Death Valley New Releases 2020

February 11, 2021  |  Death Valley National Park, California

It seems like an eternity ago that I photographed these photos and found myself in Death Valley National Park. We were blissfully unaware of the impending siege of the pandemic that would soon take place and change our course for next year. It has now been over a year since I've visited the park, and I've missed it terribly. Fortunately, I had a whole new crop of photos to work on during my unexpected time off the road, and I could visit virtually with these photos.

As I processed each one, I was immediately taken back to a much simpler time and place. We spend every winter in Death Valley teaching, and one would think I have run out of photo ideas and creativity due to the amount of time we spend there. But, this harsh desert environment is continuously changing and evolving, and you could say it's a good representation of our own lives. I'm always finding new scenes, textures, and patterns, and this landscape of many opportunities continually inspires me.

An illuminated dune glows during a late afternoon windstorm.
Windswept
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

An illuminated dune glows during a late afternoon windstorm.

During my visit, I spent most of my time photographing the sand dunes. We were fortunate enough to have many windstorms on clear days that provided plentiful opportunities to see dune sculpting in action. I connect with dunes, as they remind me of times during my own life when I had to start over and "resurface" myself, so to speak, to start fresh with new clarity after certain life events.

Wind reshapes the surface of a set of dunes during a late afternoon windstorm.
Resurfaced
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Wind reshapes the surface of a set of dunes during a late afternoon windstorm.

And what trip to Death Valley would be complete without some fun mud patterns? While it was a pretty dry winter, there were a few opportunities to find some fresh mud. These fresh patterns were intriguing to me, and they absolutely glowed in the bright, blue twilight after the sunset. Finding this mud made me feel like I was standing in an Iceland ice cave, rather than the arid desert.

Fresh mud patterns glow in the twilight of early evening, resembling ice.
Frozen
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Fresh mud patterns glow in the twilight of early evening, resembling ice.

I took plenty of time to explore the dunes at different times of day, in different light and weather conditions. The colors the dunes pick up can vary greatly, and knowing when to expect specific colors by learning their moods can be very fruitful for capturing unique scenes. I didn't use my wide-angle lens at all last year on the dunes. I always use my 28-300 Nikkor telephoto zoom. With its wide zoom range, it's easy to isolate the smaller scenes and details, along with the slightly larger compositions. It's my go-to lens on the dunes, and I love that I have that much range in one lens. One lens and one camera body make it easier to shoot and explore without taking the time to continually change lenses.

Pristine dunes seem to fold into each other during soft twilight light.
Elegance
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Pristine dunes seem to fold into each other during soft twilight light.

Sand textures create a "wave" on the side of a sand dune.
Sand Wave
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Sand textures create a "wave" on the side of a sand dune.

One of the more memorable experiences last winter was Badwater Basin. We were fortunate enough to catch it at a time when it was currently flooded. The memorable part was that it stayed flooded for quite a while, and we had over a week to enjoy and photograph it. Flooding doesn't often happen here, and I can count on one hand how many times I've seen it flooded in the past five years. The familiar salt polygons dissolve away into exciting patterns and textures, and the light from sunset creates magnificent colored reflections.

Dissolving salt polygons on Badwater Basin sit under glowing stormy skies during a beautiful sunset.
Glow
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Dissolving salt polygons on Badwater Basin sit under glowing stormy skies during a beautiful sunset.

A pink sunset reflects onto a partially flooded Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park.
Badwater Blush
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

A pink sunset reflects onto a partially flooded Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park.

Death Valley is an abstract photographer's paradise. I found no shortage of unique textures and patterns and even had the chance to photograph ones I had never seen before. I found a small area on the dunes that contained hard-packed sand that had these amazing lines. Looking at it, you would have thought it was woodgrain, buried in the sand. It was such a fun texture, and it shimmered in the light. Whether I was wandering around the dunes, the salt flats, or the badlands, there were always opportunities to find and explore these fun natural patterns and textures.

