Southwest Conservation Adventures

05/31/2022

Latest imaging session revealed the lovely Veil Nebula with over 1.5 hours of exposure time.
Observed using by

05/29/2022

The night sky of Baja was great after editing but incredibly difficult to see with the naked eye. It is amazing how much of an affect poorly aimed lighting can have on the night sky, even in a place with such a low population.
Regardless, I am happy with my first attempt at nightscape photo stacking, I will be revisiting this blend soon to hopefully improve the edit.

05/10/2022

The latest in fashion trends…wearable art of nearby and iconic nightscape images.
This is the first batch of many, currently available in small, medium, and large for $25 plus shipping or local pickup in Flagstaff.
You’ll also notice a new logo in the design that is alluding to a big announcement coming up regarding our stargazing tours 📣😉

05/09/2022

This months round of stargazing tours has come to a close, but we’ll be firing back up at the end of May for our Dark Sky tours! Message us to book now and get signed up for an “out of this world” experience and also the most unique family photos in northern Arizona!
Booking link in bio or send us a message.

05/03/2022

More stargazing tours coming up every night this week!
Message us today to reserve your tour tomorrow to learn about the night sky, find faraway galaxies, and get your photo taken under one of the greatest night skies available!

04/26/2022

Revisited The Pinwheel Galaxy, M101, last night for my longest session yet on this one, 1143 images totaling a little over 3 hours of exposure time.
We’re getting kept inside tonight and tomorrow due to some unexpected cloud cover coming in but we will be back at it on Wednesday at 9:00 pm.
Send us a message to get signed up for this cycle of new moon stargazing and deep space imaging tours 🌚

04/23/2022

Going into a fresh round of stargazing tours requires a little bit of prep, including the occasional software update…which is always both exciting and a little scary as you never know if there might be a bug you weren’t expecting.
However that also makes it so we get to try some cool new things in preparation for what’s available in the sky on any given week 🌌
Last night was my first capture of M13, The Great Hercules Cluster, which is a globular star cluster with an estimated 100,000 stars within its boundaries.
Have you ever seen a star cluster before?
Let us know in the comments below!
Better yet! Message us to find out how you can join on this month’s round of stargazing tours!

04/08/2022

Hey would ya look at that!
That’s two spiral galaxies 🌌 in one frame!
Unfortunately I missed the third one of the “Leo Triplet”…but to be fair, I was only aiming at one of them in the first place 😂 (M66)
289 10” exposures for a total exposure time of 2:18:10
This months round of stargazing tours has come to an end, but we’ll be revving back up towards the end of April with tours available for booking from 4/25-4/28.
Feel free to tag someone you think might be interested in joining on our “Stargazing, Deep Space Imaging, and Astroportrait Tour” ✨ 🌌

04/06/2022

Still out here imaging on our stargazing tour! We’ve had full groups this week and as a result, we’ve had the opportunity to get images of nebulas and galaxies to over 40 people!
Would you like to see live images like this galaxy (Cigar Galaxy), using your own cell phone as the eyepiece?
Message us today to find out how to get on our next round of stargazing, Astroportrait, and deep space imaging tours!

04/01/2022

🤔

03/31/2022

Couldn’t be happier with the decision to invest in a for our “Stargazing and Astrophotography Tour”. This technology and how it enable live viewing of deep space long exposure images in a way that is so simple and provides incredible results with little to no effort.
I get it…it’s kind of cheating as far as astrophotography is concerned and a dedicated system provides superior images…but it is very difficult to share that type of imaging easily in real-time for this type of tour….I’ve done it.
This puts images instantly on my and my guests cell phones…up to 10 of them at once!
That also allows our amazing tour guides to speak about and instruct other stargazing and celestial matters, such as cell phone astrophotography and constellation mythology!
Have you ever seen a nebula or galaxy in real time?
Now is your chance!
Link to booking in bio

03/31/2022

Perhaps the best investment made to our stargazing tour to-date, is this new telescope that takes long exposures and streams the images directly to our guests smartphones!
We all watch these images created in real-time as we explore constellations, galaxies, nebulas, and planets. We’re out here making astronomy fun again ✨
Message us today to get signed up on our next tour!

