Category Archives: Tongue in Cheek

Commentary, Tongue in Cheek

Rising Gas Prices: Where Will It End?

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IMPORTANT: Read on for an important update to this April Fool’s Day 2011 that I have posted near the bottom of the page below the original story.

Gas Station Sign, Death Valley
Gas Station Sign, Death Valley

From a quick iPhone snap as I drove through this part of Death Valley a few days ago. Sometimes it seems like only thing higher than the temperature in Death Valley is the price of gasoline. I tell you, after putting 30 gallons in the Hummer, it will be a long time before I can afford to take another vacation!

© Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

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NOTE: This photo apparently “went viral” recently, on disinformation posts on social media claiming that this is the price of gas in California today. LOL. I have a bit more to say about that below in an “update” and in the comments section.

If you enjoyed this (hint!) April Fool’s Day post, you might enjoy these, too:

And, of course, the rest of this site features years of my photography, along with articles and stories on photography-related subjects.

And, more fun with Photoshop…

UPDATE 3/10/22: Because the image in this post was ripped off by right wing disinformation posters on social media and used as a fake news meme… I need to give readers the full truth. (Sadly, it does kind of wreck the original April Fool’s joke, but here we are.)

In early 2011 I was in Death Valley to make photographs. I passed by this gas station at Furnace Creek, which is known for having some of the highest posted gas prices in the country. (Smart visitors get their gas for much less at nearby Stovepipe Wells or to the east of the park in Nevada, with it is way cheaper.)

For several years I had been doing an April Fool’s Day post with some preposterous story. (See links in the story below.) It occurred to me that I could do one this year (2011) by photographing the sign and Photoshopping preposterous gas prices in place of the actual prices. I don’t actually recall the real prices at the time, but they were probably in the $3-something range. So I pulled over and made an iPhone snap of the sign. (Some wonder: Did I buy gas here. Are you crazy! No! See the previous paragraph. And, no, I do not own a Hummer. ;-)

Conveniently, the “6” on the price for “Supreme” was easy to invert, so I used it to create a “9” that I photoshopped in for the dollar amount. And on April Fool’s Day 2011 I posted the image and the text you’ll find lower on this page.  There were several obvious hints in the story about its April Fool’s Day trickery, though I did manage to fool a few folks. 

That was the last I thought of it until (I think) 2019 when someone contacted me to point out that the image had been ripped off and posted by alt-right conspiracy theory disinformation social media accounts as “evidence” of the outrageous prices for gas in California. Yeah, our prices are higher than the national average, but not this high! Several media outlets contacted me about it, and if you look around you might still be able to find a few of the stories in which I debunked the claim and pointed to this old post. 

So, if you see this “photograph” somewhere online along with claims about the high prices of gas, let them know it is fake and point them here for the truth. ;-)

Commentary, Ideas, Tongue in Cheek

Regarding Sharpness. And Obsession.

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We have all seen the lengthy discussions about “which lens is sharpest.” While the ability of a lens to resolve detail is certainly important, it is not the only thing that is important. And in many cases, knowing which is the sharpest lens is not as important as know which among a number of sharp alternatives best suits your needs. I stumbled into another discussion of this topic online today and posted the following as my contribution. (Slightly edited here from the original post.)

Folks sometimes allow themselves to become completely distracted by “sharpness” to the point that they overlook a whole bunch of other important issues in their quest to find the holy grail of “sharp.” This can become the equivalent to realizing that good tires are important on a car, and then deciding to buy a particular car because it comes with the “best” tires… but is too big to fit in your garage, costs twice your annual income, has a terrible repair record, needs a tune-up every 750 miles, and only comes in a color your spouse hates.

For a few people doing certain types of very critical work, printing very large, working slowly and methodically, and willing to forego the compensatory advantages of other lens options, lenses like the excellent TS models, lenses from another manufacturer that only work with adapters, classic primes, and so forth might make some sense.

