Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • Often mistaken as a chipmunk, the white-tailed antelope squirrel is a common desert ground squirrel found acrosss most of the American Southwest including Baja California. They are diurinal, but escape the heat of the day in their burrows.
    White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
  • A white-tailed ground squirrel peeks out of its burrow among a pile of rocks in Southern Nevada. These tough little rodents live in very hot, dry environments, and get most of their moisture from their food which includes insects, seeds, fruits, cactus, grasses and even sometimes carrion.
    White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
  • A single specimen of the canaigre dock grows in the sands of the Valley of Fire in Southern Nevada.
    Canaigre Dock
  • Closeup of the brilliantly colored beavertail cactus growing in the Majave Desert of Southern California.
    Beavertail Cactus
  • Nevada's Valley of Fire is one of the most spectacular places in the United States. Unbelievably red sandstone canyons, rock formations and rare habitat-specific wildlife make for one of the very best places for a hike or hiking trip one could hope for.
    Into Valley of Fire - Black & White
  • The American Southwest is well-known for its incredible rock formations that come in ever size, shape and color. Elephant Rock is one of these rock formations that is found in Nevada's oldest state park - Valley of Fire State Park.
    Elephant Rock
  • Fiddlenecks growing in near the southern tip of Nevada in the Valley of Fire State Park. These are just the buds, before the small bright yellow flowers emerge, but I liked the way they looked enough to take this shot.
    Checker Fiddleneck
  • After the first rains, these delicate spring bloomers can leave carpets of snowy white across the deserts of the Southwest, such as this one in Southern Nevada.
    Dune Evening Primrose
  • These absolutely beautiful springtime evening primroses stand out in sharp contrast against the red sands of Nevada's Valley of Fire, just east of Las Vegas.
    Dune Evening Primrose
  • One of my favorite places to photograph landscapes - Valley of Fire, Nevada.
    Valley of Fire
  • This very common species of cactus is spectacular in bloom with its showy display of fuchsia flowers in the spring, such as this beavertail cactus in full blossom in Southern Nevada.
    Beavertail Cactus
  • The very common, yet beautiful desert marigold grows for most of the year anywhere that stays above freezing in the deserts of the Southwest. These were photographed. along the roadside just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is also called the showy desert marigold.
    Desert Marigold
  • A red-eyed male Phainopepla hesitates for a second as I press the shutter in Southern Nevada on a chilly spring morning. This common bird to Mexico is frequently seen in the extreme lower southwestern United States.
    Phainopepla
  • I noticed this beautifully colored California barrel cactus on top of a ridge in the many canyons of Nevada's Valley of Fire as I was photographing the sunrise. The vivid color of the early morning light just lit up the rock and cactus with the most vivid, intense colors!
    California Barrel
  • Like many cacti of the American Southwest, cacti are often found around piles of rocks, perhaps they once sheltered the tiny seedling from wind and rain. This beavertail cactus in the Mojave Desert is off to a good start. Many of this species reach a height of six feet and a base of about twelve feet across.
    Beavertail Cactus
  • A detailed look from above at a beavertail cactus in Joshua Tree National Park. This photograph was taken  in early April just after the spring rains when the plants of the desert burst into color and blossom.
    Beavertail Cactus
  • There is no mistaking the beavertail cactus. Named because of the pads, the grey-green color is a dead giveaway. There are a dozen or more subspecies, so there are slight variations based on location, elevations, etc. Generally the flowers are this bright fuchsia, but some other naturally occurring varieties have equally bright yellow flowers.
    Beavertail Cactus
  • Nevada's Valley of Fire is one of the most spectacular places in the United States. Unbelievably red sandstone canyons, rock formations and rare habitat-specific wildlife make for one of the very best places for a hike or hiking trip one could hope for.
    Into the Valley of Fire
  • Non-descriptive flowers are uncommon in nature. Green, barely-pink, or just brown, they stand out in the Valley of Fire in Southern Nevada. This plant contains a remarkable amount of tannins and has been used in making leather products.
    Canaigre Dock
  • This large-leaved plant took me by surprise in the deserts of Southern Nevada. The greenish-brown flowers and dark green leaves mark it as what is known locally as wild rhubarb. This plant contains a remarkable amount of tannins and has been used in making leather products.
    Canaigre Dock
  • Purple sage is a sun-loving member of the mint family that is found in very dry areas of the extreme Southwestern United States. If you run your hands through the leaves, your hands will pick up a wonderfully minty scent. These were photographed<br />
 below a cave-hollowed cliff on Southern Nevada.
    Purple Sage
  • Close up of the purple sage, a desert member of the mint family that grows in full sun with little moisture.
    Purple Sage
  • The Valley of Fire in Southern Nevada is home to some of the most spectacular rock formations in the United States.
    Valley of Fire
  • A photograph from within a cave in Southern Nevada while hunting unsuccessfully for vinegaroons while climbing the cliffs in the area. I just arrived in time for perfect light!
    Inside the Cave...
  • This beautiful hedgehog cactus was photographed while hunting down desert quail to photograph in Southern Nevada in early April. I lucked out to find a freshly-opened flower in the early evening.
    Robust Hedgehog Cactus
  • This amazing member of the arachnid family is related to spiders and true scorpions, but is in a class of its own. I found this small yet vicious solifugid hiding under a rock in rural Clark County, Nevada about an hour east of Las Vegas.
    Pale Windscorpion