Thursday, February 27, 2020

Stamp Rock

Cousin Scott and his wife are here visiting. When I say "here", I mean the desert out near Joshua Tree. They try to come every February, and they love escaping the cold winter weather in Chicago. I mention this because we were our hiking in Joshua Tree over the weekend and came across an interesting rock formation. More about that in just a moment.
Here are Scott and Cher in the Hidden Valley Picnic Area. I think they were a little nervous standing under that huge rock that looks like it could tumble down at any moment! Then we found a picnic table, gobbled down Subway sandwiches, and wandered off to take photos.

Seems like anywhere you walk in this area you come across interesting rock formations. My wife pointed this one out to me: dinosaur head??

A beautiful day for a hike!

Look closely and you might see Cousin Scott (center right) out looking for photo opportunities.

Ah, there he is. I wonder what he's taking a picture of? He seems to be emerging from a forest of Joshua Trees in this highly cropped image.

Pretty late afternoon light.

The light was going in and out... from "golden hour" and long shadows when the sun was out, to flat and limited shadows as the sun disappeared behind a cloud. The one above was when the sun was behind the clouds.

That looks like an interesting rock formation. See the opening in the rocks? Lets go take a closer look.

Beautiful! In the photo above, the sun is out full-force, and the rocks take on a golden color only slightly captured here. This is where my story gets interesting. I posted this photo on the Joshua Tree National Park Photography group on Facebook, and a keen-eyed photographer friend of mine said "Oh, this looks like the rock formation that is on the JTNP stamp!"

Huh? What stamp??

A quick Google search turned up the stamp:
I can see the opening in the rock, and the general shape of the rock, but everything seems to be "flipped" or inverted. So what if I flip my image in Photoshop and then compare. Here's the "flipped" image:
I think we're on to something!

Wow, that's definitely the same rock formation!! It's inverted, and the artist took major liberties with that Joshua Tree on the left, but it's the same rock formation. I guess I'll call it "Stamp Rock" 😉

Linking with Skywatch Friday.
Thanks for stopping by!!


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49 comments:

  1. John "By Stargoose And Hanglands"February 27, 2020 at 11:22 AM

    Good detective work. Now all you have to do is find the tree that's depicted on the stamp!

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  2. TomFebruary 27, 2020 at 11:25 AM

    ...a question for you, what was the temperature when you took these images? They look beautiful, but HOT!

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    Replies
    1. Spare Parts and PicsMarch 1, 2020 at 6:21 PM

      Hi Tom. No, not hot at all this time of year. It's was in the low 70's on this particular day. Just about perfect!

      Delete
  3. eileeninmdFebruary 27, 2020 at 11:29 AM

    Hello, I would like to visit this park some day. It is beautiful. I like the rock formations, the dino head is cool. Neat capture of the stamp spot. Wishing you a happy day and a great weekend ahead!

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  4. JimFebruary 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM

    Fantastic shots.

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  5. Carol @Comfort Spring StationFebruary 27, 2020 at 11:38 AM

    Nice to have visitors. I definitely saw the dinosaur head before I read the lines about it. Fascinating

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  6. Billy Blue EyesFebruary 27, 2020 at 11:41 AM

    Oh yes way to go. Awesome hike around an a brilliant find. I love that dinosaur rock

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  7. AnonymousFebruary 27, 2020 at 11:51 AM

    Brilliant shots - Fantastic how the boulders draw the landscape!

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  8. Liz A.February 27, 2020 at 1:00 PM

    This is definitely the time of year for the desert. I too saw a dinosaur head in that rock formation. Weird how the artist flipped the image. Perhaps they were using a slide of it and had it flipped around.

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  9. Pat @ Mille Fiori FavoritiFebruary 27, 2020 at 1:07 PM

    What an interesting discovery! It is the exact rock formation as shown on the stamp! I wonder if at the time the artist drew the stamp photo that tree was there and has since died or was broken in a wind storm? There are so many photo opportunities there.

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  10. Marie SmithFebruary 27, 2020 at 1:51 PM

    The colours are spectacular!

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  11. Yogi♪♪♪February 27, 2020 at 1:54 PM

    Amazing find, especially flipped. The internet is a great thing sometimes.

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  12. junieper2/jesh StGFebruary 27, 2020 at 2:35 PM

    Nice to have company once in a while. If I would live in Chicago, I wouldn't mind a hike in the desert either:) Before reading on to you mentioning the stamp, your original looked like the side of an animal, walking away, like a wolf or something like it.Great post, as always - have a great weekend!

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  13. AmyFebruary 27, 2020 at 3:55 PM

    That first photo, the way the rocks are grouped kind of reminds me of a celtic iron age tomb, like something was in the middle of them. Great shots!

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  14. The Furry GnomeFebruary 27, 2020 at 4:38 PM

    What an amazing landscape!

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  15. AngieFebruary 27, 2020 at 7:01 PM

    How cool is that?

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  16. rupam sarmaFebruary 27, 2020 at 7:22 PM

    Wow wonderful. Amazing photos.

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  17. JocelynFebruary 27, 2020 at 9:20 PM

    You always find the most interesting rocks! Amazing!

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  18. Small City ScenesFebruary 27, 2020 at 9:46 PM

    The detective has been at work. Good sleuthing. It sure did look like a beautiful day for a hike.
    MB

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  19. Lady FiFebruary 28, 2020 at 12:42 AM

    Fabulous shots and amazing scenery!

