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Death Valley – Sunrise 1/31/10

For the final magic hour shoot of the trip, we headed back to the previous morning’s location to once again go after reflections in the morning light. While the sky did not give us dramatic clouds this time, I did walk away with some nice images albeit with some saltwater-soaked hiking boots.

Pre-dawn symmetry

Pre-dawn symmetry

Pre-dawn glow

Pre-dawn glow

Soft colors warming the sky to the north

Soft colors warming the sky to the north

Cottonwood Mountains symmetry

Cottonwood Mountains symmetry

Setting moon, Panamints, Cottonwoods and reflections

Setting moon, Panamints, Cottonwoods and reflections

Setting moon, Panamints, Cottonwoods and reflections a little later

Setting moon, Panamints, Cottonwoods and reflections a little later

Direct sunlight creeping down the northern end of the Panamints as the moon sets

Direct sunlight creeping down the northern end of the Panamints as the moon sets

Greyscale reflections

Greyscale reflections

Reflected world

Reflected world

Telescope Peak and the Panamints showing off their snowcaps

Telescope Peak and the Panamints showing off their snowcaps

A watery view of Death Valley

A watery view of Death Valley

Dawn's early light in Death Valley

Dawn's early light in Death Valley

These next few images were taken as I left Death Valley and made a few stops along the way when I felt inspired. First up is a shot going up Towne Pass west of Stovepipe Wells on the way out. I wanted to capture the sun halo that was visible through the high clouds around the sun.

Sun Halo over Pinto Peak in Towne Pass

Sun Halo over Pinto Peak in Towne Pass

Coming down from the pass, I was struck by what appeared to be an optical illusion. It’s as if the high Sierra Nevada mountains were submerged below a great blue ocean on the other side of the Argus Range. It was very strange to me and I felt compelled to stop and take a picture.

Seemingly a blue ocean is held back by the Argus Range

Seemingly a blue ocean is held back by the Argus Range

Finally on the edge of the Darwin Falls Wilderness there was a decent helping of snow on the ground around some Joshua Trees. I took many shots to try and capture what i felt but in the end I only was happy with this shot of some trees on a nearby ridge.

Joshua Trees in the snow

Joshua Trees in the snow

One last post from Death Valley is yet to come with just a few moonlight shots. This was a fantastic trip which produced many great images. More importantly, getting out in the wilderness was good for the soul.

Death Valley – Sunset 1/30/10

Having scouted out the location earlier in the day, we returned for a spectacular sunset. Once the sun descended beyond the Panamint Range, the light began to get interesting.

Shadow Reflections

Shadow Reflections

Salty water and the Black Mountains

Salty water and the Black Mountains

The shadow of the Panamint Range creeps up the Black Mountains

The shadow of the Panamint Range creeps up the Black Mountains

Looking south towards Badwater in beautiful magic hour light

Looking south towards Badwater in beautiful magic hour light

More Black Mountain reflections

More Black Mountain reflections

A look towards Dante's View, covered with snow and ice

A look towards Dante's View, covered with snow and ice

Salty patterns

Salty patterns

Saltwater surface patterns resemble ice

Saltwater surface patterns resemble ice

Reflected colors coming alive

Reflected colors coming alive

Salt Creek really lighting up

Salt Creek really lighting up

Salty encrustations break up the reflected sunset

Salty encrustations break up the reflected sunset

The light really exploded at the end in a symphony of red and pink.

Magical light in Death Valley

Magical light in Death Valley

Magical light reflected in the saltwater

Magical light reflected in the saltwater

Twilight begins to fade at Salt Creek

Twilight begins to fade at Salt Creek

Before departing I turned the camera towards the symmetrical reflection of Telescope Peak after all the red had faded in the sunset.

Telescope Peak symmetry

Telescope Peak symmetry

This was a fantastic conclusion to the first day of my first visit to Death Valley in over a year. I slept soundly knowing that amazing images would await me the following morning as well as we returned to the same place we started with.

February 18, 2010 - 8:38 am

Qwiz - These are great! Thanks for sharing.

Death Valley – Location Scouting 1/30/10

After the morning shoot and after breakfast, friend and fellow photographer Robert Mance and I headed out in search of more water for sunset. We decided to head down towards Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America. Instead of going to the main parking lot area, we headed down the West Side Road to see what could be found on the west side of the basin, where neither of us had ever been before.

