The yellow rocks of Golden Canyon are the tilted and folded beds of sediment from ancient lakes; they have been uplifted and carved by water within the last few million years. In late afternoon light the walls of the canyon seem to glow.
Death Valley
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Jul 13
Death Valley 2013–Golden Canyon
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Jun 13
Death Valley 2013–Golden Canyon Red Cathedral
The Red Cathedral is less than an hour hike up Golden Canyon. The formation consists of red oxidized rocks and contrasts nicely with the yellow mudstones and siltstones of Golden Canyon.
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Jun 13
Death Valley 2013–Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes 8
A final shot back toward the dunes before I hiked the hour back to my car.
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Jun 13
Death Valley 2013–Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes 7
The sun was getting higher and soon the ripples and shadows would be gone from the dunes. It is an 8 hour drive from my home to Death Valley; it was a 26 mile drive to the dune area and another hour’s hike into the dunes with my tripod and cameras. Every moment was worth it!
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Jun 13
Death Valley 2013–Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes 6
Another black and white conversion. This was taken with the 70-300mm telephoto to isolate the arc line at the left.
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Jun 13
Death Valley 2013–Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes 5
The contrast of light and shadow makes for good black and white conversion from the original color. The Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes cover about 14 square miles of Death Valley. This was taken as I hiked back out of the dunes.
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May 13
Death Valley 2013–Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes 4
I carried two cameras into the dunes so that I could use different lenses without having to change them in the sandy environment. One camera had a telephoto lens for isolating elements in the dunes. The other had a wider lens for compositions like this one.
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May 13
Death Valley 2013–Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes 3
The eye follows the strong lines of the ridges of the dunes. Good compositions stretch in every direction; S-curves and leading lines abound. It is very satisfying to be in the middle of the dunes with good light and a camera. It makes the effort to get there worthwhile.
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May 13
Death Valley 2013–Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes 2
There is usually a very brief period of time when photographing the patterns in the dunes works well. The low angle of light at sunrise or sunset causes shadows that emphasize ridges and patterns. Sunrise works best and, often, the best light only lasts for 15 or 20 minutes.
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May 13
Death Valley 2013–Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes 1
The Mesquite Flats sand dunes are near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley and are easy to access from the road. Because they are easy to access, it is a chore to find dunes without footprints. Powerful winds can sometimes quickly erase footprints, but more often they cover the closest dunes. The solution is to be willing to walk farther than anyone else.