A texture in the sand on the desert floor resembles a wood grain pattern.
Sand Grain
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

A texture in the sand on the desert floor resembles a wood grain pattern.

Salt deposits form unique shapes and symbol-like formations on a desert playa.
Salt Signs
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Salt deposits form unique shapes and symbol-like formations on a desert playa.

The wind sweeps sand grains across flame-like patterns on the side of a sand dune during a windstorm.
Fanning The Flames
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

The wind sweeps sand grains across flame-like patterns on the side of a sand dune during a windstorm.

We spent a lot of time photographing the badlands. We ventured off the beaten path and found new perspectives and views. Half the fun was in exploring, and we found so many things to go back and photograph and explore in the coming years.

Layers and colors adorn the badlands at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park.
Eons and Layers
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Layers and colors adorn the badlands at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park.

I made sure to wander around the desert during twilight. The landscape takes on a whole different mood when you stick around after sunset. While many photographers were packing up their gear, I was just getting started with photographing. The textures take on a beautiful blue and silver hue and give even familiar landscapes a whole different mood.

Contrasting sand patterns create a fascinating texture on the desert floor during twilight.
Encroaching
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Contrasting sand patterns create a fascinating texture on the desert floor during twilight.

Blue and silver tones accent the sand dunes during evening twilight.
Lunar Dunes
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Blue and silver tones accent the sand dunes during evening twilight.

Dunes bathe in the last warm touch of light at the end of the day.
Last Call
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Dunes bathe in the last warm touch of light at the end of the day.

While most of you know I have an obsession with mud, I think I may have found something I love almost as much; salt. My good friend and colleague Sarah Marino (she has some amazing salt abstracts!) encouraged me to take a closer look at salt. We spent an afternoon exploring and photographing the attractive crystals, patterns, and textures on the playas. This presented me with a fun opportunity to work with my new macro lens and, after a bit of a learning curve and Sarah giving me some useful tips (you never stop learning!) I was on my way and quickly became obsessed. I traded in sticky mud for crunchy salt, and I look forward to exploring more salty scenes in the future.

Salt crystals create a maze of patterns on the desert floor.
The Missing Piece
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Salt crystals create a maze of patterns on the desert floor.

Thin, delicate salt textures adorn the desert floor.
Delicate
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Thin, delicate salt textures adorn the desert floor.

We spent the latter part of our trip exploring the many canyons Death Valley has to offer. The canyons offer an intriguing geologic story. As a trained geologist, I can get lost in the canyons studying the different colors and rocky types making up the tall, towering walls. I spent most of my time in the canyons with small, little rock scenes rather than focusing on wide-angle scenes. I found an area with lots of colorful patterns, and I spent quite a few hours with these tiny details.

An array of patterns in the rocks of a canyon wall create a mesmerizing little abstract scene.
Canyon Wall Mosaic
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

An array of patterns in the rocks of a canyon wall create a mesmerizing little abstract scene.

I also spent a little time out photographing some black and white dune scenes. During every photography trip, I try to challenge myself with finding black and white opportunities. Dunes lend themselves beautifully to black and white, and I never tire of searching out those high contrast scenes.

Sand dunes catch a kiss of light during sunrise.
Kissed
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

Sand dunes catch a kiss of light during sunrise.

The wind whips sand into the atmosphere and across the dunes during an afternoon windstorm.
Dusty Dunes
Death Valley National Park, California | 2020

The wind whips sand into the atmosphere and across the dunes during an afternoon windstorm.

While 2020 wasn't a great year because of the pandemic's stress, I'm so grateful that I had a few blissful months exploring one of my favorite national parks. I experimented with new techniques and subjects and learned many new things. Looking back at those photos was the perfect reminded to now take any photography trip for granted. Just those two months provided me photos that take me back to happier memories and make me look forward to my next trip to this harsh and beautiful landscape.