Terry Heggy
Death Valley National Park is a land of extremes. Straddling the California–Nevada border, it’s not that far from SaddleBrooke. Eleven intrepid members of the SaddleBrooke Photography Club (and a few hearty companions) popped over in early February. Despite the intimidating name, Death Valley seems very much alive, featuring colorful vistas and snow-capped mountains—giving our eyes and cameras plenty of breathtaking images to enjoy and capture.
Photo Club members who made the trip included Bob Shea, Susan Dinga, Bruce Twining, Byron and Sharon Cotter, Rodger Bivens, Oz Saunders, Sylvia Kirk, Mark Guinn, Daniel LaCroix, and Bruce Hale. The sites they explored include Artists Pallet, Dante’s View, Zabriskie Point, Mesquite Sand Dunes, Mosaic Canyon, Ubehebe Crater, and abandoned mining ruins. And in addition to sharing the fine company and enjoying the landscape together, Photography Club trips always include plenty of technique tips and artistic viewpoints offered by both experienced shutterbugs and newbies looking to develop their creative toolbox for the visual arts.
If that sounds good to you, please come to any of our meetings as listed on the calendar page of the photosb.org website. You’ll be welcomed and invited to future trips, such as the Bird Photography field trip on March 12. This is a great time of year for such a trip, because winter birds should still be around, while some migrants will arrive for spring.
On March 18 we’ll be doing a “night sky” photography trip—away from city lights in a spot where landscapes merge with the stars to offer chances for inspiring pictures of the Milky Way and other celestial beauty. As with each Photography Club field trip, we’ll get together beforehand to discuss tips and methods to get the best photos when the stars are sparkling above the desert.
In April our photo field trip to the Tucson Botanical Gardens will provide chances to capture images of the amazing plants on display there. And in our general club meeting on April 11, we’ll share photos from each of these field trips. Even if you don’t consider yourself a photographer, you are welcome to attend the free meeting in the Coyote Room to admire the artistic creations your neighborhood friends share on the room’s big screen.
To learn more, email photosb.org@gmail.com or drop by any of our meetings. We’d love to have you join us on these friendly adventures!