Photography by Julia E. Hatton

What a peaceful pretty place to visit. I never knew there were so many different types of cactus. Cactuses? Cacti?

I saw this beautiful kitty today at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson. She looked a little depressed if you ask me.

If you’re ever in the Tucson area, I definitely recommend a visit to this place. Built in the late 1700s, this Spanish Colonial style mission is a sight to behold. You’ll be blown away by the level of ornate detail inside!

You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.

Just a little something that caught my eye after today’s rain.

Vertical lines are everywhere if you just look for them!

The crepe myrtles in my back yard are in full bloom, so I couldn’t resist this photo opportunity.

This was part of a photo assignment from a flickr group I administer, Saturday Shutterbugs. The assignment was to take the same photo with the aperture wide open and again with it stopped all the way down.  This was to help recognize and appreciate the different effects of changing the aperture and what is appropriate for the story you are trying to tell with your image.

My first visit and I was absolutely mesmerized by the brilliant blue waters.

Featured in the Nikon Stunning Gallery.