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  20. s.cFebruary 28, 2020 at 2:00 AM

    The find of that stamp rock is really amazing as of course the landscape you have outside your door.

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  21. PerthDailyPhotoFebruary 28, 2020 at 2:05 AM

    Absolutely the same formation as on the stamp SPP, your friend did well to spot it! The rock formations look as if some long ago giant was playing with them 😉

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  22. Author R. Mac WheelerFebruary 28, 2020 at 5:45 AM

    I really do want to hike with you one day.

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  23. AnnieFebruary 28, 2020 at 7:33 AM

    What a great day and wonderful photos. You know, Big Blue Labs will make one of your own photos into a "postage stamp" style complete with postmark!

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  24. SharonFebruary 28, 2020 at 7:33 AM

    Stamp Rock....perfect name for it. It also looks like you had a perfect day for your hike. The photos are stunning!

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  25. jack69February 28, 2020 at 7:37 AM

    Boy howdy, we enjoyed these pictures. Strange how your pic is the exact of the stamp. NEAT. We enjoyed this trip that is for sure. THANKS
    Sherry & jack in North CArolina

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  26. Light and VoicesFebruary 28, 2020 at 11:55 AM

    You found stamp rock! LOL! Cool story. I'm glad these people enjoy adventures with you. Your wife even found dinosaur rock. It really does look like a face of a dinosaur. Have a great weekend.

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  27. Ed DzitkoFebruary 28, 2020 at 12:39 PM

    Looks like a pretty awesome place to get all kinds of photos.

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  28. SaunFebruary 28, 2020 at 12:50 PM

    Beautiful photos! Definitely going to put on my must to see list. Happy Shooting!
    Saun in Ohio

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  29. RoseFebruary 28, 2020 at 4:46 PM

    That one for sure looks like a dinosaur! But I sure love them all...I love rocks...always have, always will.

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  30. DawnFebruary 28, 2020 at 8:02 PM

    Ahhhmazing!

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  31. Nancy ChanFebruary 28, 2020 at 9:57 PM

    Beautiful and interesting rock formation. The 2nd one looks like a dinosaur head.

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  32. Mikael BergmanFebruary 29, 2020 at 12:51 AM

    wonderful scenes from these big stones

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  33. DawnTreaderFebruary 29, 2020 at 3:23 AM

    Wow, fascinating landscape - very different from anything seen in my corner of the world (Sweden). And I immediately saw the "dinosaur" in your second photo :) But well spotted with the stamp image, that it was the same view but flipped around!

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  34. LindaFebruary 29, 2020 at 5:02 AM

    Nonetheless, beautiful photos...thanks for stopping by my blog, smiles.

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  35. AlanaFebruary 29, 2020 at 5:43 AM

    Someone out there has a sharp eye. I am not too spacial and I never would have realized that was the stamp photo "flipped". It's too close to be coincidental. Great scenery, as usual.

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  36. Pisi PrklFebruary 29, 2020 at 8:33 AM

    Pic #2 looks like a fish head to me. A Salmon of some sort. Water must´ve flown there in some point.

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  37. carol l mckennaFebruary 29, 2020 at 9:45 AM

    Magnificent photos of awesome rock formations and beautiful skies ~ what a place to share with friends ^_^

    Happy Moments to You,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

    ReplyDelete
  38. BillFebruary 29, 2020 at 1:30 PM

    Amazing story of the stamp. Photos are awesome!
    Have a wonderful week.

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  39. Jutta.K.February 29, 2020 at 11:21 PM

    Großartige Fotos von erstaunlichen Felsformationen !
    Schön, wenn man solche Wanderungen unternehmen kann.
    An dieser Stelle vielen Dank für die lieben Kommentare immer in meinem Blog !
    ♥liche Grüße aus Deutschland
    Jutta

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  40. magiceyeMarch 1, 2020 at 6:39 AM

    Amazing sights yet again!

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  41. IngerMarch 1, 2020 at 11:42 AM

    I think your pictures are ready for National Geographic, which I think is better or at least as good as a stamp. I have been to Joshua Tree many times. My husband liked to climb rocks, I would watch and play with our dogs. So your pictures always bring good memories, in addition to being spectacular.

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  42. Sallie (FullTime-Life)March 2, 2020 at 3:14 PM

    I wonder why the stamp artist inverted it though? ....I guess I can see why he would make the Joshua Tree bigger and of course make the light perfect, but the rock formation is great the way it really is isn’t ? Oh well, guess that’s why I’m not an artist. ....what a perfect winter vacation break for your cousins.

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  43. The PadreMarch 2, 2020 at 3:46 PM

    YES - What A Post - Well Done

    Cheers

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  44. Iris FlaviaMarch 4, 2020 at 12:17 AM

    Wow, what a rock formation! And that head! Looks a bit sad.
    And that "fox" - you have some things to discover there!
    Thank you for sharing all this!

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  45. Sharon WagnerMarch 4, 2020 at 11:13 AM

    That's cool! I would add the tree in the foreground as well if I was the artist. What a great catch. I think the rock has cat ears.

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  46. Stevenson QMarch 5, 2020 at 8:05 AM

    That is such a beautiful rock! That stamp design captured so much of Joshua Tree's Magic. And that Stamp amount is so much high :)

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  47. William KendallMarch 5, 2020 at 2:01 PM

    It is such a spectacular landscape.

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