“Dawn, Mono Lake” — Mono Lake tufas under a colorful pre-sunrise sky.
In the right conditions, a Mono Lake sunrise can be spectacular. To some extent it is up to the clouds. Clouds produce the most colorful sunrises, of course, but if they are too thick or in the wrong place they can also “turn out the lights.” The ideal, I think, is for it to be clear on the eastern horizon, with scattered clouds closer to the lake. Almost anything goes in the west — some clouds there to catch the light can be good, but clear skies and the earth shadow or even dark and dramatic clouds can work.
“Tufa, Dawn” — Mono Lake tufa formations under cloudy sunrise sky.
My most common way to approach Mono Lake photographically is to focus on the immense scale of the pace rather than on closer elements of the landscape. I like to set tufa towers against distant desert hills under the wide sky, or perhaps place them in front of the distant eastern face of the Sierra Nevada stretching away to the north. Initially I was doing something like that here, focusing on those offshore towers and using somewhat short focal lengths to take in the wider scene. But then I thought to include a bit of this near tower at the right side of the frame.
“Lake Manly and Telescope Peak, Dawn” — Dawn light on Telescope Peak above Hanaupah Canyon and the reflective waters of Lake Manly.
This photograph includes a short list of superlative features. Telescope Peak, at just over 11,000′, is the highest point in Death Valley National park. From the peak one can see the highest point in California, Mt. Whitney (in the Sierra Nevada) and the lowest point (Badwater Basin). In the photograph Badwater Basin is submerged beneath Lake Manly, which forms only in very wet years and generally evaporates quickly. Snow on Telescope Peak and the Panamint Range is not unusual in winter, but in this photograph it has reached a rather low elevation.
“Salt Creek, Sunrise” — Salt Creek flows past low hills and toward salt flats, Death VAlley.
Salt Creek is a remarkable place, a perpetually flowing creek in the middle of the hottest place on earth and the home to thousands of endangered pupfish. But I’ve also found it to be a pretty difficult place to photograph. Light is challenging, especially late in the day, when tall mountains block the light. But I return and keep working at it!
I made this photograph as the first direct light was arriving. Just beyond the area accessible via a winding boardwalk, the creek flows in many branches through this eroded terrain. From here (behind my camera position) it passes through the area where pupfish are found, and shortly after that it flows out into the salt flats.
