Mobius Arch: Alabama Hills, California

Posted on Saturday, Feb 12, 2011

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The late, great landscape photographer, Galen Rowell lived in the Owens Valley north of the Alabama Hills. He often wrote about the special quality of light that characterized the Sierra Nevada Range. I used to dismiss this notion, attributing it to Galen’s love for the region, but the more time I spend here, the more I’ve come to believe it is true.

The Alabama Hills are famous among old movie buffs as the setting for numerous old westerns but I was here to photograph Mobius Arch, an arch that Galen brought to the attention of the photographic world years earlier. For much of the time since, there has been an effort to conceal its exact location in order to protect it. Now this is no longer the case; one can go to the local Forest Service office and pick up a map to Mobius and many of the other granite arches in the area.

Arriving at the arch before dawn, I was relieved to find that no one else was here. Being first on the scene in the morning is particularly important in the case of Mobius because there is only space for about three photographers to set up—and only one spot where Mt. Whitney is framed through the arch’s opening. I ended up having the arch to myself for my entire time here. Many are not that fortunate. Perhaps the secret is choosing a week day that is also New Year’s Eve.

[Click on a thumbnail to view the entire image.]

©2011 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.

Moon Over the Panamints: Death Valley, California

Posted on Saturday, Feb 5, 2011

Monday, December 29, 2008

I always try to schedule my trips around the phases of the moon. Shooting landscapes under a full moon can yield really fun results: stars over Delicate Arch; or a moonbow in the mist of Lower Yosemite Falls. But when it comes to photographing the moon itself, I prefer a narrow crescent over a fully illuminated disk. I find it makes for a more compelling photograph—if not a more difficult walk back to the truck.

This image was shot out on the salt flats of Death Valley as dusk turned to night and the moon set behind the Panamints. While I prefer the sepia-tinted monochrome treatment of this image, the beautiful gradient in this slightly different comp makes a good argument for sticking with color.

©2011 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.

Mesquite Dunes: Death Valley, California

Posted on Saturday, Jan 29, 2011

Monday, December 29, 2008

Death Valley is considerably less hazy during the winter months as compared to spring—no doubt due to the lack of wind. Spring in the desert southwest is notorious for the wind; and while this probably sounds like an argument for visiting during the winter, it is definitely not for anyone who enjoys photographing track-free sand dunes. Being right outside Stovepipe Wells, the Mesquite Dunes get considerable traffic. Without a replenishing wind to “reset” them each evening, they often look about as pristine as the beach at Waikiki. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean they are devoid of photographic opportunities.

[Click on a thumbnail to view the entire image.]

©2011 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.

Golden Canyon Trail: Death Valley, California

Posted on Saturday, Jan 22, 2011

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The perfect chaser to a sunrise at Zabriskie Point is the hike down through the badlands into Death Valley proper. In the cool of the morning, this is an easy, downhill walk through one of the most beautiful areas in the park.

There are two routes to the bottom, both of which end up at the same place—the Golden Canyon trailhead. The shorter of the two routes, which split off from each other about a mile from the trailhead at Zabriskie Point, descends through Golden Canyon. This 2.7 mile hike is more open than the alternative route, yielding unforgettable views of distant vistas that are hidden when in Gower Gulch (see image #3).

The 3.3 mile Gower Gulch route winds through the bottom of a dramatic and very colorful canyon. I find Gower Gulch far more varied and interesting than Golden Canyon itself. The downside is that once the two routes split one does not re-emerge from Gower Gulch until arriving in Death Valley. Both routes are worthy but, on the whole, I prefer the Golden Canyon Trail route; it holds more appeal photographically.

It is worth noting that making either route work requires a way to get back up to Zabriskie Point—preferrably without walking.

[Click on a thumbnail to view the entire image.]

©2011 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.

Zabriskie Point: Death Valley, California

Posted on Saturday, Jan 15, 2011

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Death Valley is my winter happy place. When the days turn cold and gray, there is nowhere I’d rather be than here, exploring the many strange and colorful features that make up this stark desert landscape. And there is no desert vista more beautiful than Zabriskie Point with the sun peeking over the Funeral Mountains in the cool of early morning.

This series of three shots illustrates the drama that unfolds on a sunny morning at Zabriskie. The pre-dawn light paints these badlands in a deep pink which ultimately surrenders to the golden rays of sunrise—first on the Panamints along the western edge of Death Valley; then Manly Peak; and finally the many colorful mud hills that make up the immediate landscape.

[Click on a thumbnail to view the entire image.]

©2011 Timothy Linn. All Rights Reserved.