But just because a lens might measure a bit better to some extent in one of the areas that is measurable (e. g. “sharpness”), it does not necessarily follow that it is a better lens, nor that alternatives that may measure differently in sharpness – but are very nearly as good – will not also be excellent performers. It is also not true that these specialized lenses are required to produce large and effective prints.

It is interesting to watch people go through a process that may look something like the following at times, as they…

1. decide they need a sharper kens.
2. research lens sharpness.
3. consider only sharpness and overlook or dismiss other issues, including those mentioned in the sources analyzing sharpness.
4. decide that some lens is the “sharpest” – frequently some expensive prime, the most expensive zoom they can find, an alternative brand, a specialized TS, etc.
4.5. lust after said lens for some period. The excitement builds…
5. purchase the aforementioned Really Really Sharp Lens.
6. use the new lens and glory in it’s pure Divinely Sharp Wonderfulness, thereby confirming their wise choice.
7. share their wonder with others.
8. make more photographs, and eventually come to find out that a) in real photography the sharpness difference is rarely visible, b) there are downsides to using the sharper lens, c) the downsides sometimes compromise or lose the shot, and d) in many cases their previous “less sharp” lens proves just as useful and effective.
9. note that the new super Super Lens, while useful, begins to spend more time in the bag, and…
10. learn an important lesson or two about Lens Lust… or else repeat the cycle with a different WonderLens. :-)

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that sharpness is unimportant. I’m just encouraging people to keep things in perspective.

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Commentary, Ideas, Tongue in Cheek

10 Critical Tips for Landscape Photographers

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1. Use a camera. The most important and basic tool of the landscape photographer is the camera. Using a camera greatly simplifies the process of capturing photographic images, and without one you’ll likely feel a bit lost. You may have noticed that pretty much all great landscape photographers use a camera – some use more than one! – so take a cue from the pros and make sure you have a camera, too!

2. Get a lens. Having a lens makes your camera much more useful. While a camera is critical to your work as a landscape photographer, without a lens the usefulness of the camera is greatly diminished. For this reason, virtually all successful landscape photographers end up, sooner or later, getting a lens to use with their camera. You’ll definitely want one, too – just like the pros! (Some cameras come with a lens built in – what a useful idea!)

3. Remove your lens cap. How many photographers can tell stories of forgetting to remove the lens cap before making a photograph, only to discover that the results were not what they had hoped for? But you don’t have to learn the hard way! Practice removing your lens cap at home – that way, when you are in the field you will have developed “photographer’s instincts” that will ensure that you remove the lens cap. (The good news is that with digital cameras you don’t have to worry about whether you loaded the film – but don’t forget your memory card!)

4. Photograph interesting things. Although it isn’t universally true, you will probably get more interesting photographs if you photograph interesting things. There are many things in the world, and not all of them are interesting. Look for the interesting things and photograph them. Look around – it is an interesting thing to do! Interesting, yes?

5. Pick the right brand. There are many brands of photographic equipment out there – cameras, lenses, filters, bags, you name it. Picking the wrong brand may hamper your photography; pick the right brand and you may not hamper your photography so much. So be sure to pick the right brand. If you aren’t sure which brand is best, talk to photographers – any one of them can tell you which is best… and why!

6. Light is important. Without light it would be pretty much impossible to make photographs, at least the typical landscape photographs. So if you plan to make typical photographs, look for scenes that are illuminated by… light! Light is your friend. Seek out light and when you see it make photographs. Think about it… how many of the photographers you admire work without light? So, do what the pros do – use light!

7. Pick the right subject. Pick the wrong subject and your photograph won’t be what you wanted it to be, so be sure to photograph the right subject. Seek it out and when you see the right subject make a photograph. Perhaps make several. There are so many subjects in the world that finding the right one can be a challenge, so be sure to apply yourself carefully to this task.

