Cenizo Journal Spring 2011 | Page 20

Photo Essay by Cathryn A. Hoyt I can’t remember ever not having a camera. As a child, I took dozens of photographs of my dog with a Brownie Box camera, then, as an archeologist, took thousands of photo- graphs of artifacts. Now, with the won- ders of digital photography, I have tens of thousands of images of plants and animals. One of the things that fascinates me the most about the Chihuahuan Desert region is the beauty of the details. Drive by at 70 miles an hour and you may not be impressed. But get out and walk, and the wonders of the desert are revealed. For me, photography is about learning. Through my images, I’ve learned so much – how to identify butterflies, birds and plants. By sharing my photographs, I hope to inspire oth- ers to slow down, take a look and learn to appreciate the details of the Chihuahuan Desert. Shadow Dune at Monahans Sand Hills I love photographing sand dunes. The color, patterns and texture of dunes provide endless hours of enter- tainment. The small fragment of wood in this photograph disrupted the air flow across the dune surface creating what is called a “shadow dune.” 20 Cenizo Second Quarter 2011