18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Grassy Storms

I had taken a trip to Sedona, Az back in January 2020 and as I was driving around I had noticed a small bird refuge off the highway. As I was exploring the refuge, I walked up to one of the small pools of water and saw these leaves sticking out from the water. I quickly captured the calm before the storm. The stillness of the water and the sun peaking through the storm clouds gave me an opportunity to capture that moment before the winds really picked up. No more than 2 minutes later, the winds started howling and the storm was approaching the refuge. This is one of my favorite photos from that trip.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Sedona, Az, United States of America
Camera: DMC-G7
Copyright: © Veronica Ortiz