Dawn Clouds, Panamint Range. © Copyright 2020 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Dawn clouds above the Panamint Range and Death Valley.
On the final morning of a typical Death Valley visit, I get up well before dawn and squeeze in one more “shoot” before leaving. It typically is not too far from where I’m staying since my early wake-up call usually means that I can’t break camp before heading off to photography, and I know that I’ll need to head back, perhaps grab something to eat, and pack up before starting the long drive home. I was camped near Furnace Creek this time, so I selected a spot at the edge of the salt playa not too far from there.
I was up in darkness and it was still dark when I arrived at my location. I sat in my vehicle for a few minutes, and as the first faint light arrived I could see that much of the sky was overcast. This was not encouraging, but I finally decided to load up and walk out across the gravel fan and to the playa. If something was going to happen with the light I had to be in position — no waiting to find out! A short time later I was in position, and the light still wasn’t quite remarkable. But as the first faint sunrise light, filtered by clouds to the east, touched the face of the Panamint range it colored the thinning clouds and created subtle light on the face of the mountains.
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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