Yes, more dried mud! As I have written before, for reasons that still mystify me, this is an irresistible subject for many landscape photographers… and I’m no exception. What explains it? The colors? The contrast with surroundings? The fractal shapes?
Continue reading Fractured Surface
As always, cracked desert mud turns out to be an irresistible subject. I photographed this little patch in the northern portion of Death Valley. We arrived as broken clouds were developing, and that gave us varied light as shadows moved across the landscape. I made this photograph in the “in between” light — not full sun, but strong enough to be directional. The mud patterns are interrupted by the pieces of old wood, but that’s not all to notice in this little scene. Look closely and you’ll see a variety of spring plants beginning to grow in this seemingly-barren terrain.
Continue reading Stick in the Mud
This little geological vignette intrigued me. While exploring an area in Death Valley featuring very dark, fine gravel that almost has the appearance of shallow dunes, I came across low flat areas where water has obviously collected in the past. Now there was a surface of old mud, cracked into separate pieces as it dried, a familiar desert sight. But here this surface was pockmarked with small black stones.
Continue reading Mud And Stones
When spring (or late winter, actually) arrives in Death Valley National Park after a wet season, a striking show of wildflower can appear. It seems incongruous in this arid landscape, and it can be spectacular. Uncountable colorful wildflowers cover normally-dry gravel slopes. A closer look reveals even more plants underfoot, where tiny sprouts suddenly appear in many areas in the park.
This photograph focuses on that subject, and a close look reveals more and more little things in the frame — various sorts of new plants, bits of old vegetation, and more. And all of this appears against one of the subjects most irresistible to photographers, dry cracked desert mud.
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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
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