Sand Ripples, Lava

Sand Ripples, Clouds - Death Valley  1976

Lava Rocks, Mountains - Death Valley  1976

Last in the 1976 desert series taken with a Nikon F SLR.

Clouds, Shadows

Lenticular Clouds - Death Valley  1976

Sun, Shadows, Clouds - Death Valley  1976

"Pilots of powered aircraft tend to avoid flying near lenticular clouds because of the turbulence and sinking air at their trailing edge, but glider pilots actively seek them out in order to climb in the upward-moving air at the leading edge."

Neat lens flares in the bottom photo. I was using a Nikon F SLR with a 50mm lens.

Ubehebe Crater / Camp Site

Ubehebe Crater - Death Valley  1976

Vehicle, Rocks, Mountains - Death Valley  1976

So, I remember nothing about this trip, but the top photo of Ubehebe Crater is proof that we visited Death Valley. 

I'm thinking that the vehicle in the bottom photo is my trusty Chevrolet Vega parked in a secluded desert spot, possibly in the Red Hill / Fossil Falls area.  Probably we camped there.

Desert Hills

Cloud, Desert Hills - Death Valley  1976

Cloud, Desert Hills - Death Valley  1976

I've been scanning some 1976 negatives recently and found some interesting desert scenes, evidently taken by me in the first quarter of 1976.

I don't remember the trip! I think that my brother Joe and I took a quick excursion northeast from Los Angeles to some of our favorite spots in Owens and Death Valleys. I've listed the location of these photos as Death Valley . . . they certainly look Death Valley-ish.

Happy New Year

Zabriskie Point - Death Valley  2020

For New Year's Day 2025 I posted a foreboding image of Death Valley. Here's another one, taken with a Nikon D90.

Death Valley Road

Death Valley Road - Owens Valley  2025

No Snow Removed - Owens Valley  2025

Drove up, parked the car, got out and walked around.

Zabriskie Point / Sand Dunes

Zabriskie Point - Death Valley  2010

Sand Dunes, Overcast - Death Valley  2010

Some of these have been posted before, but in color. Wanted to see what they looked like in black and white.

Highway 190 West (Death Valley)

Highway 190 West - Death Valley  2010

Continuing with yesterday's theme. 

Happy New Year

Road, Rain - Death Valley 2010

Photo taken April, 2010 with a Nikon D90 DSLR.

Panamint Valley (Death Valley 2010)

Panamint Valley Road - Death Valley  2010

Snow Flurries - Death Valley  2010

I woke up to the sound of rain on the camper shell. A quick breakfast and then I was on the road towards Lone Pine in Owens Valley. As I gained elevation I pulled off the road at one point, got out and was greeted by the clittering of small ice pellets bouncing off the pavement. 

Telephone Poles (Death Valley 2010)

Telephone Poles, Highway 190, Rain - Death Valley  2010

Telephone Poles, Rain - Death Valley  2010

I had often driven by these telephone poles before, and wanted to stop for a photograph, but I was always stymied by clear skies and unflattering light. However, this time I was lucky - I got dark overcast skies and rain, sometimes snow.

Dante's View (Death Valley 2010)

Dante's View - Death Valley  2020

Salt Flats from Dante's View - Death Valley  2020

Iconic view. As you'll recall, Mos Eisley is located there in the original Star Wars film. 

"A wretched hive of scum and villainy," according to Obi-Wan.

Hills (Death Valley 2010)

Hills (vert) - Death Valley  2010

Hills (horiz) - Death Valley  2010

The hills in back of the Texas Springs Campground are curiously spongy and friable. One sinks into the crumbly soil at each step, but when looking back there are no footprints.

Curious, as I said.

Zabriskie Point (Death Valley 2010)

Zabriskie Point - Death Valley  2010

Zabriskie Point Hills - Death Valley  2010

Early morning. I shot the hills photo from the Zabriskie Point parking lot.

Michael Antonioni made a movie titled "Zabriskie Point" in 1970. Roger Ebert didn't like it:

"This is such a silly and stupid movie, all burdened down with ideological luggage it clearly doesn't understand, that our immediate reaction is pity."

Dunes (Death Valley 2010)

Dunes, Branch - Death Valley  2010

Dunes, Clouds - Death Valley  2010

Photos taken around 10:00 AM. It was interesting to view the dunes during an overcast sky.

Monday Rabbit Blogging

Jackrabbit - Death Valley  2010

Walking around the desert hills surrounding the Texas Springs campground.

Sandstorm (Death Valley 2010)

Sandstorm, Clouds - Death Valley  2010

Sandstorm and Clouds - Death Valley  2010

It seems that the last time I was in Death Valley was in April, 2010. I was using a Nikon D90 DSLR at the time. I remember being pushed around by the wind as I took some photos of the sandstorm taking place in the valley below. 

I guess that I should consider going back, but I'd be worried about the crowds. 

Campground - Death Valley  2010

Sage, Hills (Death Valley 1984)

Sage, Hills, Clouds - Death Valley  1984

Sage, Hills - Death Valley  1984

As I've said before, I label all desert plants as "sage," even though that's most likely not correct.

It's interesting that there are no 35mm negatives taken on this trip. Just medium format film. I should have brought my Olympus OM-1 SLR, but I didn't. 

Dry Lake Bed (Death Valley 1984)

Rocks, Lake Bed - Death Valley  1984

Rocks, Lake Bed, Mountains - Death Valley  1984

I'd like to think that these photos were taken at the famous "Racetrack" in Death Valley. But probably not, since the celebrated moving rocks there are not on any of the other photos on the roll. 

Also, I guess you can notice in the above photos that one sky is clear, and the other one has clouds. This is the result of my experimenting with Photoshop's sky replacement feature. I wouldn't consider using it on a regular basis, but the skies in the scans definitely needed help, being completely covered in dust spots and scratches. The replacement skies were too digitally perfect, so I had to add some digital noise to them.

Below, a 1977 35mm photo definitely taken at the Racetrack.

Rock, Racetrack - Death Valley  1977

Sand Dunes (Death Valley 1984)

Sand Dunes, Clouds - Death Valley  1984

Sand Dunes, Plants - Death Valley  1984

Probably taken in early morning (best time to avoid footprints).