This is not the first time that I have photographed this same subject, more or less, in evening light. Corkscrew Peak stands out in this scene of rugged, furrowed desert mountains. Because the location is on the eastern side of Death Valley, late light angles across the landscape just before the sun drops behinds mountains far to the west, and this light emphasizes the textures of the eroded landscape.
Continue reading Corkscrew Peak and Desert Hills
There are a few unusual things in this Death Valley photograph featuring Telescope Peak. Superficially, snow at Death Valley might seem unusual, but while it is at lower elevations that usual, these peaks are often snow-capped in winter. More unusual is the band of water at the bottom of the frame — that’s Lake Manly, which may temporarily form in Badwater Basin during wet years. The photograph includes the lowest elevation in the park (Badwater Basin) and its highest (Telescope Peak.)
What lies between those extremes is remarkable, too. That is a rise of over 11, 300′ from below-sea-level Badwater Basin to the summit of the peak. Between those two is some extremely rugged terrain that ranges from low desert to the alpine zone, with everything in between.
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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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This photograph epitomizes the extraordinary diversity of Death Valley National Park. It includes two subjects that might surprise those unfamiliar with the place — wildflowers and snow. Because it is known as the place registering the world’s highest recorded temperature, many imagine it to be a place of sand dunes and barren salt playas. Those are part to its landscape, but they are far from the “all of it.”
These wildflowers are desert gold, which was blooming in great fields of yellow in many lowland locations when we visited in late February. I spotted these flowers on a small rise and set up my camera so that they were backed by Telescope Peak, the highest point in the snow-capped Payment Range of desert mountains.
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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
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.
Yes, this is a desert! We are back from our second recent visit to Death Valley. On the first we experienced cool temperatures and rain at the end of December. Since the prospects looked good for wildflowers in the months ahead we booked a late-February return visit. There’s always a lot to photograph in Death Valley but, as a friend pointed out, the stars of the show right now are the wildflowers and Lake Manly. I photographed both, but I’ll start with Lake Manly.
For those who may not know, Lake Manly forms in the Badwater Basin during exceptionally wet years. It was deeper and larger last year, but it is still there and covers a lot of the salt flats. We visited early in the morning this time. The clouds suppressed any brilliant sunrise colors, but as a counterpoint they produced beautiful patterns in the sky which were reflected in the waters of Lake Manly.
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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
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others.