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Archive 2015 · Joshua Tree National Park

  
 
hudsonhites
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Joshua Tree National Park


Hello

I'm Traveling to Joshua Tree the second week in March for 4 days and would like advice on the best areas of the park to shoot in. I like to hike so I don't mind venturing off the paved roads to get to more remote locations.
Also any advice on your photography experience in the park would be appreciated.

If time permits I'd also like to visit at least one of these spots; the Salton Sea, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park or the
Santa Rosa-San Jacinto Mountains. I would like to know if one of these locations is more worthy than the others to spend time photographing.

Thanks

Victor



Feb 21, 2015 at 02:50 AM
Tim Knutson
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Joshua Tree National Park


In my opinion, the top half of Joshua is the most interesting. I would put the other three locations much farther down on my list.


Feb 21, 2015 at 02:30 PM
hudsonhites
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Joshua Tree National Park


Hi Tim

By northern half of the park you mean the more developed areas from Jumbo Rocks up into the north west area of the park.

Thanks,

Victor



Feb 21, 2015 at 03:25 PM
Tim Knutson
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Joshua Tree National Park


Yes, I was thinking of the main north south road through the park.


Feb 21, 2015 at 07:40 PM
MalbikEndar
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Joshua Tree National Park


Personally I found Joshua trees remarkably hard to photograph in an interesting way. No doubt due to my limitations as a photographer.

I felt that I was more successful with the cholla garden and some of the rock formations.

I found some interesting birds at Salton Sea and would like to go back. I was only down at the very southern end.





Feb 22, 2015 at 09:44 AM
hudsonhites
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Joshua Tree National Park


Thanks for your feedback


Feb 22, 2015 at 12:49 PM
MalbikEndar
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Joshua Tree National Park


This was on the front page

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/ufiles-s/60/943060.jpg


I guess this is where I went wrong when photographing Joshua trees.

(Don't try this with cholla).



Feb 23, 2015 at 12:56 PM
doonie15
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Joshua Tree National Park


I was in Joshua Tree last spring and last fall. The first time I went I just did the northern loop . That would be between the actual town of Joshua tree and the town of Twenty Nine Palms. In the fall I went from the town of Joshua Tree all the way south to RT 10. I agree that the northern part of the park is more interesting than the lower. I also found this park a little tough to photograph. I am sure that there are those with more talent who could do it justice but I struggled to put it into perspective. Having said that I loved my trips there and found it to be very interesting.

















Feb 23, 2015 at 07:55 PM
hudsonhites
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Joshua Tree National Park


Thanks for sharing your experience and photos along the shooting info. It helps give a sense of what is possible.


I click through to your website and enjoyed watching your wedding slideshow. You have captured some great moments there.



Feb 24, 2015 at 12:31 AM
doonie15
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Joshua Tree National Park


You're welcome ! And thanks for the compliments on the website. I've averaged about 15 weddings a year for the past 13 years, all 100% referral, but I've decided this is my last season. It's allowed me to justify equipment purchases that I've never dreamed of but I'm very anxious to get back to enjoying my photography strictly on my own terms. Hope you have a great trip to Joshua !


Feb 24, 2015 at 07:02 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Joshua Tree National Park


Hey Victor,
In reality there really isn't much in the way of remote locations in Joshua Tree, most sights are shorter hikes or simply just next to the road.

As mentioned, the top half of the park is the best. Jumbo Rock, Hidden Valley, Rattlesnake Cove are all great. You will have plenty to keep you busy for a few days.

As to...
The Salton Sea... it's very boring and smells very bad. Google it, you will find very few interesting photos from there, at least for me.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a pretty nice place. You can get some nice shots, it's much more limited than Joshua Tree, and since its a state park people tend to run a muck there at times. It's known for many drunken parties in the evening, so go at your own risk. Not sure it's worth the effort when Joshua Tree is 100 times better.

Santa Rosa-San Jacinto Mountains... again pretty boring from a Landscape perspective. Especially if you have in your mind the mountains of Colorado or even Yosemite. The mountains in SoCal are pretty barren and boring to photograph. Not that anyone has never gotten any cool shots from them, but overall, they are quite lackluster compared to the mountains in other states.

My suggestion would be to spend 2 days in Joshua Tree, and then 2 days along the coast. It's only about 2 hours from Joshua Tree to being in Newport Beach. You can spend 2 days in Laguna Beach, or maybe head down to La Jolla in San Diego. But if you have 4 days, I would split it up that way myself.

Jim



Feb 25, 2015 at 02:08 AM
BenjaminSmith
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Joshua Tree National Park


Mid-day light in Joshua is really flat and tough. Sunrise/sunset were the only times I felt that anything interesting was happening other than detail shots like flowers. Agree with JimFox about the areas of interest, although the cholla garden (?) was pretty cool, too.


