“Morning Clouds, Lake Manly” — Morning clouds and distant mountains reflected in Lake Manly, Death Valley.
Arriving at Lake Manly to photograph on this late-February morning, I would have rated the conditions as “OK but not stupendous.” I was hoping for a colorful desert sunrise over the reflecting waters of the temporary lake, but clouds muted the intensity and color of the light. My practice is to not give up but to instead find other ways of seeing the landscape. I kept photographing, and soon realized that the morning was special in different ways than I had expected.
Although it might see counter-intuitive for a place like Death Valley National Park, these mountains typically are snow-capped in the winter. The highest point in the Panamint Range is Telescope Peak, at an elevation of just above 11,000′. That puts it in the alpine zone, and although moisture is usually scarce here, when it does come it can produce snow at that elevation. A cold storm had recently passed, and the snow level in the photo is lower than usual.
“From Valley to Mountains” — Sunrise view spanning the distance from Salt Creek to the base of the Panamint Range.
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.
“Lake Manly, Morning Clouds, Reflection” — Panamint Range and morning clouds reflected in Lake Manly, Death Valley.
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.
Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.
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