My Photo Guides

The Advantages of Winter Light A while back I noticed that some photos I took of sand dunes in Death Valley looked particularly good. I suspected that it was the compass direction of the sun: it was shining at an angle close to the orientation of parallel ridges, so undulations in the dunes were showing some nice highlights and shadows. I tested the concept on following trips when the sun was at a similar compass angle, and that didn't seem to fully explain what was great about the original light and images. Recently I was calculating what size and placement of overhang would be necessary to provide passive solar energy: to shade a window in the summer, while allowing sunlight to stream in and heat the house in the winter. The results explained a lot. In the summer here at about 38 degrees latitude the sun gets about 76 degrees high. In December close to the winter solstice, it only gets 30 degrees high. I live in the Eastern Sierra, and the sun elevation is within a degree in the ...

After Google+ I'm so sorry to see Google+ closing down in early April instead of August. I don't know how often I'll get back here in the next few weeks. It's been great interacting with you all over the last few years, and I hope to see you all on the other social media platforms and image sharing services that we use. Jeff Sullivan Web site: http://www.JeffSullivanPhotography.com Prints: https://jeffsullivan.smugmug.com/ Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreysullivan/ Instagram @jeffsullivanphotography Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JeffSullivanPhotography Twitter @jeffsullphoto, @DSLRastronomy YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/JeffSullivanPhoto Photography workshops: http://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/blog/landscape-photography-workshop-calendar/ #landscapephotography #photographyworkshops #deathvalley #signalflare

Anticipating Optimal Dune Lighting Via Sun Position In the absence of interesting weather, are there optimum lighting conditions on certain dates and times to photograph some sand dunes? One of the advantages of going to the same place over and over again over time is that you can see how the light can change in a seasonal way, and you also run across unique lighting associated with a specific angle of the sun. As photographers, we have...(continued on my blog): http://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/blog/2018/11/19/anticipating-sun-sand-dune-lighting/ #landscapephotography #DeathValley #NationalPark #California

Geminid Meteor Shower in Death Valley My next Death Valley workshop is coming up December 10 - 14. We'll be pursuing landscape and night photography in the park, including the Geminid meteor shower! http://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/blog/death-valley-photography-workshop-2013/ This image is from last year's Geminids in December 2017. #landscapephotography #astrophotography #deathvalley #nationalpark #nightphotography #california

Windy Death Valley Dunes In September Outdoor Photographer Magazine had a "Monochrome Magic" theme for one of their Assignments, so I produced my first black and white conversion for this Death Valley image, using Adobe Lightroom, then On1 Silver Efex 2. It won! https://www.outdoorphotographer.com/blog/monochrome-magic-assignment-winner-jeff-sullivan/ My next Death Valley workshop is coming up next month, December 10 - 14: http://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/blog/death-valley-photography-workshop-2013/ #landscapephotography #California #DeathValley #nationalpark #blackandwhite

Death Valley Wildflowers 2017 I've photographed over two dozen wildflower species in Death Valley National Park so far this month. Last year's superbloom delivered a bumper crop of seeds, which multiplied the rodent population, and that has resulted in more sidewinder rattlesnakes than I've seen in the park before. Watch where you step! I followed a couple of the tracks, but was not able to catch up with any of the snakes. www.jeffsullivanphotography.com #deathvalley #nationalpark #landscapephotography #California #photographyworkshops

2017 Death Valley Photography Workshops So far I'm planning two trips for spring wildflowers, two for fall: Mar 1 - 5 - Death Valley Spring Landscapes & Night Photography Mar 22 - 26 - Death Valley Spring Landscapes & Night Photography Nov 16 - 19 - Death Valley Landscape & Night Photography - Leonid Meteor Shower Dec 9 - 13 - Death Valley Landscape & Night Photography - Geminid Meteor Shower Here's my Death Valley workshop overview page: http://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/blog/death-valley-photography-workshop-2013/ I'll get a blog post up shortly with info on the ones in March, and add that link here. I live 3 hours from the park, and I've been exploring Death Valley several times per year for eleven years! If you can't join me but want to explore the park, my 320-page guidebook “Photographing California Vol. 2 – South” includes 40+ locations in Death Valley. #deathvalley   #photographyworkshops   www.JeffSullivanphotography.com

Joshua Trees at Sunset I don't usually think of Joshua trees as a "cloud forest" species, but in the winter when they get most of their moisture, a lot of them live up where they are in the clouds of oncoming storms. Although they are clearly a desert species, it's high desert, and much of the moisture falls as snow. This lengthens the time when the moisture can soak into the soil. Joshua trees are an indicator species for the Mojave Desert ecosystem. They have been declining in geographical extent for thousands of years. One contributing factor may be the extinction of the giant ground sloth, which spread Joshua tree seeds, but disappeared around the time that humans arrived on the continent. As climate change shortens winters and raises snow levels, that may accelerate their decline. www.JeffSullivanPhotography.com #joshuatrees   #landscapephotography   #DeathValley   #MojaveDesert

