Some recent photos from my current fire lookout .. enjoy!

[DemoTex]

Full moon night at Lemmon Rock (moon through the trees to the left of the lookout)


Moonrise in heavy drift smoke


Standing dead at dawn, with drift smoke and hawk


Moonrise over Lemmon Rock


On the Rock (I actually LIVE here!)

[elleng]

1. YAAAY!

THANK YOU!

[DemoTex]

2. You are welcome.

I'll try to post more often. I promise. But fire season is crazy down here in southern Arizona now.

[elleng]

3. Thanks, please do,

but #1, be safe!

[appal_jack]

57. Stay safe & good luck!

DemoTex fire lookout photos & posts are among my favorite DU summer time events!



-app

[blogslut]

4. Wheee!

So good to see you here!

[Skittles]

5. hey Mac

did you always have a thing for working in a very small place with a great view?

[DemoTex]

9. Airplane cockpits count?

Like I said in the PBS documentary I did with AZPM (and we won an Emmy for it!), "My fourth grade teacher chided me for staring out the window. Then I became an airline pilot, and stared out the window. Then I retired, and became a fire lookout just so I could stare out windows again."

[Skittles]

11. yup, exactly what I was referring to

[Lisa0825]

6. OMG - I think that second photo is one of the most beautiful nature shots

I have ever seen. Absolutely stunning!!!

edited to add: Seriously - you need to enter that in some contests!!!

[DemoTex]

12. I have a big gallery show hanging back east ..

Actually, two shows. The big show is at the South Carolina Botanical Garden, on the campus of Clemson University. It is 62 photos that are, for the most part, along a theme of "Protection of Our Public Lands." It is a great collection, and will hang until I get back east after this fire season, and maybe longer. The other show is a commercial deal in Greenville, SC.

And I do some of the big juried shows. I'll enter a few this year, but I am more into gallery shows. Might even buy a gallery and do things the way I want them to be done!


Hanging the Clemson University show in early March.

[Ex Lurker]

18. Great pictures. If you don't mind my asking, how did you get this job?

And do you have internet access at the lookout, or do you post on your time off?

[DemoTex]

33. I have great internet access at the lookout and I post whenever I want.

I responded to a USFS vacancy announcement in 2008. With an engineering degree from Georgia Tech, military service (Vietnam), and a career as an airline captain, I was offered about ten lookout locations for the 2009 fire season. I chose the Oregon location near Bend. Did five years there, then bumped down to the Coronado in Arizona in 2014.

[Lisa0825]

21. Do you sell prints online?

Or are your photo prints sold via the shows?

I have seen your pics here before, and have always enjoyed them, but you know how it is - every now and then an image just connects with someone.

[SusanCalvin]

27. I'd like to know as well. nt

[DemoTex]

30. Not yet, but soon.

Working on a sales website with someone in SC. Soon.

[Hekate]

32. That's wonderful.I know you're not making a coffee table book, but I really want to see that site up

...and runnng. Sorry about perseverating about a book, but I have only so much wall space! Still... You do gorgeous work.

[Pharaoh]

36. easy to do with these guys

they do awesome work. Just email them a jpeg and they ship you a nice framed canvas image ready to hang,

http://www.picturesalon.com/

[Are_grits_groceries]

78. I'm a Clemson alum.

The school has always been involved in issues related to public land.
Glad you have your show there and hope it gets lots of notice.

[klook]

86. Fantastic - I have been known to pass through Anderson and Greenville

Next time in the area, I will be sure to check out your stuff!

As I'm sure you know, the Greenville County Museum of Art has some great Andrew Wyeth paintings as well as other very good art. Now we have another great reason to visit!!

[ornotna]

7. Such great pics

Thanks for posting.

[spanone]

8. amazingly sharp photos....k&r...

[DemoTex]

17. I changed some ways I do landscape photography

1. Tripod. Always a tripod. The only time I shoot without a tripod, basically, is for a for a forensic shot.

2. Mirror locked up.

3. Auto-focus off (I might start with it on, but switch it off)

4. Highest f-stop possible

5. LENR on for anything over about 1 second

[spanone]

19. it's an amazing technique

[FailureToCommunicate]

43. Great tips, but you left one out: 6) amazing locations!

[Warpy]

10. Those are some of your best yet

The one of the crescent moon above the sunset (sunrise?) is especially beautiful.

