Death Valley National Park

I recently posted a few more new images of Death Valley that I haven't blogged about yet. The first one below is of Mequite Dunes taken near to sunset. I shot into the sun for this one. Shooting into the sun can make for some amazing images but the sunspots that occur make it seriously tricky to pull off. I find that I have to hold my hand over the top of the lens hood for shade and eyeball the spots through the viewfinder adjusting the light with my hand until I've got a clean image.

The second image was taken of hikers at Zabriskie Point, also just before sunset. The heat in Death Valley is phenomenal and can almost be seen in the texture and colors of the earth there. The colors there at Zabriskie Point are stunning making horizontal patterns in the hills. The hiking there is a real adventure that few, understandably, take on in that heat.

The last two images are from an adventurous and long, off-road drive from Ubehebe Crater out to Racetrack Playa. Racetrack Playa is a dry lake-bed in a narrow valley that is not accessible by some cars due to the rough unpaved road and lack of assistance in the event of getting flat tires or other mechanical trouble. On the way you'll pass a notorious landmark called Tea Kettle Junction. I have no idea how that got started but I find it comical that it continues to this day as I've read recent accounts of tea kettle donations made there. The dry lake bed is remarkable. You could close your eyes and ignore the visual surroundings and, without help, feel the intense heat of the basin. But taking in the visual aspects as well really makes for a surreal movie-like experience in a truly beautiful desert.

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