The Death Valley mud cracks are one of the most fascinating and surreal subjects I've ever photographed in Death Valley National Park. That year they were especially popular with photographers as everyone was trying to track down these intricate geometric patterns across the valley floor.
Death Valley is the largest national park south of Alaska, so finding these mud cracks takes research, collaboration, and scouting. In October 2015, a massive thunderstorm flooded several areas, eroding huge amounts of loose rock and dirt into massive mudflows, one even destroyed Scotty's Castle. Gravity carried the mud down the alluvial fans onto the valley floor. After time and intense desert heat, the mud layer dried and cracked into these stunning, abstract patterns.
The biggest challenge was finding a strong composition. As golden hour approached, I spotted this incredible mud cracked shape, the perfect foreground for the photo as the sunset burned. Death Valley never ceases to amaze with its raw, otherworldly beauty.