8. Colors are important. Unless you are making black and white photographs – in which case the only important colors are black and white. You’ll want to pay careful attention to color. The most important advice is to focus on color in your color photographs – just like the pros!

9. Focus on what is most important. Some people think that mastering technical issues is the most important thing. Others think that having the right equipment is critical. Some claim that the artistic quality of the photograph is important. (Don’t forget – color is important, too!) Before you make great photographs you’ll have to decide which is the most important in your work. Don’t waste your time being a generalist and trying to do everything – pick one and focus on it!  Successful photographers develop a speciality and stick to it.  And don’t forget the rule of thirds!

10. Find good locations. There are many popular spots to make photographs, and you can make photographs just like the pros if you seek out these locations and shoot there, too. You’ll have to be attentive, since these spots are easy to miss if you are talking on your cell phone as you drive past them. Some telltale hints include parking lots full of cars and lines of people with tripods. Stop and make a photograph – there is always room for one more tripod! You can probably make one that looks just like those that the other photographers are making! (Hint: You can also visit online photography sites ahead of time – both to find the locations and to save yourself from spending too much time searching for compositions when you actually get there. Your time is precious!)

Good luck!

(I probably should have saved this for April 1, but I couldn’t wait… :-)

For those whose first experience with my blog is this tongue-in-cheek post, I write serious stuff, too, and a related recent post might interest you: Photographic Myths and Platitudes – ‘Landscape Photography Lenses’ (Part I)

Commentary, Tongue in Cheek

Death Valley – Worst Trip Ever

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I’m back – by the skin of my teeth – from my annual spring photography trip to Death Valley. But I don’t think I’ll be going back soon.

As you may have heard, it has been a record year for precipitation in Death Valley. With that in mind I was hoping for some wildflowers and perhaps a bit of water here and there on this visit. I should have heeded my instincts when I encountered the first problem when I drove up the Panamint Valley route from Ridgecrest and passed through Trona. Searles Lake has more water in it than I’ve ever seen! It seems like everyone in Southern California knew about it, judging from the line-up of trucks and boat trailers at the launching ramp waiting for a spot at the marina. Traffic was backed up from the Starbucks just south of town all the way to the parking lot entrance just north of the McDonalds and the bike paths were packed with folks out enjoying the fresh air. Although it was sunny, the snow level in the Panamints was almost all the way down to the floor of Searles Valley, creating a striking contrast between the rows of palm trees along the lake shore and the white slopes beyond. (I’ll try to post a photo later.)

I finally got through the traffic and headed on up the road, soon passing the outlet mall on the western outskirts of Ballarat. Since I was running late I decided not to stop, figuring that I might just try to stop on the way home. (It always looks like they are about to run out of the product you want, but I’ve learned that if you come back later they will have miraculously found more stock! :-) I left the freeway at the Wild Rose Canyon off-ramp and turned north towards highway 190, glad for the decreased number of commercial trucks. Though the traffic report was indicating some weather related issues going over Towne Pass I figured I’d give it a try. Since I have four-wheel-drive, I kept going at the chain control check-point. Hey, how bad could it be? This is the desert!

I soon found out how bad. As I approached the pass it became apparent that the road crews were stretched thin – and rather than work in the freezing cold blizzard conditions at the pass they apparently had chosen to stay down in the relative calm of Panamint Valley – probably because the mini-mart was closer! Basically, they had given up on clearing the road. Why they didn’t close the pass is a complete mystery to me. The water from the previous day’s heavy rains had frozen overnight, leaving a slick ice-rink surface below six inches of unplowed slushy snow. Cars, trucks, and buses had skidded off the road everywhere. The gale force winds were so strong that small rocks from the surrounding slopes near the pass were skidding and flying across the road. Several times I thought for sure I was going to be stranded as well, but I managed to keep the car moving forward, finally getting to the ski area parking lot at the summit of the pass. A few visitors were huddled there waiting for help, but as long as I could keep moving I wasn’t about to stop. I started down the long slope to Stovepipe Wells, more or less “skiing” the car at times.

