On May 19th Jeff Price and Dan Harding left the coast at 4:30 am to arrive in the Mojave Desert at sunrise, looking for some reptile critters to photograph . . . and see movie above
Reptiles at Black Butte
Black Butte, rising 980 feet above desert floor
Dan’s Element was a great way to get around the desert
Arriving at Black Butte
We explored many desert canyons like this one
Dan with gear at the ready, pillow used as camera rest
Dan used a powerful digital telephoto camera
Dan in center, as shot with Jeff’s small digital camera
Jeff, as shot by Dan at same time as prior photo
Small ridge off Black Butte
We see a male “desert spiny” sunning himself on a rock
Dan climbs as close as possible without spooking it
Dan getting some lizard closeups on ridge
Desert spiny lizard
Sceloporus magister
Dan using pillow as camera rest, no space for tripod
After Dan gets photos Jeff tries to snare the lizard
Great shot of lizard just as Jeff’s noose approaches
Releasing noose from lizard
(fly on Jeff’s ring)
Great catch, now we’ll make you a film star
Dan getting extreme closeups with macro lens
Belly of the desert spiny
Released lizard heads back to his home turf
Desert wren
Computer shot full of holes, left by uncaring campers
Joshua tree fruit as Dan searches for more lizards
Great wide-brim hat on a 102° day in the desert
Desert lichen closeup
View north from ridge
at Black Butte
Desert canyon
Dan spots a male chuckwalla on top of a boulder
Lizard “evidence” on rock
Dan gets close, lizard on rock just below his camera
Desert chuckwalla
Sauromalus ater
Colorful species against blue desert sky
Great shot just before lizard drops into a rock crevice
Lizard emerging from rock crevice, back into sun
On lower rock for better sun
He moves out far enough for Jeff’s camera to get this shot
After Dan’s photo shoot, Jeff tries to snare the big lizard
Chuck and Jeff
Big lizard!
Headshot
Inspecting for parasites, this one is clean and healthy
Released on rock wall, we wait for it to scramble away
Chuck just sits, so Dan gets a few more closeups
Amazing colors
Still shots
Dan moves closer
Hey, no need for telephoto lens at that range