[DemoTex]

23. Sunrise

Friday 6/3

[malaise]

51. AKA

Drop dead gorgeous

[Solly Mack]

13. K&R

Love your photos and tales always!

[murielm99]

14. I am so glad to see your photos here again!

[Aristus]

15. Gorgeous photos, Mac!

Thank you.

I remember my sister attending a Girl Scout camp on Mt. Lemmon way back in about 1975 or so. I was about six years old; even then, I thought Mt Lemmon was beautiful.

[DemoTex]

29. I started to respond, and got a fire call

Not sure if my respond got to you. But yes, I know the Scout Camp area well. It is at the old Palisade Ranger station.

Oops, just spent another 20 minutes on a brush fire tone-out. Sorry.

But I do know that area well. I have an apartment at the old Palisade Ranger Station, that I only use for storage (gear, and especially the freezer for food), and an occasional shower. I could sleep there, and have, but I prefer to sleep in the lookout.

The Palisade Ranger Station is at the top of the road down into the scout camps. Elevation about 8000 feet.

[rhett o rick]

16. Fantastic. Thanks for posting.

[Adsos Letter]

20. Oh, man, you should cross-post these in the Photo group!

Beautiful images.

[DemoTex]

35. I will

Tomorrow

[Omaha Steve]

22. Beautiful

K&R!

OS

[Hassin Bin Sober]

24. Simply amazing.

[OxQQme]

25. Tucson lights in the first shot?

Glad to see your photos again.
Absolutely fell for your skill when you were in Oregon, outside of Bend.

[DemoTex]

31. Yep.

Should have labeled that too. Tucson lights lower right.

[SusanCalvin]

26. OMG. How gorgeous. Thank you. nt

[Peachhead22]

28. Totally gorgeous place!

eom

[Kablooie]

34. Always very impressive. Don't know how you do it.

[DesertRat]

37. Beautiful Arizona

thanks for posting!

[womanofthehills]

38. My best girlfriend is a fire lookout in NM

Her lookout is in the Manzano Mts. During the Triego fire she was stuck up in the lookout - very scary - the helicopter could not land anywhere to get her out. I could see the Triego fire from my house and it scared the hell out of me. Beautiful photographs!!

[countryjake]

39. Spectacular!

Thanks so much for sharing!

[ProudProgressiveNow]

40. K&R nt

[Surya Gayatri]

41. You are one hell of a photographer, Demo. What a great sense of composition.

Of course, you have some pretty spectacular material to work with!

[Scuba]

42. Fabulous pictures, as always. Thanks DemoTex!

[FailureToCommunicate]

44. Thanks for a glimpse of vistas many will never see! And for your fire duties, of course!

[love_katz]

65. Seconding your post, FailureToCommunicate.

Thank you, DemoTex. I love your photographs and appreciate everyone who helps protects our forests during fire season. Oregon has already had extremely hot temperatures, beginning back in April. Records are being broken. I when I think about fire season. And, yes, many of the views you share are ones that most of us will never see.

[marked50]

45. Wunderbar

[mountain grammy]

46. Thank you. Fantastic shots.

The heat is on in the Southwest.. stay safe out there.

[valerief]

47. Holy moly, what a view! nt

[SheilaT]

48. Hey, DemoTex!

I happen to be out in Tucson for a high school reunion. It's slightly tempting to consider driving up and paying you a visit, but I'm headed back to NM today and won't really have the time.

At least it's a bit cooler where you are!

[classof56]

49. Awesome photos as always, Mac

Central Oregon misses ya!

Cheers.

[malaise]

50. Magnificent

Thanks DemoTex

[panader0]

52. Fabulous stuff.

If you get a break, head down this way. The Huachuca Mountains rival the Catalinas for beauty.

[CrispyQ]

53. Stunning!

It's always a pleasure to check out your posts!

