Alabama Hills National Scenic Area

• Jean-Michel Basquiat.

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Yesterday, I watched a youtube Q&A session by a photographer I follow. One of the viewers asked about his strategy for identifying photo opportunities at once-in-a-lifetime locations. What caught my attention was the location he mentioned. It was Alabama Hills. It got me thinking about how lucky I am to live mere hours away from such a stunning spot. And the question is tough to answer at a location with such photographic potential.

My first few visits there mainly were centered around the iconic spots, like skull rock and Mobius arch, but of late, I have been spending more time exploring. And every time we go off into the rock maze, I come out with striking images of places and patterns that I have never seen before. So my recommended approach to Alabama hills would be to err on the side of exploring, and if you have the time to include a sunrise session, pick a spot and settle in. Let the light do its magic on the mountain peaks.

On this trip, a view of the sierras caught my eye while driving the movie road. I have driven on this road before but in the opposite direction. So I was a bit shocked to see such a majestic view of the Sierra Nevada range and Mt Whitney from what looked like a dispersed camping site. I guess I know where we are camping next time. Also, if you are wondering about the slash on the mountain's base, that’s the Whitney portal road to Mt Whitney trailhead and campsite.

• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

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For the longest time, I hated having people in my images. I felt that having any human elements in composition took away from the naturality of the place and worked quite hard at creating images devoid of human presence. But off late, I realize the power of having a human element in a picture, especially to convey scale. I am not very good at it yet, but I hope to keep at it and create some compelling scenes.

Recently I had a chance to visit the beautiful Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California. While taking a break at one of our favorite camping spots, I noticed this couple going for a hike among the rock formations. Then, as we were about to leave, I saw the same couple coming back from their walk. They seemed to be having a great time, and somehow, I wanted to capture that scene. I had the 70-200mm lens on my camera and thankfully had the presence of mind to shoot a 4-shot panorama image at 90mm quickly. Thankfully, all the images came sharp, and I could stitch them together into a panorama image. I love the final results and how majestic the Alabama Hills look in this image.