Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze - a photo on Flickriver

Lake Manly, Mountains, and Haze

            Blue morning haze softens the contours of desert mountains beyond Lake Manly, Death Valley.

Haze is a factor to be reckoned with when photographing in a vast landscape like Death Valley National Park. It is there even on “clear” days, and over long distances its effects can be substantial. Details are muted (especially in shadows), the colors shift toward blue, and atmospheric instability can make subjects literally shimmer. (That makes it virtually impossible to get sharp focus in some situations.) It used to leave me nonplused, but eventually I thought about how to use these characteristics — after all, they are part of the scene.

When I made this photograph it wasn’t just a matter of distance — the atmosphere actually was hazier than usual. In this interpretation of the subject I decided to embrace that haze and its softening effect on the distant mountains. This contrasts with the rather more stark contrasts between the foreground waters of Lake Manley and bits of darker land. But overall, the image retains that blue coloration that I mentioned above.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Taken on: March 20, 2024

Tags:

death valley

national

mountains

desert

arid

lake

manly

reflection

blue

haze

atmosphere

distance

salt

flat

playa

flooded

nature

landscape

travel

california

usa

north

america « less

Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R, f/11.0, 1/125 sec, 371mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 5DS R
Lens:	EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.008 sec (1/125)
Focal Length:	371mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 25.6 (Macintosh)
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