Tag Archives: reflection

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

Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze

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Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze
“Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze” — Blue morning haze softens the contours of desert mountains beyond Lake Manly, Death Valley.

Haze is a factor to be reckoned with when photographing in a vast landscape like Death Valley National Park. It is there even on “clear” days, and over long distances its effects can be substantial. Details are muted (especially in shadows), the colors shift toward blue, and atmospheric instability can make subjects literally shimmer. (That makes it virtually impossible to get sharp focus in some situations.) It used to leave me nonplused, but eventually I thought about how to use these characteristics — after all, they are part of the scene.

When I made this photograph it wasn’t just a matter of distance — the atmosphere actually was hazier than usual. In this interpretation of the subject I decided to embrace that haze and its softening effect on the distant mountains. This contrasts with the rather more stark contrasts between the foreground waters of Lake Manley and bits of darker land. But overall, the image retains that blue coloration that I mentioned above.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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

Clouds, Lake, Desert Mountains

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Clouds, Lake, Desert Mountains
“Clouds, Lake, Desert Mountains” — Morning clouds above the Panamint Range, reflected in the smooth surface of Lake Manly.

This photograph may look a bit familiar if you follow my posts. I previously shared a landscape orientation (wide) version of a similar photograph, made just moments before I exposed this one. The Panamint Mountains are in the distance, under sunrise light, and the shadow of mountains to the east still falls on the lower slopes. This is reflected in the waters of Lake Manly.

I love finding interesting juxtapositions of color, light, and shape in the landscape. The reflective water of the temporary lake provided rare opportunities here. and I was able to find a composition that stacked up layers of clouds, sky, snow-capped peaks, sunrise light, and the shadow line in the middle.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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

Sunrise, Lake Manley and Panamint Mountains

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Sunrise, Lake Manley and Panamint Mountains
“Sunrise, Lake Manly and Panamint Mountains” — Sunrise on the Panamint Mountains reflected in the ephemeral waters of Lake Manly

This is a photograph that is normally not possible in Death Valley — The image of a snow-capped mountain range reflected in the extensive waters of a gigantic lake. These are the Panamint Mountains, rising to over 11,000 feet on the far side of Death Valley. This winter the playa was covered by the shallow waters of ephemeral Lake Manly.

It was hard to resist the symmetry of this scene with the reflection in the still water was a near duplicate of the distant scene. I made the photograph after the morning sun had arrived on the higher peaks, but before it had worked its way down to the valley floor, thus the dark band across the middle of the image.

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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

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

Pre-Dawn Clouds, Lake Manly

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Pre-Dawn Clouds, Lake Manly
“Pre-Dawn Clouds, Lake Manly” — Pre-dawn clouds fill the sky above the Panamint Mountains reflected in Lake Manly, Death Valley.

The brief interval between darkness and the arrival of the morning sun may be my favorite time of day in the desert. Everything is still and quiet, and I’m often the only person around. The temperature is comfortable, and sometimes as close to cool as it will get. The light changes perceptibly, transitioning from deep twilight blues toward the intensely warm colors of sunrise. And I have a full day ahead of me.

This time I was not completely alone, but I was close to it. The unusual reappearance of Lake Manly had drawn others, and I could see them in the distance on nearby hills. As the light increased, this large cloud above the valley came into focus and drifted slowly above the still waters of the lake and the reflected form of the distant Panamint 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” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.