Tag Archives: national park

Zabriskie Point Abstract

Zabriskie Point Abstract

Zabriskie Point Abstract. Death Valley National Park, California. April 2, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light illuminates hills and gullies below Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California.

Another relatively abstract photograph of the amazing folded hills and gullies seen from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park. Here the sun has risen just enough to catch the upper portion of all of the small hills, but not high enough to light the shaded areas in the gullies between them. The idea here was to crop the scene tightly enough that nothing would be visible besides the shapes and textures of this small portion of the terrain.

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the bizarre and amazing nature of the Zabriskie Point view – it is simply a place like no other and the view is otherworldly. But after going back a few times I have started to be able to see past the most obvious elements of the “grand scene” and I find some of the details interesting. (One of my favorite photographs from this area is not of a subject that most photographers would look at; it is a small – for lack of a more picturesque description – mud hill right next to the walkway between the parking lot and the official viewing area.)

keywords: zabriskie, point, fold, hills, gully, shadow, erosion, form, structure, geology, ridge, desert, dry, wash, death valley, national park, california, usa, abstract, landscape, scenic, travel, stock

Folds and Gullies in Morning Light, Zabriskie Point

Folds and Gullies in Morning Light, Zabriskie Point

Folds and Gullies in Morning Light, Zabriskie Point. Death Valley National Park, California. April 2, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Early morning light illuminates complex folds and gullies at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California.

I was reminded of these photographs recently when I read a discussion thread on photographing the amazing formations at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park, and I went back to look through some of my images from a previous trip that I had not reviewed recently.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: zabriskie, point, morning, light, fold, gully, hill, color, mountain, desert, dry, erosion, eroded, brown, tan, red, shadow, scenic, travel, landscape, death valley, national park, california, usa, stock, curve

Autumn Oaks, Cliff, and Mist – El Capitan Meadow

Autumn Oaks, Cliff, and Mist - El Capitan Meadow

Autumn Oaks, Cliff, and Mist – El Capitan Meadow. Yosemite Valley, California. November 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Autumn colors on oak trees in El Capitan Meadow with mist-shrouded cliffs beyond – Yosemite Valley, California.

I’m starting to feel like I’ve worked this series to death, but there are still a few more from my early November rainy weekend in Yosemite Valley. This was photographed in El Capitan Meadow just before the front arrived and the real rain began. (I was safely – well sort of safely – tucked away in a Curry Village cabin when the storm really blew in.) In any case, when I made this photograph it was raining lightly and the combination of rain and mist was both saturating the autumn colors and obscuring clear views of the Valley walls.

keywords: autumn, fall, season, color, gold, yellow, oak, tree, grove, el capitan, meadow, grass, leaf, branch, trunk, cliff, face, mountain, mist, fog, cloud, forest, yosemite, valley, national park, sierra, nevada, landscape, scenic, travel, nature, stock

Dogwood Tree, Autumn – Yosemite Valley

Dogwood Tree, Autumn - Yosemite Valley

Dogwood Tree, Autumn – Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park, California. November 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A Yosemite Valley dogwood tree takes on pastel autumn colors.

I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I shot this dogwood from Northside Drive in the Valley – that’s right, just pulled the car off the road, set up the tripod, and made a photograph. I had been looking for autumn dogwood trees that were set against a darker forest background and while I had found thick groves of dogwoods elsewhere, this was the best one I saw that stood apart.

keywords: dogwood, tree, leaves, leaf, autumn, fall, season, forest, pastel, color, green, pink, yellow, yosemite, valley, national park, california, usa, landscape, nature, foliage, travel, scenic, stock, sierra, nevada, mountains