Desert

Desert San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

The Year of the Desert Lily: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflowers in Spring 2024

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park occasionally has exceptional spring wildflower blooms. 2024 was one of those years, it was a nice, fairly typical bloom and not a Superbloom. The last Superbloom we had in Anza-Borrego was in 2017. (And no, 2019 was not a superbloom). But the 2024 bloom in Anza-Borrego…

Phil CollaMarch 28, 2024

California Carlsbad Desert San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

Sorry but No, 2019 Was Not a #Superbloom

It's official: 2019 was not a wildflower #superbloom. Huh? But Internet said? In spite of what was trending, 2019 in southern California was just #spring. What about #elsinore #poppypocalypse? That was an entirely predictable social media feedback loop of herd behavior. As far as the flowers themselves go however, Elsinore…

Phil CollaJuly 3, 2019

Carlsbad Desert Joshua Tree San Diego The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photographs of Southern California’s Spring Wildflowers — the 2017 Super Bloom

During March and early April of this year I was chasing the wildflower bloom around the southernmost parts of California. The wildflower bloom was indeed spectacular and went on for weeks with vast displays of color. Was it a "super bloom"? I'm not sure. Somewhere during March the interwebs began…

Phil CollaJuly 16, 2017

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Perseid Meteor Shower over Joshua Tree National Park, August 2015

Each August the Perseid meteor shower takes place. This year it peaked during a new moon, which offered prime conditions for seeing many meteors. I photographed the Perseid meteor shower in Joshua Tree National Park using two compositions/locations: with Arch Rock as one feature and with a single joshua tree…

Phil CollaAugust 16, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Perseid Meteor Shower over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, 2015

The Perseid meteor shower occurs each August, peaking on the evenings of August 12 and 13. It happens because the Earth is plowing through the trail of dust left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseid meteors are named for the constellation Perseus in the northern sky, from which the meteors…

Phil CollaAugust 14, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse April 4 2015 from Joshua Tree National Park

I went up to Joshua Tree National Park to watch the lunar eclipse of April 4, 2015. Photographically, I was not sure what I was going to do. I've made a series of lunar eclipse sequence images (lunar eclipse October 8, 2014 and April 14, 2014 version 2 version 3).…

Phil CollaApril 5, 2015

California Desert The American Southwest

Moonflowers – Desert Wildflowers at Night

"Moonflowers" - with a nod to my favorite rock band, and the best guitarist of all time. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and the small community of Borrego Springs contained within, have had a reasonably nice wildflower bloom this year. That's great news, since it has been awhile since the last…

Phil CollaMarch 12, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Sequence, Juniper and Standing Rock, Joshua Tree, 2014

For the eclipse of April 14/15, 2014, I wanted to depict the course of the eclipse across the sky with some recognizable landscape features in the foreground to anchor the composition. As the day of the eclipse went by, I watched the weather reports and decided Joshua Tree National Park…

Phil CollaJune 9, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree Panoramas The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Sequence over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, April 2014

The lunar eclipse of April 14 and 15, 2014 was a wonderful event to see. I went up to Joshua Tree National Park to photograph it for two reasons. First, the weather forecast in the high desert was for clear skies and, for the most part, the skies were indeed…

Phil CollaApril 29, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Blood Red Moon Sequence over Joshua Tree National Park

This is the first of my photographic efforts shooting the lunar eclipse the evening of April 14/15 2014. I spent the entire night out under the stars in Joshua Tree National Park, where I often shoot when looking for clear skies and stars at night. I photographed several compositions and…

Phil CollaApril 17, 2014

Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Palm Canyon Brittlebush

This brittlebush photo, at dawn in Palm Canyon in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, was one of only a handful of desert wildflower photos I made last year. It is raining again, the second bout of rain the coast of Southern California has received this week. This is on the…

Phil CollaFebruary 19, 2011

Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Henderson Canyon Road Dune Evening Primrose

Its raining now. If the deserts to the east of us get some of this moisture, it should bode very well for the wildflower season. We received a lot of rain in November and December. When this occurs, typically all that is needed is another moderate rain or two in…

