Category Archives: Photographs: Death Valley

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

Canyon Narrows, Amargosa Range

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Canyon Narrows, Arargosa Range, Death Valley National Park.
“Canyon Narrows, Amargosa Range” — A section of narrows in a Death Valley canyon.

You are going to see a fair number of Death Valley canyon photographs here over the next few weeks as I share images from my late February visit to the park. With a few exceptions, the most interesting canyons in the park — and there are many of them! — are less accessible than some of the other famous features. You might have to drive on dirt roads, hike up huge fans and washes, or walk through long sections of less-remarkable valleys to get to the “good stuff.” But the best of them are well worth the effort.

The canyon experience contrasts with the vast distances, intense heat and dryness, and harsh sunlight which we think of as typical in Death Valley. Canyons can be cool and shady and their narrow confines often restrict your views to a few meters. The light is often soft and filtered as it bounces down from high above. As they cut though ridges and mountains he canyons reveal ancient strata. Perhaps best of all, they are often quiet and lonely places where time seems to stop.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.narrows, slot, constrict, stone, rock, cliff, wall, gravel, wash, erosion, amargosa, range, fall, canyon, shade, dark, geology, landscape, hike, nature, travel, california, desert, usa, north, america

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

Badlands Gullies, Morning

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Badlands Gullies, Morning — Death Valley
“Badlands Gullies, Morning” — The first direct sunlight sweeps across the curving shapes of badlands erosion gullies, Death Valley.

I have a rule about returning to photograph popular subjects that I first photographed years ago: Only stop if it looks like something unusual and very special might happen. The rule applies to Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, where scores of photographers (and others) gather before dawn to await the sunrise. During the last week of February I drove past on my way to a different subject. In the dim light I thought I saw developing clouds that might produce something special at sunrise. So I (literally) slammed on the brakes, turned around, parked, and joined the throng.

The special light I hoped for didn’t develop. Instead of turning colorful at sunrise, the colors just went flat. Ah, well. I can never be fully certain about what will happen in these situations, and my hunches merely improve the odds — sometimes things don’t work like I hope. But there I was, set up to make photograph s at this location. So, what else could I photograph there? I turned my attention to nearby badlands terrain and photographed it as the direct light arrived, softened a bit by high clouds.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | 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

Overhanging Canyon Narrows

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Overhanging Canyon Narrows, Death Valley National Park
“Overhanging Canyon Narrows” — Tall cliffs overhang a section of winding canyon narrows, Death Valley.

I make (at least) one annual photography trip to Death Valley National Park, and I’ve been doing so for something like two decades. My favorite time to visit is in the winter. This year’s trip was during the final days of February — the calendar said winter but a heat wave made it feel more like summer, with temperatures up to ninety degrees. Many areas of the park were inaccessible due to washed out roads and to construction, so I visited a few familiar places and went to a couple of new ones.

This slot canyon is an old favorite, and I have hiked and photographed it several times in the past. The “slots” are great destination on days, like this one, when it is both windy and hot. Death Valley slot canyons are different than the better-known Utah-style slots. They often feature rather dark rock, and the slots are often shorter. In this canyon there are several sections of these narrow passages, but in between there are longer sections of open canyon.

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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | 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

Half Submerged

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Half Submerged
“Half Submerged” — The salt playa of Death Valley partially submerged under the shallow waters of Manly Lake.

Part of what I love about this subject is how hard it is initially to understand exactly what we are looking at. (I wonder what you thought it was at first?) My first impression, at least when looking at small versions, is of sky and clouds. It is only when I look more closely that I realize that it is not that at all — it is the playa of Death Valley, where salt flats are partially submerged beneath the water of Lake Manly.

We usually direct our eyes parallel to the ground or perhaps upwards when we view the landscape. But on those occasions when we can look down at it from a distance we see it in a very different light. Features that are barely, if at all, visible from down below become the major points of interest. (There’s a lot more to see in this scene than first meets the eye.) And all of this is enhanced by the subjective feelings that come with looking out from any very high vantage point.

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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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