By the time I got to Stovepipe, word about the conditions at the pass had apparently gotten down the hill, and thousands of cars were parked there, completely overtaxing the facilities – no food, no gas, no rooms… and no campsites. The authorities realized that those of us with no place else to go had to stay somewhere, so they opened up the airstrip campground located a ways out in the desert a bit northwest of the regular campground. I found a spot by the terminal that was somewhat protected by the wind, parked my car, and prepared to spend the night sleeping in the car. At this point I discovered an unanticipated problem – my “good” spot next to the terminal turned out to be right next to the Stovepipe Airport taxiway. So, every time a flight came in or left I was awakened by the tremendous roar of the plane engines and blast of wind that shook the car. The rescue helicopters were coming and going constantly. Sleep was hardly possible. On a positive note, the Cinnabon store stayed open late to accommodate  stranded passengers.

In the morning I saw clearing skies, and after the traditional stop at the Stovepipe Starbucks I decided to see if the road to the Racetrack Playa was open. The surrounding mountains were brilliant white down to perhaps the 500′ elevation – covered by better than a half foot of fresh snow. I made a few exposures (I’ll post later) and then started the drive up the Valley towards Scotty’s Castle, near which the famous road to the Racetrack starts.

Somehow, the storm that had dumped the remarkable snow near Stovepipe had bypassed the start of the road to the Racetrack.  I fully expected this road to be closed – the NPS tends to overreact, often shutting down the highway for the tiniest amount of snowfall. However, as I passed under the entry-way arch marking the start of the route there were no warning messages on the flashing overhead display, just the words, “Have a nice day!” and a smiling image of Smoky Bear! Since the road here was inexplicably dry, I decided to trust the reassuring sign and see how it would go. I filled the tank ($7.59/gallon!), grabbed a bag of Doritos and a Gatorade, and headed out.

I guess that bad weather elsewhere had scared people off, as I had the road almost completely to myself from about a half mile past the Ubehebe Crater Safeway. Sometimes the right lane is clogged with tourists pulling their rental trailers and (slowly) driving their RVs, but on this day it was clear sailing – 65mph all the way! I arrived at the motel at the Racetrack in less than an hour and quickly checked in. I got a cheap room and when I opened the sliding glass door I found that I had a great view of the playa… which was completely flooded to a depth of several feet! I couldn’t believe my eyes – I had driven all the way out here to photograph the famous sliding rocks and now the playa was flooded. What a disappointment!

I sat down on one of the deck chairs, cracked open my Gatorade, finished off the Doritos, and pondered what to do next while absent-mindedly gazed out at the lake. Soon I noticed that the small rowboats floating on the surface of the water were very gradually drifting downwind. That seemed odd – the strong wind should have moved them much faster. As I watched I saw that a bass fisherman was in one of the boats and busy with a rope near the stern – he seemed to be struggling to pull something up. Finally he succeeded in pulling a large rock attached to the rope into the boat, and the boat immediately began moving quickly under the force of the wind. A moment later he tossed the rope and rock back into the water and the boat’s forward motion slowed to a crawl as a plume of muddy water appeared near the stern.

(More to come: Bar closes at Scotty’s Castle, Zabriskie Point closed to photographers, gas down to $2.19/gallon at Furnace Creek, Rhyolite deposit discovered and Keane Wonder Mine reopens, Ubehebe Crater hot springs report, Badwater sky pilots blossoming, new pay outhouses installed throughout the park, Titus canyon temporarily blocked by jack-knifed big-rig, rivers rising as snow melts, hailstorm peppers salt creek, Stovepipe ice rink closes for the season… or not.)

(NOTE: There is a reason that this post was written on April 1st… With that in mind, you should check with accurate sources of current and official information before taking your trip to Death Valley. Some parts of this report are, uh, not quite accurate. :-)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email

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