Tag Archives: clouds

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

Far Desert Mountains

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Far Desert Mountains
“Far Desert Mountains” — High desert mountain ridges sretch toward the horizon under morning clouds.

I know I am repeating myself, but one of the most impressive things about Death Valley National Park is the sheer scale of the place — the distances are huge. The only place I’ve experienced that impressed me the same way was the near-arctic in the Yukon Territories and Alaska. Here mountains go on, range after range, into the far distance. (As a friend of mine might point out, the haze here is an obvious example of “atmospheric recession.)

This photograph is also an example of why I’m a big fan of long focal lengths for landscape photography. Some will tell you that “landscape lenses” have short to normal focal lengths, and that wide-angle lenses should be your standard tools. I beg to differ. The truth? While I own ultra-wide lenses, I use them sparingly… and my favorite landscape photography lenses are often telephotos. Here I used a very long lens to compress the distance and to isolate a small, interesting section of much larger terrain.

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

Evening Clouds, Desert Mountains

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Evening Clouds, Desert Mountains
“Evening Clouds, Desert Mountains” — Three clouds in evening light above desert mountains, Death Valley.

On most of my visits to Death Valley there are many days of perfectly clear skies. That might sound great, especially if you are in a rainy or cloudy place. But for most photographers it is far preferable to have something interesting going on in the sky. Give me some thin overcast, cloud streaks before a storm , a snow squall among mountain peaks, or a dramatic thunderhead any time. On this trip I was lucky, getting most of the things in that list, including this sunset cloud formation.

When photographing in Death Valley I often make location decision as much by looking at the weather conditions as by considering subjects. If I have a choice between two subjects and one will likely be in good light, the decision is easy. And sometimes the light itself becomes the subject. That is almost the case here, as the end-of-day light is very muted on the desert mountains, yet just bright and colorful enough to enhance the 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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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

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

Desert Mountains, Snow Squall

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Desert Mountains, Snow Squall
“Desert Mountains, Snow Squall” — A late-winter snow squall high in the Panamint Mountains.

On this mid-March morning I was heading for Furnace Creek in Death Valley. I had made a sunrise stop to photograph near the town of Trona before resuming my northward drive. The west side of the Panamint Mountains is visible along most of this route, and a snowstorm was winding down among the highest peaks, lending an alpine quality to the desert landscape.

The Panamint Mountains are tall, with the highest summer being Telescope Peak at 11,000 feet of elevation. (The summit is known for being a spot from which one can see both the lowest and highest points in the contiguous United States, respectively Badwater and Mt. Whitney.) It is pretty normal to see snow up there during the winter, though this time it seemed to descend a bit further down the slopes than usual.

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.

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

Desert Canyon, Cloud Shadows

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Desert Canyon, Cloud Shadows
“Desert Canyon, Cloud Shadows” A twisting and colorful desert canyon empties in Death Valley under the shadows of passing clouds.

Light is everything when it comes to photographing the desert landscapes of Death Valley. The terrain is always impressive, but the midday light can be intense and harsh, washing out colors and muting details. But in the right light a feature that might look, well, “washed out” in that intense light can become beautiful. Add a few passing clouds to increase contrasts between light and shadow and things get even more interesting.

I don’t know the name of this little canyon or even if it has one. But I do know that there are canyons like it everywhere in this national park. Many are worth exploring, whether or not there is a trail. In many cases you can just walk carefully up the gravel fan to a canyon’s mouth and then follow a wash up among the quiet hills until you run out of time or the terrain becomes too difficult.

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.

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