I drove out west in October to some new places and some re-visited. 6000 miles roundtrip! I decided to drive because I took 3 cameras with me and that was not going to work in the overhead compartment.
Most of the images here were shot on film and developed by me. I have always enjoyed the look of black and white, and the film I chose on this trip was Tmax 400.
Cameras used:
Chamonix 4x5 large format film, Pentax 67II medium format film, Nikon Z8 digital.
Note - descriptions throughout sourced from National Park information.
In Joshua Tree NP the trees are unique and are actually in the Yucca genus. It is confined mostly to the Mojave Desert between 400 and 1,800 m elevation. Molten liquid, heated by the continuous movement of Earth’s crust, oozed upward and cooled while still below the surface. These plutonic intrusions are a granitic rock called monzogranite. After the arrival of the arid climate of recent times, flash floods began washing away the protective ground surface. As they were exposed, the huge eroded boulders settled one on top of another, creating those impressive rock piles we see today.
The Ocotillo is a plant indigenous to the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, Chihuahuan Desert and Colorado Desert in the Southwestern United States, and northern Mexico. While semi-succulent and a desert plant, Ocotillo is more closely related to the tea plant and blueberries than to cactuses. I really enjoy the look. Interestingly they only leaf out when there is enough moisture unlike our trees/shrubs which follow a spring/winter cycle.Those spines are like steel. Danger!
Cholla cactus. Don’t brush up against these!
Death Valley NP - When I was there the temperature was low 90s high 80s. The best months are December through February if hot temps are the concern. There is much to explore and I have to say my 2 1/2 days there is really just a primer. I plan to go back at some point and do a deeper dive. This image for me characterizes Death Valley. The salt flats in Badwater Basin (-282 feet below sea level) cover nearly 200 square miles. The source of Badwater’s salts is Death Valley’s drainage system of 9,000 square miles—an area larger than New Hampshire. Rain falling on distant peaks creates floods that rush ever lower. Along the way, minerals dissolve from rocks and join the flood. Here, at the lowest elevation, floods come to rest, forming temporary lakes. As the water evaporates, minerals concentrate until only the salts remain. After thousands of years, enough salts have washed in to produce layer upon layer of salt crust.
Towering 5,575 ft above Badwater Basin, on the ridge of the Black Mountains, Dantes View is a favorite spot for photographers. The road to get there had some serious elevation changes and grades! Shot on Provia 100F film.
Closeup of the Basin on the right.
The spectacular views from Zabriskie Point are some of the most photographed in Death Valley National Park. Named in honor of Christian Zabriskie, a prominent figure in the heyday of the Pacific Coast Borax Company, Zabriskie Point affords an elevated vista from which to marvel at the badlands below. These yellow and brown stripped hills have been shaped by the powerful force of water, and even during dry times, the path carved by this water is unmistakable. Gazing beyond the badlands, views of the salt flats covering the floor of Death Valley are visible in the distance, with the hulk of the Panamint Mountains towering above.
Digital image with Nikon Z8
Zion Cottonwoods in color against sandstone and water never gets old
Watchman
Monument Valley iconic landscapes - West and East “Mittens” and the Three Sisters on the right.
No doubt time of day and perspective change the landscape. Cloudy day on left, and a spectacular sunset on Provia 100F film. Important note - the sunset color is as shot.
Monument Valley - 17 images stitched together for the panorama! Suitable for framing I think.