Beyond Lost Mine

Beyond Lost MineLost Mine Trail, Big Bend National Park, Texas This photograph was made beyond the commonly recognized end of the Lost Mine Trail. We began the hike at 3 a. m. with the goal of reaching the summit by sunrise, but heavy fog and cloud cover obscured the well known viewpoints. With the expected compositions unavailable, I moved away from the main overlook and began searching for smaller scenes along the surrounding terrain. From the top of the viewpoint,

Near Bandera

which preserves its quiet and its raw character

Moonrise events here can dramatically transform the scene

The conditions muted contrast across the landscape and softened the surrounding terrain

adaptable root systems designed to survive burial

I love placing cactus and subjects in the extreme foreground as well

their needles shift to warm shades of gold and copper before dropping into the river below

setting my tripod in place well ahead of time

arching over the canyon and reinforcing the sense that this place exists at the meeting point of deep earth and deep space

its petals catching the last warm light before the desert begins to cool

I wasn’t interested in whether the scene could exist exactly as shown

Light and dark