Desert Discoveries — Sam Folsom

Death Valley - February 2022

Mountains, woods, and the sea coast have been familiar destinations for many years, but aside from a backpacking trip to Canyonlands as a teenager, I have never spent any time in the desert. I finally got the chance to explore this arid landscape in February when I made a trip to Death Valley. Even with all of the desert photography I’ve seen, I was surprised at the varied terrain and endless visual richness. I had a narrow impression of the desert landscape, and I was delighted to be able to expand my awareness.

I very much enjoy exploring a new place on my own, but with my inexperience in the desert and only a few days to get away, I decided to join a photography workshop for my first exposure to Death Valley. I have been impressed and inspired by the writings and photographic artwork of Guy Tal, who focuses primarily on the desert Southwest, and I had the good fortune to participate in a workshop he runs with Michael E. Gordon, another accomplished photographic artist and experienced Death Valley guide. I recommend them highly and was captivated by their thoughts on creative expression and art. I was also pleased to find that their trip was less about trophy hunting and more about intimate exploration of the landscape.

For some, Death Valley is comprised of a handful of popular stops, including the easily accessible Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, and Mesquite Dunes. The attention to these sites is well deserved, but my hope was to experience more of what this national park has to offer and, for the popular locations, to challenge myself to see beyond postcard compositions. I was rewarded with an enriching five days that explored a variety of sites in the park, including several that are less well traveled. Of the most popular places, the sand dunes easily exceeded my expectations, with an astonishing wealth of visual experiences that changed by the minute and footstep. On the other hand, the limits of my creative vision were sadly exposed at Badwater Basin, where I spent a couple of late afternoon hours shooting what ended up being the same series of photos everyone else shoots at Badwater Basin. I enjoyed being there but was humbled that my images were not more inspired or expressive.

The plant life and narrow canyons were two revelations from Death Valley. While this national park’s grand landscapes are renowned, I discovered that the humble bushes, which seem to have a tenuous existence at best, were part of a thriving ecosystem that offers wonderful subject matter for compositions. I confess ignorance when it comes to the names of desert vegetation, but from what I gather, most of what I saw was creosote bush, buckwheat, and manzanita. I was struck by how these parched, spindly plants persevered in the most inhospitable environments and how they provided such captivating visual and metaphorical contrasts in the valley of death. And the fact that the plants I encountered with my camera included almost no classic cactus made this discovery even more interesting. I created a number of images that I felt represented the unique existence of the desert flora, but I also realized it was a subject I needed to explore another time with more focused attention and thought.

In the same vein, Death Valley’s canyons captured my attention but also left me thinking about a return visit at a slower pace, armed with new-found familiarity with the light and geology. While these were nominally slot canyons, they appeared quite different from the widely photographed slot canyons of Arizona and Utah with their signature red sandstone. I explored Mosaic Canyon and the more remote Marble Canyon, which are deep and narrow, with dramatic, undulating walls of limestone and marble and various layers of sedimentary rock. These hikes were fascinating and had me deeply engaged with the curving lines and contrasts in tone and texture. My excitement with the experience of photographing these canyons was tempered only slightly when I eventually reviewed my images. As is sometimes the case, most of the photos I made were largely underwhelming to me in that they did not convey the more artful forms, tones, and colors that I felt I saw. But I view that as a necessary step in growth and experience with this environment, and I look forward to returning.

I don’t necessarily measure the enjoyment or success of a photography expedition by the number of images I feel turned out well on final review, but the results from my three morning ventures into the sand dunes of Death Valley were inescapable. Unlike with the narrow canyons, the sand dune images I made not only matched my vision and experience on those early mornings, but in many cases surpassed my expectations. And there were a lot of dune photos I really enjoyed! Regardless of the light, the sand dunes are irresistible, sensuous, and incredibly engaging. Add in a stunning progression of subtle hues as pre-dawn gives way to sunrise - wondrous blues, magentas, yellows - and it makes for a very rich visual palette. This is of course no great revelation to anyone who has seen the sun rise in a dune field, but for a first-time visitor, it’s surprising and awe-inspiring.

Much of the magic in the dunes appears to come from the way the fine-grain sand reflects the sky light. The same composition can express dramatically different moods within a matter of minutes, as the changing light offers a remarkable evolution of colors and shapes. The terrain itself also presents near-endless possibilities. A few steps in almost any direction reveals new angles, sweeping curves, and mesmerizing ripples to contemplate and begin to compose. Even when the sun starts to get high in the sky, it’s hard to put the camera down. While some sites in Death Valley, namely Badwater Basin and Zabriskie Point, seem to produce a similar set of photographs, mine included, the sand dunes offer infinitely more variety for personal expression and interpretation. Standing a few feet from another photographer and facing in the same direction can produce vastly different sets of images, even discounting the variables of processing preferences.

I can do without a visit to Death Valley in the scorching summer months, but the more moderate temperatures and interesting light of winter put this national park high on my list of places to return and explore in depth. It’s a vast space - 3.4 million acres and the largest national park in the lower 48 states - which provides ample opportunities to visit more remote, less popular locations. Countless side roads beg for exploration, while stories of less-traveled dune fields and little-known canyons create a sense of urgency to return. I eagerly look forward to the next trip to Death Valley, armed with my introductory experience and faced with so many landscapes to discover.