John Holbrook
Well-Known Member
Thursday’s Task: Desert landscapes. My examples below:
Organ Pipe National Monument, AZ
Saguaro National Park, AZ
Thursday’s Task
- Thread starter John Holbrook
- Start date
Thursday’s Task: Desert landscapes. My examples below:
Organ Pipe National Monument, AZ
Saguaro National Park, AZ
dan swiger
Well-Known Member
Death Valley
ProCaliberTraveler
Well-Known Member
From a hike to the top of Eureka Dunes in Death Valley National Park:
Saline Valley, Death Valley National Park
East of Lone Pine, CA
Borrego Springs, CA
Saline Valley, Death Valley National Park
East of Lone Pine, CA
Borrego Springs, CA
I have a few of these.
Arches NP
Another from Arches NP
Capitol Reef NP
Arches NP
Another from Arches NP
Capitol Reef NP
BlackRockArt
Staff
John Holbrook
Well-Known Member
A wonderful variety of desert images Dan—I especially like the third and fourth images.
AlanLichty
Moderator
Moonlit Badwater - Death Valley:
Valley of Fire State Park, NV:
Bisti Badlands, NM:
San Rafael Swell, UT:
Zabriski Point, Death Valley:
Valley of Fire State Park, NV:
Bisti Badlands, NM:
San Rafael Swell, UT:
Zabriski Point, Death Valley:
John Holbrook
Well-Known Member
A great set of images—I love your first image from Eureka Dunes, very beautiful (and no footprints!). THE OOF foreground in the Lone Pine image was disconcerting at first—now I like the transition from this to the in-focus background.
John Holbrook
Well-Known Member
Jameel, very nice images—the first is my favorite. Love the colors and composition as well. The second image depicts a breath-taking view.
John Holbrook
Well-Known Member
Alan, a beautiful desert series you’ve shared. It’s difficult to choose a favorite from among these. I love the colors of the Zabriskie image with its warm foreground and cool sky. I like the partial moon in the San Rafael capture—I almost missed it. The great depth of field and muted blue colors in the Death Valley first image create a beautiful scene. The Valley of Fire scene with the winding road really works well in your composition—good colors too. I really like the Bisti Badlands image for its textures and composition as well.
The Maze
Marlboro Point
Skyline Overlook
Marlboro Point
Skyline Overlook
John Holbrook
Well-Known Member
Ben, you've shared an exceptional series of desert scenes––I can't choose a favorite, each is stunning! I will say I love the composition and colors in each and perfect camera viewpoint. Thank you for sharing.
ProCaliberTraveler
Well-Known Member
It’s something different. That was taken on the drive back to Bishop from a day in Saline Valley. A friend was driving while I snapped photos of the sunset, hence the blurry foreground.
As for Eureka Dunes, I made it to the top on my hands and knees. That slope was so steep, but the payoff was fantastic.
John Holbrook
Well-Known Member
Beautiful images Craig, I especially like the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh—yes, love them all!
John Holbrook
Well-Known Member
Jeffrey, thank you for sharing this perfect image—colors and composition are stunning.
Douglas Sherman
Staff
When I was teaching the desert section of my geology classes I would always start by asking my students to describe a desert. These students were college freshmen or sophomores who had lived most of their lives in Illinois and had never been to a desert. Their responses almost always included these features. Very little rainfall, dry barren lifeless expanses, very hot during the day and freezing at night, wind was a major cause of erosion, sand covered expanses, ... you get the drift. Then I would show them some images and ask if these were shot in a desert. I would show them images first which fit their descriptions and they would feel good about their responses.
Here are some of those images to which they gave emphatic yeses.
Death Valley from Dante's View.
Mesquite Flats Dunes.
Ventifact created by wind-blown sand near Palm Springs.
Then I would show them these images.
Organ Pipe Cactus with spring flowers.
Anza Borrego State Preserve
Death Valley 50 year bloom.
Then I would tell them that a desert has more evaporation than precipitation (Antarctica is a desert by this definition, that deserts are certainly not lifeless, that wind plays a very minor role in shaping desert landforms. and that sand covers less that 10% of all desert regions. Then I would ask them if the cactus below was typical of all deserts around the world. They would say yes and then I would tell them that it was only found in the Sonoran Desert of the southwest U S. I deduced that their knowledge of deserts was from watching Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner cartoons.
Here are some Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner Cartoons for your enjoyment.
Looney Tunes | Wile E Coyote & Roadrunner Compilation | WB Kids - Bing video
Here are some of those images to which they gave emphatic yeses.
Death Valley from Dante's View.
Mesquite Flats Dunes.
Ventifact created by wind-blown sand near Palm Springs.
Then I would show them these images.
Organ Pipe Cactus with spring flowers.
Anza Borrego State Preserve
Death Valley 50 year bloom.
Then I would tell them that a desert has more evaporation than precipitation (Antarctica is a desert by this definition, that deserts are certainly not lifeless, that wind plays a very minor role in shaping desert landforms. and that sand covers less that 10% of all desert regions. Then I would ask them if the cactus below was typical of all deserts around the world. They would say yes and then I would tell them that it was only found in the Sonoran Desert of the southwest U S. I deduced that their knowledge of deserts was from watching Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner cartoons.
Here are some Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner Cartoons for your enjoyment.
Looney Tunes | Wile E Coyote & Roadrunner Compilation | WB Kids - Bing video
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ProCaliberTraveler
Well-Known Member
Excellent story, Douglas. Since I moved to the high desert, I’ve learned that the desert is far from a lifeless, colorless hole. The colors are more subtle, but there are many of them. I’ve also learned the difference between the Mojave and Sonora deserts. Education never stops.
John Holbrook
Well-Known Member
Lovely desert images and an interesting story as well. I’ve learned much from FocalWorld members in these threads on a variety of subjects. The composition of the Dante’s View image is stunning—very nice. The Mesquite Flats Dunes image’s juxtaposition of warm and cool colors is beautiful. The colors of the Anza Borrego capture is especially nice as well. I hope your students were as appreciative of your beautiful images as we are!