Tag Archives: light

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

Edge of the Salt Flats

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Edge of the Salt Flats, Death Valley
“Edge of the Salt Flats” — Saltgrass grows around a winding, salt-encrusted desert gully at the edge of Death Valley salt flats.

This was almost the last photograph I made on this early morning shoot at the Death Valley salt flats. I had gone to a spot I had picked earlier, arriving in the pre-dawn darkness and hiking out across a shallow alluvial fan to reach the salt flats before sunrise. I had a couple of compositions in mind, and I wanted to start working with them as the very first light touched the peaks across the valley.

I began that work and continued as the light worked its way down the face of the desert mountains and finally arrived on the flats. Suddenly the sun topped a ridge to my east and the light became harsher and brighter… and I was done with my subject. I started back to my vehicle, and as I followed a shallow wash through the salty terrain next to the flats, I looked back and saw this little salt-lined waterway at the end of the playa in the morning light

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

Corkscrew Peak, Evening

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Corkscrew Peak, Evening, Death Valley
“Corkscrew Peak, Evening” — Evening light on the giant alluvial plain leading up towards Corkscrew Peak.

This peak has long intrigued me — along with the entire ridge that it lies on. Perhaps the name first caught my attention when I was trying to identify landmarks in photographs I took from out in the Valley. Hint: it does not really look much like a corkscrew, though I can see how the tilted rock layers that seem to run around it inspired the name.

I photographed this on my first evening in Death Valley back in February. After a very long drive from the Bay Area I set up camp, rested a bit, and then it was time to go find something to photograph. Since it was late in the day I wanted to keep it somewhat simple, so I headed to this spot along a road leading out of the Valley, arriving just in time to photograph the day’s last light.

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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Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Urban/Street

James Grain Co.

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James Grain Co., San Jose
“James Grain Co.” — The worn facade of a repurposed old light industrial building, San Jose.

I am a fan of these old industrial buildings with the corrugated metal walls. I see them all over California in older areas including military bases, factories, agriculture facilities, and more. Most seem to date to a least the mid-20th Century. Some are still in use, by original or successor occupants, while quite a few appear to be abandoned. This is one of many that I pass on long walks.

I’m fascinated by what old surfaces record, from streets in Europe where street art is constantly wearing out and being overlaid with new work, to old buildings that often give hints about their former use. From the looks of it, “James Grain Co,” may have come along a bit later than “Purina Chows,” and who knows what the words say below that. A close look also reveals some fascinating coloration from old paint and decay, ranging from blues to yellow/orange to red.

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

Reflected First Light, Panamint Mountains

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Reflected First Light, Panamint Mountains
“Reflected First Light, Panamint Mountains” — Shallow salt flat water reflects the first light on the Panamint Mountains.

During my late-February visit to Death Valley National Park, I spent two early mornings photographing the Panamint Mountains in the first light, with the salt flats and shallow water in the foreground. The water is not the ephemeral “Lake Manly” phenomenon that we saw in 2024. This is a slow, shallow flow of water that seems to continue all year, regardless of conditions. It is just enough water to produce these reflections.

These days I photograph almost exclusively with a full frame digital system. (Sometimes I use a smaller APS-C system, often for my street and travel photography.) I usually use a pretty straightforward set of lenses that work well for my landscape photography, but occasionally I bring out an adapted medium format zoom lens and mount it using the Mirex tilt/shift adapter — yes, movements with a zoom lens! That was pretty useful for this photograph given the low light and the extreme distance between the foreground and the distant 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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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(All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.)