[a kennedy]

54. Just spectacular........

[AwakeAtLast]

55. Your best yet!

Gorgeous!

[MatthewStLouis]

56. Nice photots!

Growing up, we had family near Tucson we visited most summers. Had some fun hikes up the mountain there!

[PersonNumber503602]

58. Nice pictures...

[catchnrelease]

59. Yay!

So glad to see you posting your work again! I was just thinking a few days ago that maybe you had given up on this place, and it made me sad.

As always your photos are spectacular!

[avaistheone1]

60. Incredible!

Thanks for sharing.

[jwirr]

61. So very beautiful - have you ever published a book or sold

some of these?

[QC]

62. I always look forward to your pictures! n/t

[Greybnk48]

63. Glad you're back!

I love your pictures and look forward to them! Thank you.

[matt819]

64. You never cease to amaze

Your photos are fantastic. Thanks for taking the time to post.

Many fires where you are?

[passiveporcupine]

66. That moon sliver shot is so gorgeous

I hope you don't mind that I had to save it for my rotating screen saver. Hope you don't mind...or do you have a copywrite thingy and I should delete it? Will do that if you say so.

[shanti]

67. beautiful pics

so crisp! as usual...more please!

[Beartracks]

68. Summer = DemoTex Photostories

Glad to see you once again protecting the landscape. I always enjoy your posts.



=======================

[dembotoz]

69. lot prettier picture than i take around here...thank you

[MerryBlooms]

70. Rec & Kick. Wow, spectacular.

[libodem]

71. Sorry

But it just makes me, "FEEL THE BERN"

Beautiful.

[LisaM]

72. We live in a beautiful world.

From coast to coast.

[lunatica]

73. I'm so glad to see your photos again!

[hatrack]

74. Have I ever mentioned that you have the best job in the world?

Love your posts and pictures!

[royable]

75. Beautiful photos as always!

I love seeing your photos from up there on the rock.

I took a little loop hike yesterday afternoon around the Lemmon Meadow Trail and the control road, and came by the lookout around 5:00 PM to say hello if you were in, but found a "closed" sign there. So, this is your electronic "hello" instead.

It was a very good day for a cool hike at high elevation, what with Tucson baking in 110-degree-plus heat. I hope you're having a great stay up there so far this summer.

Thank you for keeping a watchful eye up there to help protect our forests!

--Tom W.

[SheilaT]

76. I did not realize there had been fires in Arizona.

That would explain the extremely red sunsets I kept on seeing, right?

[kwassa]

77. Is this Mt. Lemmon outside of Tucson?

[DemoTex]

83. Yeppers

Santa Catalina Mountains, just north of Tucson.

[kwassa]

85. Beautiful place, was there 25 years ago ....

I liked going through all the climate zones as we drove up the mountain. There was snow on top.

[Person 2713]

79. You are surrounded by beauty . Great photos

[KelleyKramer]

80. Is that 1st pic an extended exposure?

Not even sure if that's the correct way to describe it, but I'm sure you know what I'm asking.

I have a pretty good digital camera but never really had the time to learn how to properly use it, maybe it's time to get off my ass about that.


.

[DemoTex]

82. In a word, yes ..

I can't get to the metadata now, but I am guessing 10 seconds at f11.

[KelleyKramer]

84. That's good enough, thanks! And btw ...

Outstanding pictures, you have really inspired me. Thanks for posting that

[NYFlip]

81. They're so beautiful

I haven't seen anything as magnificent

[Blue_Tires]

87. Best job anybody has, anywhere? I'd say so...

[HuckleB]

88. Will you be there all summer? With no visitors?

http://tucson.com/news/local/lemmon-rock-lookout-closed-to-public-visitation/article_94935852-ca0a-5c8b-ba88-5cd94aecaaf3.html

Or are you heading to other lookouts?

Enjoy yourself! And thanks for the good work!

[tawadi]

89. beautiful!

Wow!

[Warren DeMontague]

90. Gorgeous. I hope you've been enjoying the planetary dance right now, too.

Specifically Mars.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/mars-opposition-best-showing-in-a-decade/