03/30/2022

My latest attempt at shooting “M51”, The Whirlpool Galaxy…compared to my first attempt ever, which was last summer.

What if you could do this through your phone?

The is now featured on our stargazing tours we can see the most faraway objects together, in real time.
Observed and imaged through our fancy new for about 31 minutes of stacked exposures.

03/30/2022

My latest attempt at shooting “M51”, The Whirlpool Galaxy…compared to my first attempt ever, which was last summer.
Last night was observed and images through a for about 31 minutes of stacked exposures.

03/23/2022

Spring is here, and so remains ice on the trails of
provides boot traction devices for all of our guided hikes
That first mile is typically a mix of rock and ice this time of year until we have about a week straight above freezing low temps!
Be sure you’re prepared with the right gear to enjoy your time at the big ditch!

03/13/2022

NEW TOUR!! 🧭 🧳 🚎 🌅
Join us this coming Friday, 3/18, for an introductory run of our newest tour of the Flagstaff Area National Monuments! We are offering this tour at a heavily discounted rate of only $20/person, this rate will not come around again.
If you’ve been looking to get out to the monuments and haven’t yet, or are just looking for a way to fill a free day, this is an amazing value to do so!
Contact us for booking before it fills up!
#

03/12/2022

Yay for with friends!
Andrea joined us with her wife and friends for her birthday this week.
We got a super special birthday surprise when we spotted not one, but THREE CALIFORNIA CONDORS!!
Unfortunately no photos of them, I have stopped trying to photograph them and just focus on enjoying the sight with my eyes, as-intended.

03/10/2022

Figuring out how to work around the moon to extend the availability of my most popular tour to get more folks out to see the amazing stars in with lighting techniques and special light pollution filters!
Summer schedule is now available for booking for 2022!
Link in bio

03/02/2022

Afraid of the kids getting bored on another trip that you booked?
Not with Southwest Conservation Adventures!
We guarantee to provide nonstop entertainment, fun, and education that the whole family can connect with and enjoy 😊

03/01/2022

Did you know that included in the price of every tour are professional photos of you and your family!

I do this for several reasons:

-You dont have to worry about lugging a camera around
-You will get candid photos to help memorialize and reflect on your trip together for years to come
-The added convenience of not worrying about "capturing the canyon"...I do it for you or can teach you how to do it!

Here are a couple of examples along with a few recent testimonials from my amazing guests.

03/01/2022

02/24/2022

We may have to bundle up on these cold winter nights while we’re out stargazing, but that cold air sure does lend to clear skies!! …other than when a blizzard passes through like these past few days!
I have room remaining on 3/1 and 3/2 on my Dark Skies stargazing and Astroportrait tour, message me or follow link in bio to sign up!

02/15/2022

One of my favorite shots from my Valentine’s Day portrait sessions at the at
We had so much fun getting creative with light painting under a full moon using vision sabers and the setting.

02/10/2022

Come get your “just cheesy enough” valentines day photos with us at Lowell Observatory:

Saturday 2/12 4:00 pm-6:00 pm
Monday 2/14 7:00 pm-8:00 pm

Only $20/couple and you will receive a 10% Valentine’s Day discount on our new Stargazing and Astroportrait tour when you get your Valentines Day photos with us!

✨ 🌌 🔭 ❤️

https://lowell.edu/press-release-3rd-annual-i-heart-pluto-festival-kicks-off-february-12/

Flagstaff, AZ. – February 18 marks the 92nd anniversary of Pluto’s discovery in northern Arizona. To celebrate, Lowell Observatory is partnering with other Flagstaff organizations in hosting the 3rd Annual […]

02/02/2022

📸
📸 $20 Valentines Day couple portraits
📸 2/12 4-6pm and 2/14 from 6-8pm
📸 get it while it’s hot!! 🔥
📸
Join us at Lowell Observatory for the Artshow on 2/12 and the on 2/16 hosted by for a cosmic Art and Valentines Day experience where I will be taking “just-cheesy-enough” portraits for the low price of $20/couple, $15/individual!!! I will be there from 4-6 pm on both days ready to get some awesome shots for you and your friends/loved ones!!
Be sure to take advantage and share the love with all your friends and family this Valentine’s day!
You will also receive a discount to our Stargazing and Astroportrait tour when you show up!
Just show up to the event and you can pay on site, no appointment needed. You will receive a link to the full resolution digital downloads with the option to purchase physical prints

