Latest additions:
9-12-20 - added new gallery - Pacific/Bora Bora.
8-21-20 - added more pictures to Arizona/Grand Canyon page.

Copper Cactus Photography

I'm Steve Riedler, owner of Copper Cactus Graphics and this is my photography subdomain site. One of my many hobbies is photography. I live in Arizona, one of the most beautiful places on Earth. With its vast array of canyons, mountains and desert fauna and flora, Arizona is a photographers dream. You just can't take a bad picture of the Superstition mountains or the Grand Canyon. Although not a native, I've lived here for thirty plus years and never tire of the awe inspriing scenery in every corner of this state. I love the desert, especially the Sonoran desert. It's the epitome of peace, solitude and tranquility. The beauty is breathtaking and the diversity of life is amazing. Nothing quite compares with the feeling I get when I'm out on a hike, round a bend and see the spectacular scenery of the desert Southwest sprawled out before me. Capturing the beauty of nature in all its splendour is a true thrill. Hopefully, these photos will inspire people to take care of our fragile desert ecosystems, conserve our nautral resources and preserve our environment for future generations.

I had submitted many photos to the CaptureMyArizona web site, won some awards for my photos and had a few published in their annual calendar. Unfortunately, that site is now defunct. My goal is to share my pictures of Arizona again from that site with the Internet community and post a few more.

Although I photograph mostly desert terrain, I also want to share some of my other photos of locales throughout the world to which I have traveled. Countries like Mexico, Tahiti, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and places in America like Hawaii, California, Oregon and New Mexico. The images are a nice mixture of natural paradises and extraordinary architecture and art made by humans.

All photos on this website have been processed in Photoshop using the CS5 pseudo-HDR(High Dynamic Range) toning filter which enhances a photo's detail, vibrance, lighting and saturation, among other attributes. I have found that this filter truly makes a picture pop. Using Photoshop to enhance a photo is no different from film photographers using various darktoom techniques to bring out the beauty in a photograph.

All photos on this website are copyrighted property of Copper Cactus Graphics. You can purchase some of the photography as cards and posters at the Copper Cactus Graphics Store on Cafepress.

This site is a work in progress. New images will be added over time, so please check back regularly for additional photos. Currently, there are photo slideshows for the following:

Remember: Take only pictures, leave only footprints. We have to take care of our planet. It's the only one we've got.