Phil CollaFebruary 16, 2011

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

The Racetrack, Death Valley National Park

Photos of the Racetrack in Death Valley National Park, and the Racetrack's sliding rocks (or sailing stones). The Racetrack is an ancient dry lake bed in Death Valley, famous for its sailing stones. Located between the Last Chance Mountains and the Cottonwood Mountains, the Racetrack Playa lies at 3600' above…

Phil CollaJune 14, 2010

California Death Valley Desert Infrared National Parks The American Southwest

Eureka Valley Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Stock photos of the Eureka Valley Sand Dunes and the Eureka Valley in Death Valley National Park. One of the goals of our recent Death Valley trip was to reach the wonderful Eureka Valley Sand Dunes. At almost 700' tall, these dunes are some of the tallest in the United…

Phil CollaJune 11, 2010

California Death Valley Desert Flora National Parks

Eureka Valley Dune Grass, Swallenia alexandrae

Stock photos of the Eureka Valley Dune Grass, Swallenia alexandrae, in Death Valley National Park. The Eureka Valley Dune Grass (Swallenia alexandrae) is a federally endangered grass found only in the Eureka Valley, in the far northern reaches of Death Valley National Park. Swallenia is a monotypic genus, consisting only…

Phil CollaJune 10, 2010

California Death Valley Desert Flora National Parks The American Southwest Wildflowers

Eureka Valley Evening Primrose, Oenothera californica eurekensis

Stock photos of the Eureka Valley Dune Evening Primrose, Oenothera californica eurekensis, in Death Valley National Park. The Eureka Valley Evening Primrose (Oenothera californica eurekensis) is a federally endangered wildflower found only on and near the sand dune habitat of the Eureka Valley, in the far northern reaches of Death…

Phil CollaJune 4, 2010

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflower Update

Brittlebush at sunrise, dawn, springtime bloom, Palm Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Image ID: 24301 Species: Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA I made a sunrise visit to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, my first visit this spring. By 9am I had seen enough…

Phil CollaMarch 13, 2010

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of the Devil’s Golf Course, Death Valley National Park

The Devil's Golf Course is a curious assemblage of crystalline salt shapes spread over a large swath of the Death Valley salt pan. This saltpan, which is the lowest point in Death Valley National Park, and indeed the western hemisphere, holds a small amount of subsurface moisture. This water is…

Phil CollaApril 6, 2008

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Badwater, Death Valley National Park

Badwater is the lowest point in Death Valley National Park, at 282 feet below sea level. Indeed, it is the lowest point in the entire western hemisphere. The Badwater Basin is the catch point for 9000 square miles of drainage, however, there is typically little water here except following winter…

Phil CollaApril 5, 2008

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Pink Sunrise on Telescope Peak over Badwater

I've been on a few deep scuba dives in my life but relative to sea level this is as deep as I have ever been, and I didn't even need to strap on a scuba tank to get there. Seen here is delicate pre-dawn pink light on a snow covered…

Phil CollaApril 4, 2008

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photo of Dune Evening Primrose

My favorite desert flower to photograph is the dune evening primrose (Oenothera deltoides). It is so elegant and striking that even a blind monkey with a broken camera can get a good shot of this flower. I've seen them in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park during years of good spring bloom,…

Phil CollaMarch 4, 2008

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photos of Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers

I got out for a quick look at some wildflowers at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on Sunday morning. I got out there at 6am just as the sun was rising, and by 8am the light had grown so harsh I put my camera away and just hiked around. The bloom…

Phil CollaMarch 3, 2008

California Desert The American Southwest

Palm Tree Farm

I wandered around a palm tree farm in the desert, feeling like I was amid some kind of midget forest. The palm fronds were just above my head, and the ground was covered in thick fuzz and trimmings from the trees. Due to the wide lens I used, these trees…

Phil CollaMarch 1, 2008

California Desert The American Southwest

Photo of the Borrego Badlands from Fonts Point

From Font's Point in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, one can look across the Borrego Badlands (Carrizo Badlands), once an ancient lake but now a corrugated, tortured, barren wasteland (e.g., Mordor). Carrizo Badlands viewed from Fonts Point. Image ID: 05530 Location: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Anza Borrego, California, USA Carrizo Badlands…

