Landscape Photography Lessons From the Desert- Part 3

This is part 3 of 3 of a series about landscape photography lessons from the desert. For more photography tips check out part 1 and part 2.

Sunset in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, Las Cruces, NM

Las Cruces, MN

I use several tools to "visit" an area that I know I will be going to. I try to get a feel of the landscape and brainstorm ideas for photos. I had only drive through Las Cruces on a grueling 16 hour drive, so I was not sure what the area had to offer. Google Maps is an obvious place to begin researching and I was excitedto see desert mountains surrounding the city. My next step was to google the names of places I saw and learn more about the area. Then internet is an amazing tool!

Photo Pills is another app I use to help plan trips. This app gives sunrise and sunset times, the direction of light (Lesson 2), and the phase and timing of the moon. This is a small list of what this app can show you. With a general idea in mind, it was time to put boots on the ground and see this area for myself.

Shifting Light
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument

I chose to explore the Organ Mountains- Desert Peaks National Monument, managed by the BLM. The spire like needles of the mountains spoke to me, plus I was facing the west side of the range, perfect for sunset. The first day I drove around, seeing the area and getting a feel for the lay of the land. The next afternoon I made my way to a recreation area to hike closer to the mountains and gain a new perspective.

Arriving hours before sunset allowed me to get a feel for the land well ahead of time. I spent some time hiking a trail and exploring. I spent some time taking photos while the sun continued it's journey westward. As the light grew warmer and more soft, I headed out to rush to an area I had driven earlier. I knew I wanted the winding desert road to serve as a leading line into the mountains. The scouting, the light and the weather all came together. Lesson 3 from the desert; Scout compositions ahead of time. 

Road to the Needles
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument

The next morning I decided to get up for sunrise and catch the light hitting the eastern face of the peaks. I had not been to the other side of the mountains but it was a nice, 30 minute drive from Las Cruces. Some quick, late night internet scouting revealed an area that looked promising. I set my alarm and prepared for an early morning.

Upon arriving, twilight returned to the face of the earth and I was leftscrambling over boulders, desperatelylooking for a composition. The conditions were decent and the scenery beautiful, but I failed in my attempt to capture the whole scene. I did not meet my goal for the morning. Bonus Lesson 4 from the desert; Even if you cant visit a location to scout, go out anyway! 

I experienced a beautiful sunrise, in a beautiful location, and enjoyed watching the moon set behind the rocky peaks of the Organ Needles. Even without the image I wanted, the experience alone was worth the trip.