“Tufa at Dawn” — A shoreline tufa in light reflected by sunrise clouds above Mono Lake.
There is a lot to see and photographer during sunrise at Mono Lake. I was there again in late August, driving down from my Sierra campsite well before the first light. The entire process of sunrise offers photographic possibilities, from the first faint eastern light to the eventual direct sunlight on the landscape as early morning colors begin to fade. Over that entire period I worked quickly, moving from subject to subject as the light and conditions changed — focusing on everything from the sky and clouds to the tufa formations, the water, the face of the Sierra Nevada and even some birds.
“Tufa, Stormy Sky” — Tufa formation in pre-sunrise light, backed by dark clouds above the Sierra Nevada.
The light on this scene was a surprise. I had left my campsite high in the Sierra Nevada while it was still dark, arriving at the shore of Mono Lake well before sunrise. For a moment I was the only person there before others began arriving. There were lot of clouds — which can be a blessing or a curse for sunrise photography, depending on where they are and whether there are breaks in the right directions. I expected to arrive at this formation in fairly dismal light, then go look for compositions and set up for sunrise.
“Autumn Foliage and Red Rock Cliffs” — Red rock cliffs tower above early autumn color and a creek, Capitol Reef National Park.
It took me several visits to get a feel for Capitol Reef National Park. The appeal of the beautiful sandstone towers, cliffs, and mountains is undeniable, but at first the park seemed sort of… small to me. As I learned more about this part, I think I see why that is and understand that it may be something of a conscious decision. The casual visitor arrives on a road that passes across the narrow width of the park, and then they visit the area around Fruita and one visitor road that enters the park from there. That doesn’t cover a lot of ground.
But much (most, by far) of this park is off the beaten path. It is accessible by vehicle, but only on long gravel roads, some of which involve challenges such as stream crossings. And the areas at the ends of those drives are relatively undeveloped. You are on your own out there, and I think that it intentional… and I approve.
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“The Manifold, Detail” — Close photograph of a section of the Manifold formation, Death Valley National Park.
Even though this photograph only shows a very small area of a much larger formation, there’s a good chance that those of you familiar with Death Valley will recognize it. The feature is called “The Manifold,” and it features ribs of soft, light-colored material stretching out from beneath a layer of darker material. For this photograph I narrowed the angle of view to only include a very small part of the larger feature.
The geology of these “badlands” features some very soft material that is easily eroded. The different colors were laid down as layers a very long time ago, and since then they have been tilted and distorted. It is hard to imagine a better place to visualize the effect that flowing water has on this desert 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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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