This last weekend I joined a photographers group up in Joshua Tree National Park, led by Ralph
Nordstrom. A group of about 20 of us camped in the Cottonwood Springs Campground near the southern entrance to the Park.
Cottonwood Springs lies within the Colorado desert which has too low of an elevation to host Joshua trees, but there are plenty of Creosote bush,
Ocotillo and
Cholla cactus to get poked with.
The evening I arrived, I took a hike behind the campground with several of the other photographers. It was a fun group of people who loved to take pictures even more than I do.
Our fearless leader himself, Ralph
Nordstrom!
On Saturday morning Ralph got everybody up at 4:30 am to go out on a sunrise shoot. I must admit in my groggy state, I almost stayed in my sleeping bag. The reward for getting up was well worth missing a few hours sleep!
The
Cholla Gardens are uniquely beautiful in
their own way; prickly, twisted cactus with a bite; sort of like a few people I know.
Late Saturday afternoon, Paul led us on a hike out past the Wall Street Mill into the Wonderland of Rocks. The old cars are slowly returning back to the earth, but look so poetic rusting away in the sand.
After scrambling over massive boulders, around spiny cactus, deep ravines and sandy trails we arrived at the top of this massive rock mountain to watch the sun set.
Alan and
Mongo adjusting their cameras in the fading light. At times I felt like a little
Chiwawa with my baby point and shoot camera, out there with all the big dogs and their fancy SLR cameras. But even little dogs can take pictures.
Everyone scrambled around the rocks, hauling their heavy tripods around, taking photos of the landscape and talking shop. Unfortunately, I left my tripod in my office and had to use the boulders as a makeshift tripod. But I did remember my toothbrush!
After sunset we started back down the trail, which really
wasn't a trail at all but a giant slab of rock. It was such a beautiful place but unfortunately I probably won't be able to find it again.
Lone Juniper standing strong.
Chuck taking picture of lone Juniper standing strong.
Evening color in the rocks. The desert seems to glow at sunrise and sunset.
Early morning sunrise shot; Alan was sweet enough to loan me his tripod....thank you Alan!
Me staring at
the camera as
Mongo takes my picture in one of my favorite places in California; Joshua Tree National Park.
This last weekend I joined a photographers group up in Joshua Tree National Park, led by Ralph Nordstrom. A group of about 20 of us camped in the Cottonwood Springs Campground near the southern entrance to the Park.
Cottonwood Springs lies within the Colorado desert which has too low of an elevation to host Joshua trees, but there are plenty of Creosote bush, Ocotillo and Cholla cactus to get poked with.
The evening I arrived, I took a hike behind the campground with several of the other photographers. It was a fun group of people who loved to take pictures even more than I do.
Our fearless leader himself, Ralph Nordstrom!
On Saturday morning Ralph got everybody up at 4:30 am to go out on a sunrise shoot. I must admit in my groggy state, I almost stayed in my sleeping bag. The reward for getting up was well worth missing a few hours sleep!
The Cholla Gardens are uniquely beautiful in their own way; prickly, twisted cactus with a bite; sort of like a few people I know.
Late Saturday afternoon, Paul led us on a hike out past the Wall Street Mill into the Wonderland of Rocks. The old cars are slowly returning back to the earth, but look so poetic rusting away in the sand.
After scrambling over massive boulders, around spiny cactus, deep ravines and sandy trails we arrived at the top of this massive rock mountain to watch the sun set.
Alan and Mongo adjusting their cameras in the fading light. At times I felt like a little Chiwawa with my baby point and shoot camera, out there with all the big dogs and their fancy SLR cameras. But even little dogs can take pictures.
Everyone scrambled around the rocks, hauling their heavy tripods around, taking photos of the landscape and talking shop. Unfortunately, I left my tripod in my office and had to use the boulders as a makeshift tripod. But I did remember my toothbrush!
After sunset we started back down the trail, which really wasn't a trail at all but a giant slab of rock. It was such a beautiful place but unfortunately I probably won't be able to find it again. 
Lone Juniper standing strong.
Chuck taking picture of lone Juniper standing strong.
Evening color in the rocks. The desert seems to glow at sunrise and sunset.
Early morning sunrise shot; Alan was sweet enough to loan me his tripod....thank you Alan!
Me staring at the camera as Mongo takes my picture in one of my favorite places in California; Joshua Tree National Park.