Feb 25, 2015 at 10:18 PM
JimFox
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Joshua Tree National Park


Yes, the cholla gardens are very cool. The only caution there is to be very careful where you walk. They were doing road construction in that area last year and a lot of the cholla limbs got knocked to the ground. Even with hard rubber hiking boots I had probably a 100 cholla thorns stuck in the bottom and sides of my boots. They can be hard to remove even with pliars.

Jim



Feb 26, 2015 at 04:40 PM
Tim Knutson
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Joshua Tree National Park


JimFox wrote:
Yes, the cholla gardens are very cool. The only caution there is to be very careful where you walk. They were doing road construction in that area last year and a lot of the cholla limbs got knocked to the ground. Even with hard rubber hiking boots I had probably a 100 cholla thorns stuck in the bottom and sides of my boots. They can be hard to remove even with pliars.

Jim


I wonder if your related to my son in law. He has a history of being a cholla magnet. Maybe its a California thing.

Man, I hope the karma lady isn't reading this.



Feb 26, 2015 at 06:17 PM
Jim Bau
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Joshua Tree National Park


Tim Knutson wrote:
I wonder if your related to my son in law. He has a history of being a cholla magnet. Maybe its a California thing.

Man, I hope the karma lady isn't reading this.


Cholla magnet eh Hmmmm...I have thought long and hard for a witty response to say that it is not true, but...pictures tell the story better than I can!

http://jimbau.smugmug.com/Other/My-Smug-Mug/i-KJrF8Tq/0/XL/image-XL.jpg

http://jimbau.smugmug.com/Other/My-Smug-Mug/i-5m4ZCw4/0/XL/image2-XL.jpg

Between Tucson and Joshua Tree I have had NO TROUBLE finding a few too many chollas to latch onto me. Needle nose pliers are now a must have in my photo bag (Or as Tim calls them, "The Dumb A$$ Kit"



Feb 27, 2015 at 12:31 AM
hudsonhites
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Joshua Tree National Park


Thanks everyone for the photographic advice.

I guess just as important is what to wear. What advice do you have on the topic of what type of clothing to wear while hiking around in Joshua tree?



Feb 27, 2015 at 01:30 AM
Craig Gillette
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Joshua Tree National Park


The way weather has been out here, I guess the advice given on some of the local park sites works - layer. It's kind of cheating, the same advice is given on all of them, coastal, mountain, desert, etc. We expect rain this weekend with snow levels maybe down to the 3500 ft level (per a tv news). About 40% possibility of rain in the J Tree area. I'd suggest planning for clear and windy - sunny with sunscreen and overall sun protection but watch the weather forecasts, we aren't out of the so-called rainy season yet. I would expect potentially around freezing at night and maybe 70s or so daytimes. Could be higher or lower. Much of the northern tier of the park is 3500 to 4000 feet so I don't expect it to be too warm yet.

It's a fairly harsh environment - most of the plants are tough, lots of thorns, needles, points, etc. The granite is pretty rough textured so it's easy to move around on but sliding on it to change positions is rough on clothing and skin if not careful. Besides layering to deal with anything from bright sunny warm to potentially freezing or a little below at night, good footwear. Boots not necessarily needed but at least sturdy rough country trail worthy shoes. Much of the ground is relatively flat sandy/rocky with a lot of granite outcroppings that are tempting to climb and support a lot of active rock climbing

Most of the plant or animal life is not as nasty as the cholla but bumping into things can hurt.




Feb 27, 2015 at 02:05 AM
Tim Knutson
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Joshua Tree National Park


Jim, I'm so glad you still have those pictures. I think I lost mine in a phone upgrade. Your posting them will further my goal to never let you live the incident down. Now they have become a permanent record in human history.

We will now return you to the OP's questions.



Feb 27, 2015 at 09:05 AM
Jim Bau
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Joshua Tree National Park


hudsonhites wrote:
Thanks everyone for the photographic advice.

I guess just as important is what to wear. What advice do you have on the topic of what type of clothing to wear while hiking around in Joshua tree?


The two most important things in my experience are a GOOD pair of hiking boots and long pants. I have also had the same experience that Jim Fox did by stepping on a Cholla thingy with my hiking boots. The ONLY way to get them out is a pair of pliers. If I had been wearing tennis shoes or god forbid hiking sandals... I suspect a rip to the ER would be in order. Although we have made a big deal of the Cholla's, for the most part they are isolated to a small area called Cholla Garden. You don't have to be as paranoid about wicked prickly things in most other areas of the park. It's a cool place to visit, especially in the evening at night time. Very dark skies for stars.



Feb 27, 2015 at 04:56 PM





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