Stuck in the Mud

There's something about the texture and shape of mud cracks that draws the eye of photographers. Personally I think it's *also* because it picks up the glow of the sunset and reflects it back that makes it so magical. I've photographed mud cracks a few times and they're all over Death Valley. Sometimes they're better than others, and sometimes it's easy to find them while other times it's hard. David had showed Willie and I this spot in a previous trip and we had always wanted to go back and study and explore the area some more, so back we went. During our previous outing there were some cracks but they were smaller. This time the cracks were larger, mostly due to a year of rain and dryness that had re-created them. We found this rock that was trapped in the mud. I'm not quite sure how it got here, but it was stuck and not going anywhere. It made it look like the cracks were emanating from it, so obviously I used it in the composition once the sun began to set. Nikon D850 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8: 14mm, f!1. 1/4 sec, ISO 100

A Pessimists Worst Nightmare

While I admit I haven't seen *every* photo ever taken in Death Valley, I have seen a lot. David Thompson has some of the best Death Valley National Park photos on the planet. It helps that he lives just around the corner in Las Vegas and can dart over to explore often. He showed Willie and I this photo and knew we'd be imitating him (I think someone mentioned he got it from someone else, but I'm too lazy to research the history of this, so for now the credit goes to David). He gave us a hint to its location and off we went. We *nearly* got our SUV stuck by going too far but I had the wherewithal to turn back and sure enough we find the viewpoint. From perched up high you look down at the Mesquite Sand Dunes. From this angle, with a long telephoto lens, the sand dunes look as if they go on forever and ever. I wouldn't want to be a pessimist trying to cross these, as it feels like an endless cycle of going up and down ... up and down. We had about a 5 minute window to make these photos. A bit earlier in the sunset and the sand dunes have too harsh of bright spots without the golden glow of sunset. A few minutes later and the sun was too low and you lost the glow completely, replaced entirely in shadow. I left the photographer and his camera in this photo to give you a sense of scale. Can you spot him down at the bottom of the photo? Nikon D850 w/Sigma 150-600mm: 600mm, f/11, 1/125 sec, ISO 400

Eggs Benedict

I'm not quite sure why the name "Eggs Benedict" stuck out in my mind. Perhaps it's because these salt flats reminded me of the shape of eggs, and you've got the white/yellow (ok, in this case reddish brown) contrast. Or maybe it was just because I was ready for breakfast when I took this prior to 6am. Willie and I had scouted this area on a previous trip but the salt wasn't quite good looking at the time. That's Death Valley for you... some years the salt flats are beautiful and others they're not. It all depends on the rain and how frequently there was last water in the area. It was March and we decided it was cool enough to camp (hah, yes, "cool" enough since it can be 120°F in the summer). We set out early in the morning and got out to the location while the moon was still up. I loved the way it made the scene glow. And oddly enough, that night it rained on us. It's the one time I've been camping in the rain, and it happened at Death Valley of all places! Nikon D850 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8: 14mm, f/11, 1.0 sec, ISO 100

Loving Salty Mornings

Do you like salt on your food? In the hotly contested debate, I'm in the salt camp. Sometimes I wonder if the entire purpose of French fries is to deliver salt to my taste buds. When we cook, we cook without salt, and then I add it in at the end on my plate. Sammi hates salt and this has become our compromise. We're both happy. Win win. Willie and I hiked out to this salt flat in Death Valley National Park and got such an early start that the moon was still up when we arrived at the spot. Clouds were rolling in and we had high hopes that they'd light up for sunrise. They ended up a tad late, as you can see here, we have only partial cloud cover, but they arrived none-the-less. The heart shaped salt spot on the lower left is what attracted me to this particular spot. It looked like a heart to me and I walked around it in all directions trying to figure out the best angle to photograph it. I'm not sure this was the best, but it is a view. Nikon D850 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8: 14mm, f/11, 1/15 sec, ISO 100