail (Audubon's cottontail) is a common rabbit native to the American Southwest, very similar to other cottontails around the world, but adapted to live in arid, desert-like environments. It gets all of its water from the grasses, cacti and other forbs. It is also a very important food source for the many carnivores of the desert including golden and bald eagles, great horned owls, ferruginous hawks, badgers, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and humans. This one was photographed early on a summer evening in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Desert Cottontail (Audubon's Cottontail)
  • The plateau side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana uniformis) is one of five distinct subspecies of the side-blotched lizard found across the western United States, found only in Eastern Utah, Western Colorado, Northeastern Nevada and the extreme northwestern tip of New Mexico. Unlike its boldly-patterned cousins found to the south, west and southwest, the plateau side-blotched lizard tends to have a more spotted pattern, characterized by many tiny blue spots, unique to this subspecies. This one was photographed in Eastern Utah's Moab Desert after a sudden summer storm.
    Plateau Side-Blotched Lizard
  • The plateau side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana uniformis) is one of five distinct subspecies of the side-blotched lizard found across the western United States, found only in Eastern Utah, Western Colorado, Northeastern Nevada and the extreme northwestern tip of New Mexico. Unlike its boldly-patterned cousins found to the south, west and southwest, the plateau side-blotched lizard tends to have a more spotted pattern, characterized by many tiny blue spots, unique to this subspecies. This one was photographed in Eastern Utah's Moab Desert after a sudden summer storm.
    Plateau Side-Blotched Lizard
  • The sweet-scented heliotrope looked like a mini-morning glory to me at first glance, but a closer look showed this wonderfully scented member of the borage family is also the largest of America's native heliotropes. Like many desert wildflowers, the sweet-scented heliotrope opens in the evening and can be found in all of the southwestern states as well as Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. This one was found in the early evening just after opening up in Utah's Moab Desert.
    Sweet-Scented Heliotrope
  • Long exposure of balanced rock in Arches National Park in Utah's Moab Desert lit entirely by moonlight.
    Balanced Rock at Night
  • A rare view of the opened wings of a live western-pygmy-blue in Utah's Moab Desert. Touted as the world's smallest butterfly (at least this is true in North America) this one was one of hundreds I found at late dusk in Arches National Park in Eastern Utah. The wingspan at best is half an inch.
    Western Pygmy-Blue
  • The plateau side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana uniformis) is one of five distinct subspecies of the side-blotched lizard found across the western United States, found only in Eastern Utah, Western Colorado, Northeastern Nevada and the extreme northwestern tip of New Mexico. Unlike its boldly-patterned cousins found to the south, west and southwest, the plateau side-blotched lizard tends to have a more spotted pattern, characterized by many tiny blue spots, unique to this subspecies. This one was photographed in Eastern Utah's Moab Desert after a sudden summer storm.
    Plateau Side-Blotched Lizard
  • The plateau side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana uniformis) is one of five distinct subspecies of the side-blotched lizard found across the western United States, found only in Eastern Utah, Western Colorado, Northeastern Nevada and the extreme northwestern tip of New Mexico. Unlike its boldly-patterned cousins found to the south, west and southwest, the plateau side-blotched lizard tends to have a more spotted pattern, characterized by many tiny blue spots, unique to this subspecies. This one was photographed in Eastern Utah's Moab Desert after a sudden summer storm.
    Plateau Side-Blotched Lizard
  • The plateau side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana uniformis) is one of five distinct subspecies of the side-blotched lizard found across the western United States, found only in Eastern Utah, Western Colorado, Northeastern Nevada and the extreme northwestern tip of New Mexico. Unlike its boldly-patterned cousins found to the south, west and southwest, the plateau side-blotched lizard tends to have a more spotted pattern, characterized by many tiny blue spots, unique to this subspecies. This one was photographed in Eastern Utah's Moab Desert after a sudden summer storm.
    Plateau Side-Blotched Lizard
  • The plateau side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana uniformis) is one of five distinct subspecies of the side-blotched lizard found across the western United States, found only in Eastern Utah, Western Colorado, Northeastern Nevada and the extreme northwestern tip of New Mexico. Unlike its boldly-patterned cousins found to the south, west and southwest, the plateau side-blotched lizard tends to have a more spotted pattern, characterized by many tiny blue spots, unique to this subspecies. This one was photographed in Eastern Utah's Moab Desert after a sudden summer storm.
    Plateau Side-Blotched Lizard
  • At home in the heat of the American Southwest, this red-spotted toad slumbers throughout the driest parts of the year, and emerges with the rains that come in spring and summer. This one was photographed in the Moab Desert in Eastern Utah.
    Red-Spotted Toad
  • A red-spotted toad is reflected in a rare pool of water - a leftover from a massive storm that passed through the Moab Desert the night before. The brilliant blue sky reflected beautifully from this angle.
    Red-Spotted Toad
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • The plateau side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana uniformis) is one of five distinct subspecies of the side-blotched lizard found across the western United States, found only in Eastern Utah, Western Colorado, Northeastern Nevada and the extreme northwestern tip of New Mexico. Unlike its boldly-patterned cousins found to the south, west and southwest, the plateau side-blotched lizard tends to have a more spotted pattern, characterized by many tiny blue spots, unique to this subspecies. This one was photographed on Utah's Antelope Island, an island near Salt Lake City which lies near the southeastern shore of Great Salt Lake.
    Plateau Side-Blotched Lizard
  • Close-up of a red-spotted toad, one of the few amphibians found in the deserts and plains of the American Southwest. Because water is scarce in these areas, they can be often heard after a heavy rain as a piercing high-pitched trill that means the males are calling for females, as breeding opportunities are few and far between. Eggs are laid singly and fertilized, and will hatch within hours. Six to eight weeks later, the tadpoles (if they survive and the water lasts long enough) will reach adulthood.
    Red-Spotted Toad
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • Also known as the desert Indian paintbrush, linearleaf Indian paintbrush,  narrow-leaved Indian paintbrush, and Wyoming desert paintbrush, this is one of the tallest of North America's Castilleja species, reaching upward to four feet and sometimes growing in such density that they can appear more like a shrub than the typical, low-growing singular forb wildflower one would expect to see among Indian paintbrushes. These unusually orange (they are usually red) beauties were found blooming in profusion in Utah's Arches National Park.
    Wyoming Indian Paintbrush (Castillej..lia)
  • The plateau side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana uniformis) is one of five distinct subspecies of the side-blotched lizard found across the western United States, found only in Eastern Utah, Western Colorado, Northeastern Nevada and the extreme northwestern tip of New Mexico. Unlike its boldly-patterned cousins found to the south, west and southwest, the plateau side-blotched lizard tends to have a more spotted pattern, characterized by many tiny blue spots, unique to this subspecies. This one was photographed on Utah's Antelope Island, an island near Salt Lake City which lies near the southeastern shore of Great Salt Lake.
    Plateau Side-Blotched Lizard