Tag Archives: zabriskie

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Sunlit Outcropping and Erosion Patterns, Zabriskie Point

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Sunlit Outcropping and Erosion Patterns, Zabriskie Point

Sunlit Outcropping and Erosion Patterns, Zabriskie Point. Death Valley National Park, California. April 3, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A stratified outcropping catches the morning sun light with eroded earthen patterns in the background – Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California.

Yet another in my series of explorations of the details of the amazing geology at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park. Here a small outcropping of harder, stratified material remains along the top of a very eroded hill between two gullies with more typically eroded textures extending into the distance in the background – all lit by early morning sunlight.

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.

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Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Detail, Zabriskie Point Folds in Morning Light

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Detail, Zabriskie Point Folds in Morning Light

Detail, Zabriskie Point Folds in Morning Light. Death Valley National Park, California. April 3, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning light on variously angled curving ridges below Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park.

This is another in the series of photographs of details of the geology surrounding Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park – for the most part the interesting patterns of folded and twisted earth rather than the grand epic landscape to the west.

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.

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Photographs: Death Valley

Folds and Gullies, Zabriskie Point

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Folds and Gullies, Zabriskie Point

Folds and Gullies, Zabriskie Point. Death Valley National Park, California. April 4, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Pastel colors of folds and gullies at Zabriskie Point in early morning light, Death Valley National Park, California.

Another in my 2008 series of photographs of the tortuously folded formations below Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park. The colors in this photograph are more muted than in some of the others, partially due to the early light but also due to (if I recall correctly) a bit of high overcast. And, to be frank, photographers often boot the contrast and saturation quite a bit in their photographs of this area – so I thought I’d try a natural approach here that shows the pastel shades.

keywords: zabriskie, point, folds, gullies, abstract, shape, morning, early, light, shadow, pastel, death valley, national park, california, usa, landscape, scenic, travel, stock, desert, barren

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert

Zabriskie Point Abstract

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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