During my recent visit to Death Valley National Park, one morning was spent at Zabriskie Point, a popular roadside overlook filled with tourists. Usually, I try to avoid these places, but it was my first visit to the park, and as much as I hate to admit it, these roadside tourist zoos were put there for a good reason. They offer amazing views! So, it was time to buck up and stand elbow to elbow with every other photographer in the park that morning.
The sky turns pink at first light at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park
No one there that morning was disappointed. As the sun rose behind us, the sky to the west exploded with light. Unearthly pink hues skipped across the bottom of the clouds, topping the canyon of ribboned stone below with a surreal canopy. A hundred clicks echoed off the walls of the valley before us.
Dawn light permeates the clouds at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park
It was on. I felt myself move into the space between consciousness and dreaming, where my creative mind took control and the technical operations of my camera faded from thought. Landscape, portrait, panorama, zoom in, pull out. My fingers flew over the controls as my mind prepared the next shot. In an instant, it was over and all around me came a collective sigh of relief. The race to capture first light was over – time to have a brief pause before the sun started peaking over the eastern hills.
Muted light plays across the ridges of rock at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park
Soon people were packing up to leave. I took this opportunity to capture some of the details of the rippled rock below. It was still in shade, but with so much light bouncing off the bright walls of the canyon, all the shadows were full and rich in detail.
Before long I was packing up as well. The streams of outgoing photographers were replaced with point-and-shoot tourists, fresh after a morning breakfast. I knew that seeking originality from Zabriskie Point was likely a lost cause, but it was hard not to be inspired by such a light show. I left with a huge smile on my face, thankful for the unending gift of nature.
I just spent a week in Death Valley National Park attending a workshop with landscape photographer Jack Dykinga. It was an amazing week catching up with old friends, doing a ton of field work, and trying to soak in Jack’s incredible talent whenever possible. One of my favorite places to shoot was the sand dunes of Mesquite Flat, just north of Stovepipe Wells.
Wind and weather carve the Mesquite Dunes into endless shapes and textures, Death Valley National Park
The dunes provided an amazing array of shapes and pattern with which to craft photographs. It was a place that really clicked for me, and it was a joy to shoot. An hour or two before sunset, the sun was still high enough to provide strong shadows and side lighting.
Death Valley’s Mesquite Dunes are a study of form and lines
As we got closer to sunset, the dunes and mountains to the east began to reflect that sweet magic hour light. Using a longer lens to stack the dunes against the mountains helps to give the viewer a sense of place.
Mountains rise beyond the sand dunes of Mesquite Flat, Death Valley National Park
My favorite time of day to shoot however, was after the sun had set. The light across the dunes evened out, filling in the shadows and giving the dune contours a milky softness.
As the sun sets, the soft light give the sand dunes a buttery feel, Death Valley National Park
Black and white photos still worked well in this light. Instead of cranking up the contrast to show those sharp lines, the key here was to keep it soft and lower contrast. I tried to find compositions that allowed the eye to move easily up into the frame, flowing through the dunes.
Soft light across the dunes adds a milky texture to the wind carved lines, Death Valley National Park
As I had never spent much time photographing sand dunes before, I was thrilled with the experience. It is definitely a subject that offers endless variety and continual learning. These are my favorite kinds of photographic subjects – challenging and varied, forcing me to adapt and grow.
If you are serious about your photography and want to learn from one of the masters, I highly recommend putting Jack on your short list of workshop instructors.
This summer I spent some time with some old friends backpacking in the Yosemite high country. I love the high country any time of year, but especially in the summer, it offers a cooler respite to the throngs of visitors choking the roads of Yosemite Valley. However, one of my friends had not been to the park since he was a young child, and since we had a little time on our first day, we wanted to drive down in to the valley. I was game, but photographically, I was not expecting much. The valley was hot, had bad lighting midday, and several controlled burns were blowing smoke up the Merced, coating everything in a brown haze.
