Beautiful setting sun light on the foothills near Chatfield State Park in southern Denver. A winter’s chill in the crisp air but the warm sun felt good before night falls on Colorado.
Shadows on Death Valley Sand Dunes
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are at the northern end of the valley floor and are nearly surrounded by mountains on all sides. The primary source of the dune sands is probably the Cottonwood Mountains which lie to the north and northwest. The tiny grains of quartz and feldspar that form the sinuous sculptures that make up this dune field began as much larger pieces of solid rock. In between many of the dunes are stands of creosote bush on the sand and on dried mud, which used to cover this part of the valley before the dunes intruded.
Waking the Dragon
One can find some interesting locations while exploring the American West. I was resting in front of this phenomenal rock formation outside of the Valley of Fire allowing my imagination to run free. I stared deeply at the formation and began creating the story... an enormous curled up dragon was waking up from his deep slumber. He was fuming smoke as he was coming back to life before stretching out his wings and heading out for his nightly adventures… I love creating stories and seeing what is not apparent in nature's beautiful forms. If you are a creative and won’t let your imagination loose to roam, how will you create something new and wonderful?
Outside Looking in the Valley of Fire State Park
An early morning view into the Valley of Fire State Park in southern Nevada. A cool time to get a panorama of the park from it's south-west corner.
Red Rock Formations in the Nevada Desert
Islands of red rock formations can be found around the Valley of Fire. Teig and I love finding and exploring them in the evening when there are no tourists around. It also makes for fun landscape photography.
Colorado Traildog and his Sidekick
Working our modeling poses above 13,000 feet. We are striking the "Rocky Mountain High" pose for this photo. It is tough to look this awesome after hiking to the summit of a Colorado Peak.
Winding Road in Valley of Fire
One of the main features in Valley of Fire is the road winding through the wonderful rock formations. This is the main road looking south into the heart of the park.
Peaceful Night Drive in the Nevada Desert
We had a nice night of exploring the desert a couple of hours west of Las Vegas. The desert at night is so calm and serene with the critters coming out of hiding to do their business because of the difficult conditions of the hot daytime hours. The glow of Las Vegas can still be seen this far away at night.
Resting in Shade of the Red Sandstone
Teig was enjoying the cool shade provided by the Aztec Sandstone while we were hiking in the Valley of Fire State Park.
White Sandstone at Valley of Fire
Beautiful white sandstone distinctly contrasts with the red aztec sandstone at Valley of Fire in southern Nevada. The rich colors and textures make for a tasty treat for my eyes.
Red Rock Formations in Valley of Fire
The beautiful red rock formations are surrounding us for as far as the eye can see.
White Leading to Red
Beautiful white rock formations leading to Aztec Sandstone in the Valley of Fire. These formations were exposed where older rocks of Cambrian age (about 500 million years old) were pushed sideways on a thrust fault over younger rocks (Jurassic, about 160 million years old) of the Aztec Sandstone. The sandstone was originally laid down in a colossal, long-lived sandy desert much like today's Sahara. Before the area was a dry desert, it was an inland sea. The red color is from the presence of iron oxides in the sand.
Running to White Dome
Folks were hiking White Dome Loop in the Valley of Fire Park in southern Nevada. These kids were excited to see White Dome and were running down the sandstone formation leading their parents. I remember doing the same things when I was their age when my family visited national parks... I was always super excited. to tell the truth, I am still that way today.
The Dinosaurs Back
The beautiful red and white sandstone mixture in Valley of Fire Park in Nevada is awesome to witness in the golden hour. So many rock formations that wow the visitors. A desert landscape photographer's dream.
The Cabins in Valley of Fire
These are "The Cabins" in Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park. Three small rooms were built from the local sandstone in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), who did a lot of similar work in the parks and remote regions of the country during the Great Depression (“make work” projects, like trail and road construction). These cabins were used by travelers for camping stays in Valley of the Fire, but have been abandoned.
Valley of Fire Northern Vistas
The strong red sandstone formations in the Valley of Fire State Park in Southern Nevada. The Valley of Fire derives its name from red sandstone formations, believed to be the remains of a huge 150,000 square mile desert which existed in this region from about 192 to 178 million years ago.
Brittlebrush in the Valley of Fire
Valley of Fire Rock Formations at Night
Beautiful red rock formations on a winter's night in the Valley of Fire State Park in southern Nevada. Exploring the desert after dark is one of my favorite things and the beautiful rocks at the park make for great compositions at night under the stars. On this night, I was up exploring until 4 am in the morning getting some of those fun shots of the landscape under the night sky.
Joshua Trees as Moon Rises over Desert Mountains
I spent a fun couple of winter's nights in Joshua Tree National Natural Landmark outside St. George Utah. The evenings were cool and the stars and clouds made for some good night photography. The Joshua Trees really come alive when lighted by the moon or a flashlight. I spent a few hours every night shooting the landscape and stars. I really adore nights in the southwestern deserts.
Joshua Trees on Mojave Desert Floor
Cool Joshua Trees covering Joshua Tree National Natural Landmark. Yucca brevifolia is a plant species belonging to the genus Yucca. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca. The name "Joshua tree" is commonly said to have been given by a group of Mormon settlers crossing the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century: The tree's role in guiding them through the desert combined with its unique shape reminded them of a biblical story in which Joshua keeps his hands reached out for an extended period of time to guide the Israelites in their conquest of Canaan.