AZ Big Media’s staff is full of Arizona know-it-alls, and we love to gush about everything we love about the Grand Canyon State. We finally created a forum for our staffers to share the wealth on our “Local’s Choice” feature.

Arizona is known to be a little rough around the edges, from cacti to cowboys. Beyond that, this state is known for the treasures projected across the sky — sunsets and sunrises. As a photographer, I appreciate the beauty that these sights portray and they are easily my favorite thing about Arizona.
Photographers have a time they refer to as “golden hour” during a sunrise or sunset. Their brightness isn’t harsh and the sky is lit up beautifully with all the colors of the rainbow (except green).
Growing up in Arizona has given me an opportunity to see this beauty everyday, and I love taking advantage of it. I enjoy looking for new foregrounds to photograph, with changing yet always beautiful sunset backgrounds. Going on hikes at this time of night are a perfect way to capture the sky from the top of the mountains.
I do not have the opportunity to go out and photograph the sunset as much as I would like to, but there is one thing for certain, that everyday at about 6:30 p.m., I can look out my window and see a sunset. I’ll stare at its beauty and watch while the colors change, as though they are being painted across the clouds.

Photo by Courtney Pedroza
Photo by Courtney Pedroza