More Photos from Death Valley in April In April I could see a storm front approaching in the weather forecast.  Daytime high temperatures would drop into the 80s.  So I threw my camera and camping gear into the car, and headed to the park with a list of the sites I wanted to explore or revisit next, to deliver in the SNAPP Guides app.   I hiked to a natural bridge, and enjoyed great views with sunlight streaming through clouds.  I explored an old mining town site, and found wildflowers thriving at higher elevations than on past visits. Two jets saw me with my camera on the edge of a canyon, and they took two passes each way, angling sharply up right in front of me so I could get a great shot.  On one evening, I caught a sandstorm over Mesquite Flat Dunes, back-lit with golden sunlight by the setting sun.   On the way home, sunset light was lighting up rain showers at MonoLake.  It was an eventful and productive trip.  I can't wait to return!   http://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com...

Sunset Dust Storm Over Mesquite Flat Dunes Sunday evening in Death Valley National Park, California. It was interesting trying to cook dinner over a fire in that wind! #deathvalley #nationalpark #landscapephotography Death Valley Workshops

Death Valley Wildflower Updates Mid-March A few photos from last week to compare with early March conditions shown here:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-sullivan/death-valley-wildflower-s_b_9465318.html #deathvalley   #superbloom   #california   #landscapephotography  

Death Valley's Other Superbloom: Insects The "super bloom" of flowers in Death Valley has created a corresponding rise in insect life as well! I've added a few insect macro photos to the front of my iPhone 6S+ album. #macrophotography #iphone6splus #iphoneography #deathvalley #olloclip

Top 10 Death Valley Wildflower Super Bloom Sites Matching recent photos to the recommended places: http://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/blog/2016/03/12/death-valley-wildflower-super-bloom-sites-2016/ #deathvalley   #wildflowers #superbloom2016   #landscapephotography   #visitcalifornia

Death Valley Wildflower "Super Bloom" Sites 2016 How accurate did the Park's reports turn out to be upon arrival?  Pretty darned good.  Here are my photos to go with their reports:  http://www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/blog/2016/03/12/death-valley-wildflower-super-bloom-sites-2016/ #superbloom2016   #deathvalley   #landscapephotography   #wildflowers

Death Valley Last Week Had a great workshop during the "super bloom" in Death Valley last week!  I've started a new Death Valley album for 2016 photos, over on my Death Valley Workshops page.  The album is up to 55 photos so far, heavily weighted towards the current wildflower conditions of course, and I'll add more as I get them processed. I'll also get a trip report up on my blog, to discuss specific locations. #deathvalley   #superbloom2016   #landscapephotography   #California   Originally shared by Death Valley Workshops New Death Valley 2016 Album I'll start this album off with a few photos captured from my landscape photography workshop during Death Valley's "super bloom" last week, then add photos from my February wildflower preview trip as well. www.JeffSullivanPhotography.com #deathvalley   #landscapephotography   #photographyworkshop   #superbloom2016  

Death Valley "Super Bloom" Last week The wildflower bloom was still going strong in Death Valley last week, in both density and variety.  In the last shot for example, you can see Desert Gold (Geraea canescens) and Caltha-leaf Phacelia (Phacelia calthifolia) , with Brown-Eyed Evening Primrose (Camissonia claviformis) and white Gravel Ghost (Atrichoseris platyphylla).  You can see some pink Purple Mat (Nama demissum) in there as well. I'm gradually adding to my album of Death Valley spring shots:  https://plus.google.com/photos/107459220492917008623/albums/5831194499079947137 #deathvalley   #superbloom   #landscapephotography  

iPhone 6S+ Samples: Added 20+ from Death Valley Sometimes grabbing a mobile phone is more convenient than changing lenses in a dusty, pollen-filled environment. I can also use accessory lenses without the complications of getting dust on my sensor. I've added a couple of dozen new photos to my iPhone 6S+ album on Google Photos so you can see some of the shots I've tried it on lately. #iphoneography   #deathvalley #superbloom #landscapephotography #macro #photography #photographyworkshops https://goo.gl/photos/wzyvEphsUmA2CFJJA

Desert Gold Sunrise Sunrise along lower Warm Spring Canyon Road during my Death Valley Superbloom 2016 photography workshop last week. #deathvalley #superbloom2016 #photographyworkshop #landscapephotography

Desert Gold Captured during my Death Valley workshop last week. People said that the bloom was on decline here.  Maybe so, but it's still hundreds of times better than a normal year, so a week earlier's "better" conditions are irrelevant! #superbloom2016   #deathvalley   #photographyworkshop   #landscapephotography

Death Valley Super Bloom Sunrise Sunrise during my Death Valley workshop March 2. #deathvalley   #superbloom #photographyworkshop #landscapephotography