Phil CollaMay 24, 2007

California Desert The American Southwest

Photo of 17 Palms Oasis

17 Palms Oasis is located in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, several miles down the lunar-looking Arroyo Salado wash. The drive along Arroyo Salado is fun and relatively simple, although a four-wheel drive car is recommended. Seventeen Palms Oasis, consisting of (not surprisingly) 17 palms, appears out of nowhere as you…

Phil CollaMay 23, 2007

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Devil’s Golf Course, Death Valley National Park

Phil CollaMarch 6, 2006

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park

Zabriskie Point in Death Valley offers a great view from the Funeral Mountains, across curious gullies of sedimentary rock and packed mud that comprise the badlands below Zabriskie Point, to the floor of salt-pan floor of Death Valley and the Panamint Range in the distance. It is especially striking at…

Phil CollaMarch 2, 2006

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park's most accessible sand dunes are just a few miles down the road from Stovepipe Wells, in the center of Death Valley. 14 acres of sand dunes, rising several hundred feet high in places, lie about a quarter mile from the road. While there is no official…

Phil CollaMarch 1, 2006

California Death Valley Desert National Parks

Photo of Badwater, Death Valley National Park

Phil CollaFebruary 28, 2006

California Desert Wildlife

Photo of Desert Bighorn Sheep

The Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) found in southwestern California, is a subspecies of the North American desert bighorn sheep that occupies the rocky and arid Mojave and Senoran deserts of the American southwest and northern Mexico. Desert bighorn sheep, male ram. The desert bighorn sheep occupies dry, rocky…

Phil CollaNovember 22, 2005

Cactus California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Red Barrel Cactus Photos, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Thanks to John Dougherty for kindly helping us to correctly identify a number of flowering plants from recent visits to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. One of our favorite subjects was the Red Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus) which were just beginning to show their blooms. Barrel cactus, brittlebush and wildflowers color…

Phil CollaMarch 18, 2005

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Canyon Sunrise, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Anza Borrego Desert State Park is currently experiencing an epic, once-in-a-lifetime bloom of desert wildflowers, bushes and cacti. The sand verbena and desert primrose flowers that had covered the valley floor so spectacularly in places in February seem to be receding or largely gone, replaced with poppies and lupine. However,…

Phil CollaMarch 16, 2005

California Desert The American Southwest Wildflowers

Photos of Wildflowers at Anza Borrego Desert State Park

The spring wildflower bloom is happening right now at Anza Borrego Desert State Park, as well as many other places in California. The bloom appears to be early and thick this year due to the heavy rains we had over the past few months. Here are some examples, shot Sunday…

Phil CollaFebruary 10, 2005

The Year of the Desert Lily: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Wildflowers in Spring 2024

Sorry but No, 2019 Was Not a #Superbloom

Photographs of Southern California’s Spring Wildflowers — the 2017 Super Bloom

Perseid Meteor Shower over Joshua Tree National Park, August 2015

Perseid Meteor Shower over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, 2015

Lunar Eclipse April 4 2015 from Joshua Tree National Park

Moonflowers – Desert Wildflowers at Night

Lunar Eclipse Sequence, Juniper and Standing Rock, Joshua Tree, 2014

Lunar Eclipse Sequence over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, April 2014

Lunar Eclipse Blood Red Moon Sequence over Joshua Tree National Park

Palm Canyon Brittlebush

Henderson Canyon Road Dune Evening Primrose

The Racetrack, Death Valley National Park

Eureka Valley Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Eureka Valley Dune Grass, Swallenia alexandrae

Eureka Valley Evening Primrose, Oenothera californica eurekensis

Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflower Update

Photo of the Devil’s Golf Course, Death Valley National Park

Photo of Badwater, Death Valley National Park

Photo of Pink Sunrise on Telescope Peak over Badwater

Photo of Dune Evening Primrose

Photos of Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers

Palm Tree Farm

Photo of the Borrego Badlands from Fonts Point

Photo of 17 Palms Oasis

Photo of Devil’s Golf Course, Death Valley National Park

Photo of Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park

Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

Photo of Badwater, Death Valley National Park

Photo of Desert Bighorn Sheep

Red Barrel Cactus Photos, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Canyon Sunrise, Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Photos of Wildflowers at Anza Borrego Desert State Park

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