Spending Christmas in Joshua Tree National Park is a personal tradition for me. On that note, I will be out in the park on the 24th and 25th, so I am showing this image from last year’s Christmas morning in Joshua Tree.
A storm was clearing in the Southern part of the park, and before sunrise, I hiked out along the Lost Palms trail to the Mastodon Peak. This is an overlooked area of the park, but it offers a great area to catch a good sunrise.
Clouds were thick to the West, and it appeared that Mastodon Peak was not going to get any morning light, so I looked East and saw the clouds lighting up.
I also made a panorama of this same composition for comparison. This image is in the 6×17 aspect ratio I prefer for panoramic images.
This image was also aided by the Skyfire App, which gave me a good sense of where to be on this morning to make the best sunrise image. Thanks again, Matt!
Thank you for viewing, and I hope you enjoy the images!
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T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.