Chenzo left his home for Tucson, Arizona (travels)

Last week I came home after exploring the stunningly beautiful city of Tucson, Arizona. I'm a Denver boy, so I gawked at the rows upon rows of saguaro cacti and prickly pear cacti.



They sprout up from the hills like alien beacons. Their random arrangements resemble a secret ancient code that will never be deciphered.



My left knee experienced this one firsthand::



I made a new friend along the way too. My friend Kirsta's dog is a beagle, her name is Bella, and she likes attention. She'd totally grabbed the remote control with her mouth and show it to the new guy like it was a prize catch. Complete troublemaker but really really photogenic::



How can you say no to this dog?





Things I learned in Tucson::

+ You can't tell which way is west because there are mountains all around the city.
+ The best gelato in the entire world doesn't necessarily have to come from Rome.
+ The perfect engagement session can be shot on a nameless one-square block of priceless Spanish architecture.
+ Grass is a luxury among desert climes.
+ "Trolleys" do in fact exist! I will go back to Tucson someday and explore this city. It's wealth of color begs for the attention of any photographer.

It's all about the F-Stop

Nothing gets me fired up like a good podcast. One that you absolutely must subscribe to right now is F-Stop Beyond, hosted by Ron Dawson.

He interviews photographers and videographers from across the spectrum, and it's thrilling to hear some of these photographers. It's one thing to observe their work from across the blogosphere, it's another thing to hear them explain their art and way of life directly.

Ron asks the uncommon questions, straying away from the technical/workflow side of the industry and concentrating on the personal facets of these artists. Amazing, refreshing insights. Way to go, Ron! I await the next episode.