Photographing in the area around Salt Creek in Death Valley has long been a challenge. The place is intriguing, with its surprising creek flowing on the valley floor and its population of endangered pupfish. But visually it has generally not spoken to me. The light can also be challenging, especially with a large mountain range blocking late-day light. But I think there are possibilities in the area and I continue to visit from time to time.
Continue reading From Valley to Mountains
This season I took advantage of the rare opportunity to photograph reflections of desert mountains in Death Valley. We were there just before Christmas 2025 and then again near the end of February 2026. The Lake Manly was there both times, though it had visibly diminished on the second visit. But from up close its surface still reflected the surrounding mountains and sky.
Continue reading Lake Manly, Morning Clouds, Reflection
Here is another morning photograph on Manly Lake. I know — that is a LOT of photographs of this feature! But I had several beautiful mornings there this season, and each produced quite a haul of pictures portraying different moods and surroundings. At the moment I made this one, a band of light was striking a ridge descending toward the lake, while the foreground and more distant shadows were in muted light.
Continue reading Desert Mountains and Reflection, Morning
By now, those of you who follow my posts have figured out that I made quite a few photographs of Lake Manly on this partly cloudy morning. I hope you’ll forgive me, but the appearance of this lake is not an everyday event, and I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. (Not only did I photograph it a lot on this trip, but I also photographed it two months earlier at the end of December.)
Continue reading Morning Reflections, Lake Manly Shoreline