Category Archives: Photographs: Desert

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Desert Wash and Mountains, Evening

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Desert Wash and Mountains, Evening
Cloudy evening light on Mountains, Death Valley, and a desert wash

Desert Wash and Mountains, Evening. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Cloudy evening light on Mountains, Death Valley, and a desert wash

When people ask for advice about how to photograph Death Valley, one thing I tell them is to think a lot about the relationships between the landscape and light throughout the day. Many features align along a generally north-south line, so you can figure out fairly quickly when a location may be in direct sun or produce dramatic shadows. (I also suggest heading into narrow canyons when the sun gets a bit higher in the sky — here the higher sun position may send welcome light into their depths, which can otherwise be a bit murky sometimes.

I made this photograph late in the day after emerging from one of those canyons near the top of a large wash. The wash and the nearby hill face to the west and, as you can see, receive that late afternoon light — at least until the sun dips behind the mountain range on the other side of the valley.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

From Panamints To Death Valley

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From Panamints To Death Valley
The view down into Death Valley from high along the summit of the Panamint Mountains

From Panamints To Death Valley. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

The view down into Death Valley from high along the summit of the Panamint Mountains

Death Valley National Park — like virtually all national parks — contains a few features that have become iconic. These are the places everyone goes, and I probably don’t have to name them here. I would not dismiss such places — many of them, as we say, “are icons for a reason.” When I first visited this part two decades ago, I started with a few of those locations and I was thrilled to do so.

But now, after many, many visits to the place, I have pushed out my boundaries more and more. This is a huge and diverse park, with everything from the familiar low desert to high mountain ranges reaching above 11,000′ of elevation. While the better known locations can be a bit crowded, especially during the ideal season (when it isn’t so hot!), it doesn’t take a lot of exploring to find solitude. The location where I made this photograph isn’t the most isolated in the park, but it does afford a different view of the main valley.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Red Boulder, Evening

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Red Boulder, Evening
A red boulder sits in a desert wash next to eroded mud hills in evening light

Red Boulder, Evening. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A red boulder sits in a desert wash next to eroded mud hills in evening light

There are many things to like about the desert landscape, but in some places (including large areas in Death Valley National Park) I enjoy the fact that the landscape lies exposed to view, not covered or disguised by forest or even much in the way of plant life. I’m also continuously amazed by how obvious it is that water played a big role in shaping this Death Valley landscape — from the shorelines of ancient lakes, to boulder-strewn washes, to playas, the evidence is everywhere.

On this evening I had walked up a quiet — and not too visually exciting — slot canyon, and just before sunset I headed back the way I came and emerged into the wider valley of the wash and then headed towards the valley itself. Along the sides of this was were remnants of landscape modified by flowing water, including this large reddish rock, either deposited here by moving water or perhaps eroded out of the soil on site.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Dunes, Evening Light and Shadows

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Dunes, Evening Light and Shadows
A simply composition of sand dunes, evening light, and shadows

Dunes, Evening Light and Shadows. © Copyright 2018 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A simple composition of sand dunes, evening light, and shadows

This is, obviously, a very simple, minimalist composition, made among the sand dunes of Death Valley National Park in the early spring.

We had wandered out onto the dunes near the end of the day, with a plan that allowed sufficient time to reach our goal while light remained, and even to do a bit of photography along the way. During the final few minutes of the day that light changes very quickly, with the color warming, the shadows deepening… and all of a sudden the light is gone.

See top of this page for Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information and more.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.