RAVEN SPRING PHOTO SAFARI - Joshua Tree N.P.

Had a busy and fulfilling photo trip to Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, Antelope Valley for poppies, and the California coast for some added diversity. There was lots of driving to distant locations, and I was a primary driver so I needed to get my rest more than getting the blog out. I have almost caught up with everything so here we go --

Monday, April 14th - Joshua Tree and the Lunar Eclipse:

Met up with the group at LAX as planned. It took a long time for Mark to get his car rental and we were finally off about 1400 for Joshua Tree National Park. We were slowed some with traffic, and finally made a lunch stop as most of the group had flown from the Chicago area and it had been a long time since their breakfast meal.

We drove directly to the Park for sunset on some of the wonderful boulders and framing with the Joshua trees. As the sun was setting we also had a full moonrise occurring. We returned to Yucca Valley to check into our motel, have dinner and dress a bit for Eclipse photography. The Eclipse was wonderful and we had a great view of it from inside the Park.

Evening Light, April 14

Full Moon Rise, April 14, 2014

Partial Phase of Eclipse

Entering Totality, Spica to Right

Lunar Eclipse, 15 April 2014

Lunar Eclipse with 4 min. and 6.3 min. Intervals

Leaving Totality (About 4 minute intervals)

Finally we returned to the Motel for a couple of hours of sleep before heading out for sunrise, which was at 0616! We took a nice break after breakfast that allowed for a much needed nap. Afterwards it was time to capture sunset and golden color on the granite boulders, and wonderful Joshua trees.

Full Moon Setting

Sunrise

Fremont's Pincushion

Pringle's Woolly Daisy

Claret Cup or Mounds Cactus

Desert Calico

Hedgehog Cactus

Banana Yucca

Desert Dandelion

Beavertail Cactus

Life's Struggle

Boulders and Joshua Trees

Big Boulders

Sunset, Joshua Tree N. P.