Midland Rocks to capture a composition that changes in color and hue so quickly as the morning light spreads across the sky ,” Jim remembers . “ So many times I had the experience of only having seconds to capture the light . I had to be very prepared , very observant , and a little bit lucky .”
One of Jim ’ s fondest memories of shooting in the Mojave occurred one day on his way home . He had just left the Kelso Depot and was driving south on Kelbaker Road toward Interstate 40 . “ I looked to my left and the last of the sun had painted Providence Mountains a fiery red . Just above the mountain ridge , hung a full moon .” Jim had no time to set up tripod , but he did have his long lens and got off about 10 shots before the gorgeous light was gone . “ I got really lucky .” Or , perhaps , to paraphrase Dr . Pasteur , “ fortune favors the prepared photographer .”
The vastness of the Preserve was brought home to Jim when he drove 500 miles in one day to accomplish his shooting goals . Because there is no fuel available anywhere in the Preserve , and because he hadn ’ t yet
captured the images he was after , he had to leave the preserve to refuel his car and then came back into the Preserve to complete his shoot . He proudly relays that , in all of the time he spent traveling all manner of Mojave terrain in his all wheel drive vehicle , he never got stuck . He admitted there were a few close encounters but he did avoid what has been the bane of many other Artists , getting stuck in Mojave ’ s sand . If you ’ ve ever gone off the paved roads in the Mojave , you know that is indeed an achievement .
“ But then , it started snowing and got cold , an unfriendly cold .”
Again emphasizing his advice to be prepared for change , Jim relayed another of his favorite experiences . One evening , Jim had planned to sleep in his car just off Cima Road ( which is at a higher elevation than the Dunes or the Depot ) in order to be in place for an image he wanted to create . But then , it started snowing and got cold , “ An unfriendly cold ,” Jim
Centennial Edition | THE DESERT LIGHT 7