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Manly Lake, Mountains and Clouds

“Manly Lake, Mountains and Clouds” — Distant desert mountains and clouds reflected in the surface of Manly Lake, Death Valley.

 

Lake Manly, the ancient body of water that occasionally reestablishes itself on the floor of Death Valley in wet years, has many moods. Before sunrise or at sunset, if there are clouds, it can reflect intensely colorful light from the sky.. As sunlight strikes the peaks of the Panamint Range, their golden light colors the water. Later in the day, especially if it is hazy, the scene can become soft and pastel.

 

On this winter solstice morning we began photographing before sunrise and continued through all of the light phases. I made this photograph after the warm sunrise light had dissipated, and when haze made blue the predominant color. The symmetry of the reflections abstracts the shapes of mountains and clouds.

 

gdanmitchell.com

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Uploaded on December 30, 2025
Taken on December 21, 2025