After the Sun Sets but Before the Stars

Greetings!! These photos are from my return hike from Broken Nose Alcove a couple weeks ago. The sun had set, which makes for a photography challenge (no shadows/flat light). Also, as it starts to get dark in the rocky desert terrain, it's imperative to watch your footing to avoid a bad fall (vs. paying no attention to your footing and concentrating on how to frame up that next shot, which is my usual mode!).

Sometimes it's not obvious to me why I took a particular photo when I go back and review shots. There's a direct relationship between the amount of time that has passed since the photo was taken and the degree of difficulty recalling why I took it in the first place! Anyway, I recall being impressed by this HUGE boulder and the sky colors in the background. It was much more impressive in person, but you get the idea!

The rocky, otherworldly terrain in the area. It makes hiking in a straight line impossible! It also means that when one path turns out to be a dead end or unpassable, you try another route. It always makes me wonder what I might find behind the next rock!

Cheating a bit on this one (and on the last photo as well). I used a moon "texture" layered over the top of the original photo. I'm a sucker for big moons over desert landscapes!

A "real moon" shot... this is what the moon looked like during the hike.

I took this shot because I liked the sky color, the red barrel cactus, and the rocks. The rock in the foreground and also the one behind the green bush were very different from others in the area, and reminded me of huge pieces of petrified wood. I don't think they really were petrified wood, but they had that look. By the way, the green bush is Cat's Claw. If you rub up against it, there will be blood!

I like this photo because you can clearly see Broken Nose Alcove in the rock formation. We were climbing around inside that alcove last week!

One of my favorite shots. I like how the Mojave Yucca is isolated in the photo and seems to be enjoying a beautiful view south toward the Pinto Basin.

Crescent moon close-up.

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by!!

PS: A big thank you to the nice comments last week, and especially those about concern for my safety. Safety first, always! And while there is a degree of risk in just about everything we do, I always do whatever I can to keep it to a minimum.