Here are some pictures from what we found.

Telescope Peak from the West Side Road

Telescope Peak from the West Side Road

The closest I’ve been yet to Telescope Peak.

Cracked Mud Pattern

Cracked Mud Pattern

This group of cracked mud caught my eye.

The seemingly endless Devil's Golf Course

The seemingly endless Devil's Golf Course

Water along the road

Water along the road

This patch of water was quite large. In fact according to my GPS it is part of Salt Creek, although the water is way too salty here to support the Death Valley Pupfish. A strange car load of people stopped and asked Robert if we saw any fish here. The main Salt Creek area was closed due to muddy roads although you could still get there on foot if you were willing to hike a few extra miles. Anyway, we were pleased with this location and decided to head back for Sunset.

Salty patterns and water

Salty patterns and water

Big blue sky and water in Death Valley

Big blue sky and water in Death Valley

Looking south towards Badwater

Looking south towards Badwater

The next update will feature pictures from an amazing sunset in Death Valley unlike any other I’ve seen.

February 5, 2010 - 8:55 am

Robert Mance - What an awesome ‘side trip’ that turned out to be huh! Great pics. I’m emailing you some photos of you shooting Death Valley. Keep an eye out for’em.

Death Valley – Sunrise 1/30/10

After upgrading my camera a few months back, I haven’t quite had the chance to do a proper multi-day photo trip until now. After a seemingly endless drive starting with rush-hour traffic out of LA on a Friday night and sleeping in my car of all places, I was rewarded in the morning for our first shoot in one of my all time favorite places – Death Valley National Park.

Death Valley is an absolutely amazing place. This 3 million acre + park is an alien landscape. There is little life to be seen anywhere, and indeed in some places there is basically none at all. In the summertime temperatures can soar into the 130’s. The stark beauty presented here is unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. The Mojave desert in places seems like a tropical jungle of vegetation in comparison to some places in Death Valley.

This is my fourth trip to Death Valley. Every time I’ve been there has been full of awesome opportunities for photography in this unique, harsh and desolate environment. Our prime focus on this trip was water. And, naturally, reflections.

The first rays of sunrise hit Telescope Peak and the Panamint range

The first rays of sunrise hit Telescope Peak and the Panamint range

Morning Glow in the Panamint Range

Morning Glow in the Panamint Range

Sunrise Reflections

Sunrise Reflections

Mirrored Panamints

Mirrored Panamints

Sunrise Symmetry

Sunrise Symmetry

The Sun peeks over the Funeral Mountains

The Sun peeks over the Funeral Mountains

The most amazing thing happened with the light this morning. Some clouds blocked the sun, but leaving a slot through which the light could go through. The result of this was a dark hillside in front of the Panamints but with a narrow laser of light illuminating the salt encrustations on the far side of the water. Here are the best of my shots in my mad scramble to capture this phenomenon:

Amazing Light

Amazing Light

Just Magical

Just Magical

I’ve never seen anything like it, and I might not ever again.

Clouds make all the difference

Clouds make all the difference

Having clouds in Death Valley makes a huge difference in the quality of photographs there. Clouds are a rare thing there, and this morning in the hours before sunrise there was not a single cloud to be seen. And yet, as sunrise approached the clouds seemingly came out of nowhere to our delight.

Mud and salt encrustations

Mud and salt encrustations

Death Valley is full of phenomenon like these encrustations here. The salt content in the mud causes it to build up and grow into these strange structures. If you could set up a time lapse photo system and let it go for an entire year, I wonder how much you would see these grow and ooze as the salt interacts with moisture in the playa.

Another section of the playa

Another section of the playa

Telescope Peak reflections

Telescope Peak reflections

A parting look back at Telescope Peak as we began to head to breakfast. A peninsula of encrustations provides something different.

A miniature grand canyon

A miniature grand canyon

Looking back from the marsh

Looking back from the marsh

This was just the first of four different shooting sessions this trip. More Death Valley to come!

February 2, 2010 - 8:16 am

Marcia Lawson - Awesome!!! Just gorgeous! I love them all, but my favorite is “Just Magical.”

February 2, 2010 - 8:33 am

Robert Mance - Fantastic images Kurt-O!

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