All posts by : Jeff

Located in Death Valley, the sand dunes at Mesquite Flats are exemplary of the beauty and solitude of this wasteland.  Hiking through sand dunes is challenging and searching for the perfect dunes that I had envisioned required patience and perseverance.  This scene was created somewhere in the middle of the dune field on a dark moonless night during springtime when temperatures are still reasonable.  The softly lit curves of the dunes contrast with the jaggedness of the surrounding mountains.  The dreamy sky featuring the Milky Way and planet Jupiter is the result of the nearly transparent scattered clouds that occasionally appeared.

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The beauty of Big Bend National Park changes throughout the year.  Winter brings a serenity that few experience in this expansive park.  Lower humidity brings a particular brilliance to the dark skies with many more stars visible than one typically sees in the warmer months.  In this simple scene, the hypnotic star trails around Polaris are the focal point.  The desert landscape in silhouette highlights the rugged skyline.  The shape, color, and texture of the barren Ocotillo add interest and depth to the scene. 

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Tucked away in a rocky canyon in the Nevada desert lies Nelson Ghost Town.  The affable owners have done a fine job tending to the many buildings and vehicles, some of which date back more than a century.  I had been planning a visit for more than a year and I was psyched to photograph this World War II era gas station.  The classic Cadillac is the star of the show.  It was light painted along with the foreground and garage to create a nostalgic appearance.  This angle and crop were chosen to create depth and to draw attention to the smaller but interesting artifacts around the garage.  The blue sky sets off the warmer colors of the foreground.  The interior lighting creates additional intrigue and balances the composition.

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Fires, wind, and rain over millennia sculpt the shapes and textures of the desert badlands.  The removal of extraneous rock and dirt often exposes strange and delightful rock formations.   In this scene, the foreground rocks rest on fragile pedestals while the hoodoos add height.  Light painting enhances the textures while drama is created by dark shadows.  The circular lines of the star trails contrast with the softer irregular shapes and patterns of the earth below.  The cold blue sky with a hint of purple contrasts pleasantly with the warm earth tones.

View the piece on my web site here: https://lightpaintingjeffmaresh.com/product/moon-dance/

It had been a trip I had planned to the remote high country of the Colorado for several years.  The summer monsoon storms had rolled through in the afternoon bringing heavy thunderstorms.  Late evening brought clearing skies.  The trees, grasses and wildflowers were brilliant and at their peak for the season at this abandoned gold mining camp.  The collapsing and contorted cabin created a nice focal point in the scene while the setting moon provided dramatic lighting of the landscape and clouds.

View the piece on my web site here: https://lightpaintingjeffmaresh.com/product/moon-dance/

Big Bend National Park is located in a remote area of west Texas on the border of Mexico.  The views of the rolling desert hills and austere landscape are grand.  The heavens at night are stunning.  Near the Rio Grande River lies the fragile remains of a hard working cotton farmer’s house.  The interesting textures and earth tones of decaying adobe brick, plaster, and hand hewn cottonwood timbers are the highlight of this simple scene.  The harsh desert with a few creosote bushes is visible through the window.  The faint winter Milky Way can be seen in the sky.

View the piece on my web site here: https://lightpaintingjeffmaresh.com/product/tranquil-desert/

This complex scene is intriguing during the day with its bright white ground and pedestals, and yellow orange cap rocks.  It comes alive at night when painted with light.  The rich patterns and textures of the various land features caused by erosion are amplified by using the entire tonal range.  The dreamy sky features star trails with the Milky Way in the center.  The pink color of the wispy clouds and purple sky were caused by smoke from distant wildfires.  Too much smoke causes hazy skies.  On this night it was just perfect to create this pleasing effect.

View the piece on my web site here: https://lightpaintingjeffmaresh.com/product/preeminent/

This portrait of an antique pickup truck was created in the parched Nevada desert.  It was light painted to set off the many details of its utilitarian design as well as its charming character caused by time, the searing sun, and frequent dusty winds.  The setting moon provides rich backlighting on both the subject and desolate landscape.  The rugged hills and canyon below provide a frame of reference for where this truck lived and worked.  The cold moonlight, turquoise truck, and blue sky convey a tranquil mood.

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Agave plants can be found in many brutal desert environments.  Its best known for being the primary ingredient of tequila made by fermenting the sugars from its massive heart after harvest.  At the end of its life in the wild, agaves send up a single mast which can grow to the height of a two story building.  On a dark and stormy summer night in Big Bend National Park, I photographed this individual with its bright yellow green flowers against the indigo night sky.  It wasn’t until after I returned home and was processing the images that I noticed the song bird roosting on one of the branches.  She helps add interest and scale to the scene.

The link to Last Gasp on my web site is here: https://lightpaintingjeffmaresh.com/product/last-gasp/

This scene was created on one of the popular trails in Bryce Canyon National Park.  The dimly lit location became vibrant by light painting.  A sense of depth is created by the foot trail leading through the scene, along with the trees and various pinnacles.  A setting half-moon provided the interesting shadows on the foreground embankment.  Cool colored conifers and an azure sky contrast nicely with the warm tones of the terrain.  The subtleness of the curved star trails around Polaris is a result of the moonlit sky.

The link to Invitation on my web site is here: https://lightpaintingjeffmaresh.com/product/invitation/