Behind The Lens: Mia Gordon's Arizona Photo Journal

As a child, I remember driving in the car with my dad, and every so often we would pull over to the side of the road for a photo opp. I never understood why he would want to take pictures of a plain field or a random tree, it used to drive me insane. Yet as I grew older, I started to appreciate how talented my dad was. He was able to find beauty in the weird and different. It was his eye that won him awards at Cannes, pages in National Geographic and photos hanging in the Victoria Art Gallery.

As my career as a reporter and content creator progressed, I started paying more attention to the perfect shot. Making sure that the light was right and that the angles were perfect came into focus. So, when my dad asked me to take a photography road trip with him through Arizona I immediately said yes.

Below are pictures that both my dad and I captured from our time in the captivating desert state. 

Day 1:

Day one we drove from Las Vegas to Arizona where our first stop of the trip was none other than the Grand Canyon. We made our way to the South Rim of the Canyon. You just know that it's going to be spectacular, but nothing can quite prepare you for it. We arrived later that day, and the sun started to slowly disappear behind the rock. There was a rainbow in the distance mixed with some dark clouds. The combination of dark and light created the most interesting shots of the Canyon. The reds and purples amplified through the lens, making it a truly incredible sight. We spent the night in Williams, a charming town that really takes you back in time. Located along Route 66, this town’s theme was the Wild, Wild West. A zip line runs through downtown, and a “gun” fight takes place every night in the middle of the main road.

Day 2:

We started the day early, heading towards Page. Along the way we stopped for pictures at Sunset Crater,  the youngest string of volcanoes in the San Francisco Volcanic Field. We hiked the Lava trail, which was incredible another incredible sight to see, as vegetation has been able to grow around the area. Next up was Horseshoe Bend, which overlooks the Colorado River. This spot earned its name because of its unusual shape, but it's the unusual colours that make this location so beautiful. Horseshoe Bend’s rock walls are filled with a variety of minerals such as hematite and platinum, giving the rock its distinct colour scheme.

Day 3:

Waking up bright and early, we started the day with a helicopter tour to get a different view of Horseshoe bend and Tower Butt. In the afternoon we continued our drive, cooling off with a paddleboard tour of Lake Powell. The clear blue water was surrounded by unique rock formations - deep reds and yellows followed you as you paddled around the corners. We saved the best for last, with a photography tour of Upper Antelope Canyon. The Navajo name for the Canyon means “the place where water runs through rock” which is exactly how these incredible canyons were formed. During the day, with the sun beaming down through the holes, you will see the most magnificent colours inside the walls of the Canyon. It is amazing when the sand falls off the walls and glitters in the beams of light.