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

Dunes and Sandstorm

April 26, 2013 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Towering clouds of wind-blown sand rise above desert sand dunes, Death Valley National Park

In the early afternoon, a bit to my surprise and somewhat to my consternation, after returning to camp from shooting in another area of the park I got my first hints of the upcoming afternoon and evening sand storm when I noticed an increasing number of dust devils out by the dunes and when blowing dust began to rise along the far eastern side of the Valley. Although these events can be photogenic (and a bit dangerous to camera gear!) they are not very pleasant to be in, a fact that I know from previous experience. However, given that the weather otherwise had been pretty boring – too much blue sky! – at least this promised something a bit out of the ordinary.

So as the afternoon wore on I headed out, driving toward the eastern side of the Valley. As I passed this classic view of what is probably the most famous set of dunes in the Valley, large and thick dust clouds were rising behind the dunes. Oddly, there wasn’t all that much sand blowing on these dunes – just behind them on lower dunes farther north and east. So I paused to use the long lens to isolate the dunes, with their sparse plants, in the afternoon light with clouds of blowing sand mostly obscuring the peaks of the Grapevine Mountains in the Amargosa Range.

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Commentary, Deals and Sales, Site News

Web Site Updates for April 25, 2013

April 25, 2013 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

I have a couple of brief site news updates this morning:

I have updated the site’s Deals page to include current Canon promotions on DSLRs, DSLR/lens bundles, lenses, and Speedlights.
Also on the Deals page, links to the Fujifilm X-E1 mirrorless camera and lenses – which I have been using and liking recently.
Nearly two weeks ago I experienced some serious technical problems with the site. The site was briefly unavailable and for nearly a week access was impaired. I have mostly fixed the problems – and site access speeds should now be better than they were before the problem occurred. However, one or two features are temporarily unavailable – including the sidebar list of photographers and galleries. I hope to bring those resources back online soon.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Desert Plants, Dunes, and Mountains in Late Afternoon Light

April 25, 2013 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Arrow weed plants grow on the flats below transverse dunes, Kit Fox Hills, and peaks of the Amargosa Range, Death Valley National Park

For such a desolate spot, this area can be quite beautiful at the right time of day and in the right light. I had gone here to climb a nearby low hill, but found the plants leading off towards low dunes and then successfully rising hills distracted me for a moment from my initial goal. The late sunlight coming in at a low angle gave a warmth to the desert colors that is not usually seen during the midday hours.

The mountains across the valley are a frequent subject of mine, usually but not quite always late in the day when the western sun casts warm light on them near sunset and, even better, just after sunset when the glowing sky can cast soft blue or even purple light on the mountains. This range is a bit more complex than it might first seem. The rise seems to begin at low sand dunes that are out in the valley a ways from the actual mountains. Then a range of low hills crosses just above the valley floor – I’ve heard them called the Kit Fox Hills. Above these hills and a giant gravel fan, higher and more rugged mountains rise to the summit of the Amargosa Range.

Deals and Sales, Equipment

Fujifilm Mirrorless Cameras

April 24, 2013 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Fujifilm X-E1 Mirrorless Camera

Last month I picked up a Fujifilm X-E1 and several Fujinon lenses for certain types of shooting where I need great image quality in small, light, portable equipment. This camera is a “rangefinder style” (though not literally a rangefinder) camera with an electronic viewfinder, and it evokes memories of classic rangefinder cameras by way of its small size, its overall design, and the relatively small lenses that it uses. I have had a chance to use it enough now to understand how it works and how well, and I’m very impressed with the camera and even more impressed with the Fujinon lenses and the image quality they can produce on this camera. Recently I posted a report on my initial experiences (“Fujifilm X-E1: From DSLR to Mirrorless“) and I will likely add a real review at some point.

In any case, I would like to share links to several of the Fujifilm cameras in this category, along with links to some of the Fujinon lenses, most of which I have now used. (The links go to site-sponsor B&H Photo.)

Bodies

X-E1 – interchangeable lenses, electronic viewfinder (this is the one I own)
- Fujifilm X-E1 Digital Camera (Black) – body only)
- Fujifilm X-E1 Digital Camera (Silver) – (body only)
- Fujifilm X-E1 Digital Camera Kit (Black) – (kit with 18-55mm lens)
- Fujifilm X-E1 Digital Camera Kit (Silver) – (kit with 18-55mm lens)
Other Related Bodies
- Fujifilm X PRO – (body only – functionally very similar to the X-E1 but with an optical viewfinder option)
- Fujifilm X100S Digital Camera – (digital rangefinder with fixed focal length non-interchangeable lens)
- Fujifilm X20 Digital Camera (Black) – (mirrorless body with fixed zoom lens)
- Fujifilm X20 Digital Camera (Silver) – (mirrorless body with fixed zoom lens)

Lenses

* I have used these lenses and am very impressed by their quality.
** The 55-200mm zoom has been announced but is not yet available. I intend to acquire it when it is available.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Web Site Updates for April 25, 2013

Desert Plants, Dunes, and Mountains in Late Afternoon Light

Fujifilm Mirrorless Cameras

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.