This is a continuation of a multiple part sunset shoot in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.
Serene Desert 5Serene Desert 6Desert Surf
The rock features here remind me of ocean waves and ripples on a shoreline.
Stage Light
A desert shrub stands as if on a stage in a spotlight as the late day desert light show begins.
Life on the Rocks
In a harsh, rocky, dry desert environment life finds a way to survive.
Life on the Rocks 2Rock Huggers
Desert vegetation staying close to the rocks. Is it because that is where the sand is deepest, where more water is available from run off from the rocks or is there more protection from the elements there? I suspect all of those are factors in desert life survival.
Serene Desert 7Serene Desert 8
Fin Rocks
These vertical rock protrusions remind me of fish fins.
This is a good place to end this post, but more of this sunset shoot to follow.
This sunset photo shoot will be presented in multiple posts.
Looking Sunward
These rocks seem to be looking towards the late day sun.
Rock River
The rock texture here looks like a river or spring flowing from beneath that little arch.
Rock Spring
Rock seems to be flowing like a spring from beneath the rock above it. There is even an eddy current or whirlpool near the left side of the rock spring.
Sand Generator
Rock makes sand, sand makes rock, cycle repeats.
Wonderful Geology
Interesting rock formations in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. I can imagine those cross cutting, linear features as veins feeding into a strange creature’s brain.
Shadow Remains
Life is gone from this desert bush, but it still casts a shadow upon the rock beside which it once thrived.
Serena Desert 3
Shadows lengthen as the peace of evening descends over Valley of Fire, Nevada.
Desert Serenity 4
A quiet, peaceful evening is fast approaching in Valley of Fire, Nevada.
Rock Fall
Rock texture mimics a waterfall.
Whirlpool
The rock fragments accumulated in the “whirlpool” like area of this rock feature look like debris swirling around at the base of a waterfall.
On our hike back to the parking lot, we took an obvious route towards a large feature that we had hiked past on our way in. This route went alongside the rock outcrop from which the Fire Wave is formed.
Fire Wall
That large rock feature towards which this outcrop points, is our destination for joining up with the official trail back to the parking lot.
Against the WallLaminar DesertThe Not So Grassy SlopeShadow Divide
Early morning shadow and light seem to be divided by the meeting of two different rock formations. The meeting of these two different rock deposits forms a low area, where sand accumulates and desert vegetation takes root.
Pebble Ridge
I noted many small pebbles accumulated in the ridges of this rock outcrop. Initially, I thought maybe tourist were tossing these into the grooves, but now I think it is a natural accumulation. Maybe strong winds blow the pebbles along the rock face until the pebbles drop into a place that is somewhat protected from the wind.
One of the better known and most popular geological features in Valley of Fire is The Fire Wave. The beginning of the hike to this feature is well marked and apparent, but the trail soon becomes not so apparent. We found a couple of others on the trail in the early morning of our visit , at least one of whom had been there previously, and he was confused about the trail, too.
We headed in opposite directions, wandered around for awhile, found a marker telling us we missed the trail, doubled back and eventually found our way to the Fire Wave.
The two we had separated from earlier had also found their way and another photographer had arrived before any of us. Those three were occupying the best vantage point for shooting the Fire Wave in the AM, so I shot from other directions, until those arriving first vacated their spots.
Fire Wave 1
The shadow of one photographer and his tripod can be seen in the lower center of this first image.
The Fire Wave, East Side
While waiting for the other photographers to finish their shooting, I wandered around to the east side of the feature to see what it looked like from there, making a couple of images.
Fire Wave, East Side 2Fire Wave
After the other photographers were satisfied with their shots, I moved into a better spot for shooting this feature. The Fire Wave is best shot at sunset, rather than sunrise, but then one has to deal with a crowd of folks, since most ordinary visitors do not get out at sunrise.
Photos from another sunset shoot in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. The day after the storm at sunset, we returned to the same area for another photo shoot. Some of the photos in this post are similar to the evening prior, but with different lighting and sky
The Day After The Storm 1The Day After The Storm 2The Day After The Storm 3Skyward TiltDesert GoldShadow Ravine
There was a late day storm on the eastern horizon during this cloudy, sunset shoot. Such desert storms contribute to the slow, but certain evolution of the rock features found here. These are a few of those images.
Relentless Evolution 2
I made many images, capturing the changes in the sky as the storm and the late day lighting progressed.
I hope the similarity of these images is not boring to the reader. It was fascinating to see how the sky changed with the storm’s advanced across the landscape and the subtle changes in the light on the landscape.
After a morning shoot, my son and I decided to take a short hike in another part of the park, before. the crowds of tourists began to get out and about.
Movie Set Remains
It is not surprising that this area is a popular one in which to film portions of western movies. The image above is of the remains of one of those movie sets.
Where Many Have Trodden
A portion of our early morning hike went through a slot type canyon. The many footprints in the sand indicates the number of people that have recently hiked this way.
Natural PathwayClosing InRock FeaturesThrough A Rock’s Eye
It was a cloudy, overcast morning for this outing in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.
Niche
I’m always amazed at how some desert shrubs can survive with very little in the way of actual soil in which to put down roots.
Rocky LifeScarred MonolithWill it Rain?Rock SpineOn The RocksRock PortalsRocky Little CanyonBeginning or Ending?
A narrow wash with an apparent dead end, but is it the end of this canyon in the making or is this wash continuing to grow into a canyon? I suspect erosion will continue at a very slow rate and this short, shallow wash will grow into a deeper and longer canyon over a geologic time interval.
Cholla Sentinel
This was supposed to be a sunrise shoot, but as one can see there was little sunshine early this morning.
