Professional Services in Tucson

Nearly a half century ago, horticulturist Harrison G. Yocum opened his backyard to the public, displaying a bounteous collection of cacti and palms. After a few relocations, expansions, and the establishment of a nonprofit charter, Tucson Botanical Gardens now spreads 17 distinct plots across more than 5 acres. A delicate rumble hearkens the arrival of the Garden Railway miniature train, which winds through gardens uniquely dedicated to birds, butterflies, wildflowers, and traditional Native American crops. Admission—which is free for garden members and children younger than 3—grants passage to five different tours, and groups of 10 or more can arrange self-guided or docent-led tours at a discounted rate. If visitors awaken their appetites by savoring aromas from the onsite herb garden or by staring at clouds shaped like canned goods, they can dig in at the Gardens' Café, where sun spills through a slatted gazebo onto iron tables loaded with roast-beef baguettes and mexican tortilla soup.

The professional photographers at Solaris Photography know that it takes practice to keep their aesthetic senses and photo-snapping muscles in shape. That's why the staff regularly attends and assists with photography workshops and maintains their membership in the Professional Photographers of America and International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers. They further perfect their skills while staging in-studio portraits and hitting the road to chronicle weddings and special events. In addition to traditional prints, the studio also creates digital files that can be uploaded to social-media sites or PhotoShopped into daguerreotypes.

Master photographer and staff encourage subjects to bring props and favorite outfits into the digital photo shoots to make each set of images distinctly personal. Dozens of studio sets to choose from allow subjects to arrive at the perfect mood for their family portraits, graduation photos, and headshots for radio jockey gigs. Boudoir sessions allow ladies to celebrate their bodies by accentuating their curves through flirty, romantic, or sensual poses polished with digital touch-ups.

Catalina Cleaners' meticulous staffers continue a 25-year tradition of purifying patrons' garb with environmentally safe solvents. A member of four professional dry-cleaning associations, including the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute, Catalina Cleaners painstakingly rids customers' apparel of stains or Rorschach tests. Six family-owned locations are sprinkled throughout the Tucson area, providing quick access to pristine garments while ensuring that clients never again have to assemble suits of newspapers and duct tape.