During monsoon season you'll probably run into photographer Dave Arnold standing in the rain with his camera trained on the sky. He has been capturing thunderstorms in the southwest for his signature photographs for several years.

Dave Arnold BEACON / COURTESY PHOTO

Lightning holds special fascination for the artist, who has frequently caught dramatic night lightning. He has also shot other scenes at night, such as neon signs along Route 66.

However, Arnold's portfolio includes a wide variety of subject matter, including landscapes, people, animals and architecture. He also dabbles in abstract works.

His architectural studies include stunning photos of churches, ruins and small town structures. A very arresting image features an old Texaco gas station along Route 66 with a vintage pickup truck parked in front.

Arnold has done extensive work photographing barns, farms and ranches in New Mexico and other locations in the west.

In his “people and faces” portfolio, there are dramatic portraits of rodeo riders and clowns, cowboys, a cop and a dejected prisoner sitting behind the bars. A very subtle photo titled, “America the Diverse” is a study of two Asian men, a black man and a white man in a subway station with an American flag visible on the side of a train.

Animals and wildlife are also favorite subjects of the artist and he has produced works featuring herons, a swan, running dogs, horses, ducks and a herd of pronghorn antelopes. A particularly striking photo is a close-up of a bobcat.

Arnold's landscapes include works of Bisti Wilderness in New Mexico and Yosemite National Park in California as well as wilderness areas in Nevada, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.

The artist has been taking photographs for 35 years. “I started when I was 18 and I've never looked back. I took photography classes and experimented with techniques with my Japanese 35mm camera,” he said.

As a child, Arnold moved around a lot. “I lived in both Illinois and Florida as a child and moved to Colorado when I was older,” he recalled.

He married and had two children, who are now adults. After a divorce, Arnold raised the two kids as a single dad and both are now part time professional photographers.

As a law enforcement officer, Arnold was frequently asked to take crime scene photographs and he later worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation, photographing vehicle accidents.

He now runs his own business as a forensic expert and frequently testifies in court. “I realized that most of my court work was in either Dallas or Las Vegas, Nevada, so I decided to find a place to live that was about halfway between the two cities. That consideration and my love of the desert led me to Grants,” he explained.

As for the future of his photographic work, Arnold wants to take more candid portraits of people, especially Native Americans. “I like straight on portraits that capture the soul,” he said.

He has also accepted a challenge from a friend to capture a lightning strike and a rainbow in the same frame. “Last summer I got a good shot of a sunset and a lightning strike in the same shot, but I haven't found the lightning-rainbow combination yet,” he commented.

The key elements Arnold looks for are the right light and a contrast between ruggedness and delicacy in the composition.

His work can be seen at the Double Six Gallery and Gallery 66 in San Fidel. He maintains an attractive website at davearnoldphoto.com