All posts by G Dan Mitchell

G Dan Mitchell, photographer and visual opportunist focusing on the Pacific coast, the Sierra Nevada, redwood forests, California oak/grasslands, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography and more. Posting daily photographs since 2005, along with articles, reviews, news, and ideas.

Southern Death Valley

Southern Death Valley
“Southern Death Valley” — Desert gold wildflowers, dark hills with ancient Lake Manly shoreline terraces.

There is something. a little unusual about this post. I didn’t pick this photograph so much for aesthetic reasons as for its inclusion of some fascinating features in this part of Death Valley. Let’s start with the obvious. There are desert gold wildflowers in the foreground, but if you look closely you can see many more of them across this broad Vally on the dark hillside. Keep reading to learn something about that hillside.

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Imaginary Landscape — Blue Sand

Imaginary Landscape — Blue Sand
“Imaginary Landscape — Blue Sand” — An imaginary landscape of blue sand.

My “imaginary landscape” photographs are based on actual photographs of landscape subjects that are modified and re-purposed in ways that hake to attempt at literal portrayal of actual landscapes. In these images I take the landscape-based materials and explore what else they can be.

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Lake Manly, Morning Clouds, Reflection

Manly Lake, Morning Clouds, Reflection
“Lake Manly, Morning Clouds, Reflection” — Panamint Range and morning clouds reflected in Lake Manly, Death Valley.

This season I took advantage of the rare opportunity to photograph reflections of desert mountains in Death Valley. We were there just before Christmas 2025 and then again near the end of February 2026. The Lake Manly was there both times, though it had visibly diminished on the second visit. But from up close its surface still reflected the surrounding mountains and sky.

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Imaginary Landscape — Fractal Veins

Imaginary Landscape — Fractal Veins
“Imaginary Landscape — Fractal Veins” — An imaginary landscape based on a desert subject.

Recently I again became interested in idea of “imaginary landscapes.” I made a series of photographic images that are derived from elements of actual landscapes I have visited, but which are modified in various ways to alter their appearance. They retain some landscape-like qualities, but they do not correspond to real landscapes.

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