On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
I probably shouldn’t say this, but I had no idea that Alabama was so beautiful. Oh wait, these are the Alabama Hills in California. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a sunrise, let alone one as beautiful as this one. ~WaterGirl
?BillinGlendaleCA
After a successful first attempt at photographing the morning appearance of comet NEOWISE and a rather unsuccessful attempt at shooting a star trail with Red Hill as a foreground; I headed up to the Alabama Hills just west of Lone Pine for the sunrise. As I arrived the first rays of sunlight were casting a purple glow over the higher peaks of the eastern Sierra. Within a few minutes the purple tone gave way to a brilliant golden tone that became a bright white. As time progressed you could see the sunlight edging further down the eastern Sierra. At this point I turned the camera around to capture the sun as it poked over the Inyo mountains to the east.
The purple tones of first light reach Mt. Whitney.
Mt. Williamson at first light.
Mt. Whitney has a golden glow as the sunlight reaches it over the Inyo Mountains to the east.
Mt. Langley getting the first golden rays of sun.
Lone Pine Peak with Mt. Langley on the left and Mt. Whitney on the right.
Mt. Whitney bathed in the light of the morning sun.
The sun just before it breaks the crest of the Inyo Mountains.
The sun rises over the distant Inyo Mountains and the Alabama Hills in the foreground.
Sab
Those are so gorgeous.
JPL
Definitely not the state of Alabama. Beautiful pictures.
Mary G
Lovely and peaceful, thanks Bill.
raven
sweet
MazeDancer
Quite beautiful photos!
Falling Diphthong
Really love the two with the Inoyo mountains–captures the feeling of the light abruptly intensifying.
eclare
Beautiful. How far away from Glendale are the mountains?
Dmbeaster
@eclare: Its 200 miles from Glendale to Lone Pine where those photos were taken – less than 3 hours as its an excellent highway.
arrieve
Beautiful. I seldom see a sunrise so they always seem more thrilling than sunsets. Last year I spent several days in Hilton Head and saw the sun rise from the beach every morning.
SiubhanDuinne
Gorgeous.
Benw
Noice
waynel140
Outstanding. As someone getting back into photography and studying at YouTube U., I love your use of layering depth, esp with the light. Just makes beautiful, almost 3-dimensional, photographs. This is photography as art. (I always have preferred realistic over abstract.)
frosty
@Dmbeaster: I love 395. It’s been far too many years since I went up that road. Hoping to get there next year, COVID willing.
Beautiful pictures. Almost makes me want to get up early in the morning.
Dmbeaster
@frosty: Me too. Just drove it twice last week for a backpacking trip to Yosemite. Also took my sis and her husband into the Whites for fossil collecting in the Middle Poleta and walking in the bristlecones. Also took them to Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine and Schatts in Bishop.
Sadly, Galen Rowell’s gallery in Bishop is now gone.
Yutsano
@frosty: Fun fact: 395 runs right by my apartment in Washington. It’s a really long highway.
JustRuss
Lovely pics as usual, Bill.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Sab: I’d been up there a bit later in the morning and since I was already most of the way up there I though I’d try to get up there for sunrise, well worth it.
@JPL: Not Alabama, but they are named for Alabama.
@Mary G: It was pretty quite up there, even for a Saturday morning.
@raven: Thanks.
@MazeDancer: Hard to take a bad picture there.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Falling Diphthong: Those were take about a minute apart and I used different zoom levels(16 and 50mm).
@eclare: I Dmbeaster answered the question.
@Dmbeaster: You drive faster than I do, it’s about 3 1/2 hours for me.
@arrieve: I don’t often see the sunrise either, unless it’s at the end of a night shoot or a timelapse.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@SiubhanDuinne:
@Benw: Thanks.
@waynel140: Hmmm, I do have a 3-D lens…
@frosty: It’s really pretty up there, some of the local photogs are planning a trip up to the dishes up by Big Pine in the next week or so, I may be making another trip. Actually I’m headed to Fossil Falls tonight. I’d really like to get up to north of Bishop for the fall colors this year.
@Dmbeaster: Drove by Copper Top BBQ last May when I did my photos of the Palisades.
HinTN
Great pix, Billin. Thanks, as always!
Inquiring minds want to know if those little white streaks on the flanks of the mountains are snow.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Yutsano: Yup, from I-15 to the Canadian border. I passed the southern terminus Sunday night/Monday morning.
@JustRuss: Thanks.
@HinTN: Thanks, and I’m pretty sure it is snow.
Sister Golden Bear
@HinTN: Yes they’re snow. There’s year-round patches in places that are shady.
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Brings back fond memories. My family used to go backpacking in the Mammoth areas every summer, and when I lived in LA, I used to ski there regularly. (If you haven’t consider doing so, I definitely recommend a winter photo shoot—the snows almost reach the valley floor and it’s hella dramatic.)
Just visited the area a month ago, and bought waaay too many carbs at Schat’s. I’ll have submit some photos.
Origuy
Thanks, Bill. Really spectacular.
Tommy D
Hollywood knew too. About 500 movies were shot in the Alabama Hills, and Lone Pine has a great little movie museum documenting them.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Sister Golden Bear: I’ve never been north of Bishop, but I really want to get shots of the fall colors around and north of Bishop this year. I did get some shots from the same area as these shots in February.
@Origuy: Thanks, glad I made the drive north from Fossil Falls that morning.
@Tommy D: Yup, quite a few westerns were shot up there.
Mike G
Beautiful area, heading to Mammoth next week.
Apparently they’ve had more visitors than usual this summer.
Copper Top BBQ is good, though eating outdoors is a chore when it’s 100F and flies are around. There’s a French bistro in Independence. Unusual to see such a place in a tiny town.
waynel140
Bill, I am dying for a 16-35mm. The f2.8 or f4? Maybe if another stimulus check comes around, I can help the economy. Is the wide-angle zoom your everyday lens for landscape photograph?
suilebhan
Thank so much for these beautiful photos. I crave beauty in these ugly times.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Mike G: When I go on these trips, I usually don’t eat. When I went to Joshua Tree in June with Madame, we got food, she ate, I didn’t. I just never have the time to eat, I’m working. I saw Copper Top in Big Pine but I missed the French bistro and I stopped in Independence.
@waynel140: I’m dying for a new camera! So if we get some more stimulus, I’m in for a Sony A7Riv(or A7iv if it’s out). All of these shots are done with the kit lens on my Samsung NX1. It’s a 16-50mm zoom f/2-f/2.8, APS-C(so 24-75, f/3.5-f/4.3 FF equivalent).
@suilebhan: I’m here to help, I shot out at Amboy this past Sunday evening(my best Milky Way stuff to date) and I’m headed to Fossil Falls tonight. I’ve got some shots from Whitney Portal in the OTR queue.
BigJimSlade
Very nice – I think the 6th picture, “Mt. Whitney bathed in the light of the morning sun” might be a good candidate for black and white. And the sunrise (last one) is great :-)
3ish hour drive? You could be back in time for lunch, lol.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@BigJimSlade: I drove up to Whitney Portal after these shots so I was back about 2pm. Yeah, I could try something interesting with that 6th pic. Thanks.
Richard
I love that country. Thank you. Lone Pine and Independence were nice little towns last time i was there. Olancha has the famous “fossil waterfall”. There is a lot to see there. I forget, i think her name was Mary Austin who wrote that classic book. I think it is called Land of Little Rain or similar. I met that old lady when i was a kid. I love that country.