Photographer George Steinmetz: Soaring Over the Sonoran

By Chris Lombardi, 7-03-07

In their quest to find a unique angle on well-worn subjects, some photographers go farther than others. Or higher. In pursuit of his passion for the world’s desert regions, photographer George Steinmetz has done both. He has traveled to some of the most remote regions on the planet and found a fresh photographic perspective by strapping a motorized propeller to his back and launching into the air under a paraglider, risking erratic downdrafts and rough landings in harsh terrain for the sake of stunning low-level aerial shots.

Steinmetz’s desert obsession has led him to visit more countries than many Americans have visited states. Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, Antarctica, Mexico. But one of his more recent projects is a bit closer to home—the Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona. Steinmetz spent two months photographing the Sonoran from the air in his paraglider before the rough terrain and some rough luck (including a crash landing into the sea while photographing whales) forced him to give up the glider and continue his project afoot. While Earth-bound, Steinmetz used infrared-triggered set-ups to capture wildlife visiting watering holes at night and ultraviolet lights to hunt scorpions, in addition to good old fashioned legword and patience to assemble a stunning and varied portrait of this region’s unique flora, fauna, and geology.

Those fortunate to be in the Arizona area this summer can see a show of Steinmetz’s Sonoran work at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona. The show opens July 7 and runs through September 30. The rest of us can view a gallery of images at georgesteinmetz.com. Don’t miss this gallery, photographers: the images are world-class, and many shots show Steinmetz at work, providing little hints at his methods (which include using the biggest damn tripod you’ve ever seen).