Tag Archives: sky

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Bank Building Ruins

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Bank Building Ruins

Bank Building Ruins. Rhyolite, Nevada. April 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Distorted wide angle perspective photograph of the ruins of the bank building in the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada.

I spent considerable time shooting the remains of this bank building. Given how impressive it is today even in its deteriorating state, it must have been quite a building 100 years ago.

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Photographs: Death Valley

Light Beams Over the Panamint Mountains

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Light Beams Over the Panamint Mountains

Light Beams Over the Panamint Mountains. Death Valley National Park, California. April 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Light beams over the east face of the Panamint Mountains above Death Valley. Viewed from the east side of the Valley near Badwater.

I’ve been very lucky to encounter this phenomenon more than once when I’ve been in Death Valley. Although I know that most of the time it can be perfectly (too perfectly) clear there, I’ve seen clouds build over the Panamints in the afternoon during my April visits and then thin just enough late in the day to let these light beams shine through and illuminate the lower reaches of the Panamint Range.

keywords: panamint, mountains, range, death valley, national park, salt, flats, god light, clouds, sky, sun, shafts, ridge,wash, arroyo, plays, badwater, telescope, peak, snow, scenic, travel, stock, landscape, california, usa

Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Structures and Objects

Rhyolite School and Bank Ruins

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Rhyolite Bank and School Ruins
Rhyolite Bank and School Ruins. Rhyolite, Nevada. April 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Ruins of the school and bank at sunrise in the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada. Rhyolite is a mining ghost town just east of the California/Nevada border between Death Valley National Park and Beatty, Nevada.

When we arrived at Rhyolite just before dawn, it looked like the light was perhaps not going to cooperate. While parts of the sky were quite blue, there was a layer of clouds to the east where the sun was rising. At times the light turned out to be flat and gray, but every so often it would come through the clouds and wash the scene in this wonderful warm light.

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Photographs: Death Valley

Stovepipe Dunes, Tucki Mountain, and Morning Clouds

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Stovepipe Dunes, Tucki Mountain, and Morning Clouds

Stovepipe Dunes, Tucki Mountain, and Morning Clouds. Death Valley National Park, California. April 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Stovepipe Wells Dunes, Tucki Mountain, and morning clouds, Death Valley National Park, California. After shooting early farther out in the dunes, I encountered this scene while starting my hike back to my car.

It is interesting to note the number of ways in which this photograph was the result of serendipity. First, I went to the back side of the dunes rather than the more typical sections. Second, I had pretty much finished my shooting (yeah, right!) and was heading back to the car. Third, I just happened to wander up on this particular dune – almost didn’t go there at all. Fourth, the light was nothing like this when I first saw it – this section was mostly in shadow. Fifth, those wonderful clouds that mirror the texture of the dune surface just happened to float into the scene as the light came across the top of the dune to illuminate this section of the sand.

(This photograph brings to mind an Ansel Adams quote: “Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.” Adams also offer a critique of God: “Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships!” ;-)

keywords: Tucki, mountain, sky, clouds, stovepipe, wells, sand, dune, peak, desert, morning, ripples, death valley, national park, california, usa, travel, scenic, landscape, black and white, stock