As we drove down into the valley, seeing all the tourists got me to thinking about originality and photographic vision. Here were millions of people getting out of their cars and taking essentially the same photo as the person they were standing shoulder-to-shoulder with. I started to formulate a challenge in my mind – search for a photograph that captures some of the essence of Yosemite Valley, but keep it fresh and unexpected. I didn’t know if I could come away with something I was proud of, having been through the same area with my camera so many times before.
Luckily the natural world is ever changing and constantly brings new surprises at every bend. The first thing I noticed were all of the wildflowers blooming in the fields on the valley floor. The yellowing grass of late summer was punctuated by brighter yellow blooms, spattered throughout the fields with chaotic perfection. Suddenly three elements came together, and I knew I had the shot I was looking for. A California black oak stood apart from its neighbors, surrounded by intense wild flowers. Behind the tree rose an immense sheer wall of granite, juxtaposing the flowers with cool blues and grays. Here was the essential Yosemite Valley, captured in a way I had never done before.
I couldn’t help but have a smile on my face as I strolled back to the car – a great start to a great trip.
After waiting all summer for the snow to melt out of the high country, I finally ventured north of Tioga Road with some friends from college for a weekend backpacking trip. Instead of my usual high mileage days, our focus was on leisure time in the backcountry, which gave me plenty of time for photography. We hiked into the Ten Lakes region – an area featuring a chain of lakes with forested streams in between them, all draining into the Tuolumne River far below.
A calm lakes reflects the surrounding cliffs in early morning, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 100. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/6 sec. at f/16. Stitched vertical frames creating a 44 megapixel image.
We found a campsite at the far end of a small lake. The site was situated atop a thirty foot cliff, giving us a commanding view of the lake and surrounding cliffs. Behind us rose an unnamed granite peak, offering the camp a nice backdrop. Best of all however, was the nearby stream dropping from an upper lake into the lake below. There was an endless variety of small pools and cascades, giving me plenty of material to work with.
A stream runs between two lakes in the Ten Lakes chain, forming a small cascade, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2/3 EV: .6 sec. at f/16.
Just before sunset on our first night, the clouds started moving in. While other campers might have cast a worrisome eye to the skies, I was elated. I knew that the chance for a dramatic sunset was greatly increased with the changing weather conditions, and thankfully I was rewarded with one. The best part – I only had to walk about ten yards from our campsite to get the view I wanted. Given it required almost no work on my part, I almost felt guilty.
The dramatic skies of sunset are reflected in one of lakes of the Ten Lakes chain, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 100. Evaluative metering -2/3 EV: 2.5 sec. at f/16.
The next morning was bright and clear. I woke up early to explore the area, and see what the morning had to offer. Our little lake looked quite different in the morning, and I took advantage of the still air to get a nice reflection in the background of a camp-side stream photo. I can never get enough of Sierra Nevada granite.
Trees and vegetation grow amid Sierra granite, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1.3 sec. at f/16.
Working my way up the stream, I found a spot where I could capture the running water with the peak that rose above our site.
A stream cascades down slabs of granite below an unnamed peak, Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2 EV: .6 sec. at f/18.
This day was a rest day – full of fishing and exploring some of the other lakes in the chain. Working our way up to a higher lake, we saw there were still huge slabs of snow right at the shoreline. Going higher still, we found a lake with no fish, but a perfect spot for a mid day swim. There is something very special about having an entire lake to yourself in the most populated state in the nation. Of course, along the way, I also had plenty more opportunities for photos.
A stream cascades through a forest in the Ten Lakes region of Yosemite National Park. Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L lens with the EOS-5D MkII. ISO 50. Evaluative metering -2/3 EV: 1/6 sec. at f/16.
After exhausting ourselves and getting a great night of sleep, it was time to head back to the real world. It was a great trip, with beautiful landscape and only seven miles of hiking each way. While the location was not as remote as most of my Sierra trips, I enjoyed the slower pace and additional time for photography. I’ll definitely have to work in more trips like this in the future!