12/04/2021

Hard to beat those early winter nights for stargazing 🔭
Orion starts low in the eastern sky, the Milky Way is still visible, we get to learn how to find north WITHOUT the convenience of having the Big Dipper available.
Even in December, the stargazing of Flagstaff is well worth the chill!
Join for our next big stargazing tour on 12/7, act fast before it fills up!
✨ 🌌 🔭 📸

08/05/2021

A rare self-portrait 😮 ✨ 🛻

06/30/2021

Thank goodness for the clouds and rain we have been receiving this past week.
Nothing wrong with clear blue skies, however it’s always nice to have some shade and yet one more layer of beauty to Grand Canyon’s depth and vastness.
Things have also really cooled off and most of the fires are more than 60% contained!🤞
🌵

06/25/2021

🏜 🌵 Some days it doesn’t even feel like work.
Helping to forge lifelong memories for families is one of the things that truly brings me joy as a guide and small business owner.

06/15/2021

🐴 🐴 🐴 We may not ride the mules on our tours but it sure is cool when we cross paths!
Did you know that there is only one place remaining that revives and delivers mail via mule??
The Havasupai (who still live in Grand Canyon) continue to wait patiently for their post to arrive, which, to this day, is delivered by mule 😮
Come learn more about other unique stories and lifestyles of Grand Canyon with .
Send us a message to find out how!

06/14/2021

Ready to make some unforgettable memories with your special someone by taking a private Grand Canyon tour?
Spots remaining in July, contact us today to book your expert guide with

06/14/2021

Milky Way season is upon us! This was taken at about 9:25 pm on June 11.
And it just gets better after that 🤩
Join for one of our Dark Skies Stargazing tours.
Seats remaining for Tuesday 6/15, message us soon before it fills up!

06/05/2021

Amazing day out at Cedar Ridge!

04/28/2021

Now hiring for 1 part-time hiking guide for the summer 2021 Grand Canyon season.
SWCA leads private, family friendly, education-based tours of Grand Canyon. We do our best to get off the beaten path and away from big crowds for 1/2 to full day hiking tours.
I am looking for somebody with at least 2 seasons GC guiding experience with reliable transportation and communication.
Must be able to carry at least 35 pounds comfortably and hike in the canyon 6-8 miles per tour.
Current Wilderness First Responder Certification is a must.

To apply, please send a message with your resume attached to the listed email address.

Thank you, and I am looking forward to hearing from you!
-Evan

04/27/2021

Southwest Conservation Adventures will be hiring for a part time Grand Canyon guide this summer! Send us a message for instructions on how to apply!

04/16/2021

The Orion Nebula; “Orion’s Sword”
Getting there one step at a time. Next challenge is now figuring out how to stack images to reduce the noise levels...more accurately the “signal to noise” ratio.
12 stacked 30-second exposures at 70mm iso 1200 f/2.8
Shot through r6 with canon ef 24-70mm f/2.8 L ii on a star adventure tracking mount.

04/15/2021

If you ever wondered, I add in professional photos and portraits on all of my tours as a special thank you to everyone who decides to choose me to lead your Grand Canyon or stargazing adventures!
This is the best kit I have pieced together over the years and I’m super excited about it.
Now time to think about upgrading the 7D I currently use as my backup camera.
Any thoughts as to what it should be?
Maybe a used 7Dii?
Keep hearing rumors of an R7 mirrorless equivalent possibly coming out 🧐

04/06/2021

We’re so close to Milky Way season I can taste it. ✨ 🌌 🔭 📸
This months series of Dark sky astrophotography and stargazing tours starts tomorrow, 4/6/21! This tour is only available a maximum of 9 days every month and fills up quickly!
Currently I have availability on 4/9, 4/13, 4/14, and 4/15...with limited spots available.
Contact me directly or visit my website to reserve your spot today! Website in bio.

04/04/2021

Trying out converting my converted trailer into a mobile work-station. We’ll see how it goes, but I’m excited to have a dedicated work/creative space. Also since it’s entirely self-powered with solar, my office workflow just became 100% sustainable and self-sufficient.