Tag Archives: atmosphere

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Death Valley, Mountains, Morning Haze

Image Leave a comment
Death Valley, Mountains, Morning Haze
“Death Valley, Mountains, Morning Haze” — Morning haze over Death VAlley and desert mountains..

This view is from the Panamint Mountains of Death Valley. We were fortunate that it was accessible at all. The initial access road reopened days before our arrival after being closed for most of the year… and a storm closed it again on the day we left the park. The dark foreground mountain is part of the range from which I made the photograph. In the middle ground we see the still-shadowed floor of the valley with the Amargosa River passing through salt flats. Beyond that are several more desert mountain ranges disappearing into distant haze.

Some of the most spectacular sites in Death Valley National Park lie far from the familiar tourist hot spots. Reaching them may require hiking or long droves on rough desert roads. (This is a very big park!) And seeing these places at the best time often means traveling to them in predawn darkness or returning late at night. To arrive at this location we started driving a couple of hours before sunrise, and the last part of the drive was on a narrow gravel road.

Leave a comment or question using the form. (Click the title to see the full article and to comment if you are viewing it on the home page.)

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. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.

Photographs: Mono Lake Basin, Photographs: Nature

Ponderosa Pines, Mono Basin

Image Leave a comment
Ponderosa Pines, Mono Basin
“Ponderosa Pines, Mono Basin” — A group of ponderosa pines on slopes leading toward Mono Lake in distant haze.

Mono Lake is a remarkable place. Lying in a relatively high, desert basin, it covers a huge area. It is so big that it is just about impossible to get a solid impression of its vast size. While you can drive past its west side and access a few spots along the north and south shores, much of it is essentially inaccessible, at least without a lot of very difficult travel. Because its level has fluctuated over time, much of the surrounding area has been submerged in the past, and the evidence of this is everywhere.

The lake itself is set in an even larger basin surrounded by mountains — the Sierra to the west and various desert ranges to the north, east, and south. I made this photograph near the base of one of those, the Mono Craters. Here an extensive ponderosa pine forest spills down from the heights and spreads across the shallower slopes of the basin, eventually fading out within sight of the lake. These trees are some of the furthest vanguards of that forest. Beyond you see the final descent the lake, the lake itself, and in the far distance the faint outlines of distant desert 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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Blue Mountains

Image Leave a comment
Blue Mountains

“Blue Mountains” — Desert mountain ridges, obscured by morning haze, extend into the distance.

If you have been following my 2023 photographs from Death Valley — I visited in March — you may recognize the contours of these distant mountains from a couple of monochrome images I shared earlier. I was at a high elevation location along the east side of the valley to photograph the playa at sunrise, but from time to time I turned my attention the other direction to look at these ridges extended into the distant haze.

One pleasure of viewing the world from such a location, high above the surrounding landscape, is that we sometimes see so far that eventually the features simply disappear into the distant haze. Here the haze was so thick — and back lit — that details were lost, leaving only the counters of the main features of the landscape.

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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

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

Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze

Image Leave a comment
Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze
“Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze” — Blue morning haze softens the contours of desert mountains beyond Lake Manly, Death Valley.

Haze is a factor to be reckoned with when photographing in a vast landscape like Death Valley National Park. It is there even on “clear” days, and over long distances its effects can be substantial. Details are muted (especially in shadows), the colors shift toward blue, and atmospheric instability can make subjects literally shimmer. (That makes it virtually impossible to get sharp focus in some situations.) It used to leave me nonplused, but eventually I thought about how to use these characteristics — after all, they are part of the scene.

When I made this photograph it wasn’t just a matter of distance — the atmosphere actually was hazier than usual. In this interpretation of the subject I decided to embrace that haze and its softening effect on the distant mountains. This contrasts with the rather more stark contrasts between the foreground waters of Lake Manley and bits of darker land. But overall, the image retains that blue coloration that I mentioned above.

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.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.