"GPS . . . Don't leave home without it ."

The backstory behind the picture . . . Joshua Tree NP is an easy place in which to get lost. It is a maze of granite boulder piles that look identical and change drastically when you change your angle (remember that recent car commercial about that couple who couldn't find their vehicle parked behind a boulder pile when they were right next to it?). You can't get a landmark, and Rangers report numerous people getting lost every year. Early Saturday morning I got "lost" for about half an hour and I was only about 300 yards from the main road! Anyway . . . Saturday night I wanted to take some time exposures of Arch Rock washed in different colors of light from a fancy flashlight. The arch is only about a quarter of a mile from White Tank campground and using a headlamp and flashlight I had no trouble finding the arch. I was there for about 15 minutes playing with different lighting configurations when I was shocked to hear a panicked voice yell out "Help me! Help, I'm lost!" A 20-ish kid had gone out early that morning to find the arch, took some serious wrong turns and had spent the entire day wandering aimlessly in the desert! He saw my light play on the arch and was drawn like moth to flame. Other than being rattled, after we made the 1/4 mile walk to my Jeep he seemed none the worse for wear after some Gatorade and Aussie bites.
The photo was 30" @ f/16 with my 24-105 and long exposure noise reduction cf turned on:

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Sure hope that his pants weren't soiled when he sat in your Jeep (if you know what I mean).

Good looking comp, Bruce...curious as yo what type of "fancy flashlight" you used, also the lumens rating?

Nice comp, but seems a bit "red" oversaturated. Maybe it's my eyes...I don't know; been a rough Monday. :S

nice photo, good save on the kid. i carry a gps and a acr microfix 406 PLB with me.

Another nice shot. It looks like there is some light coming through the arch from the right. Is that from the moon, or is it just the colors playing with my eyes? Good job on saving the kid. He was probably pretty happy to find you!

argyle wrote in post #13836581
Sure hope that his pants weren't soiled when he sat in your Jeep (if you know what I mean).

Good looking comp, Bruce...curious as yo what type of "fancy flashlight" you used, also the lumens rating?

Well . . . fancy might be too strong a word for it. Its a Smith and Wesson LED flashlight; white light is 110 Lumens, and the Red, Blue and Green lights are 70 Lumens. Made of ballistic metal (?). Kind of fun to play with photo wise.

KoalaCowboy wrote in post #13836655
Nice comp, but seems a bit "red" oversaturated. Maybe it's my eyes...I don't know; been a rough Monday. :S

Yes, it is red. I used a red flashlight.

rick_reno wrote in post #13836801
nice photo, good save on the kid. i carry a gps and a acr microfix 406 PLB with me.

U R wise to do so!

paul3221 wrote in post #13836915
Another nice shot. It looks like there is some light coming through the arch from the right. Is that from the moon, or is it just the colors playing with my eyes? Good job on saving the kid. He was probably pretty happy to find you!

Yes---the moon was at top right. A cool shot would be the full moon through the arch. What are you doing tomorrow night?

irishman wrote in post #13836993
Well . . . fancy might be too strong a word for it. Its a Smith and Wesson LED flashlight; white light is 110 Lumens, and the Red, Blue and Green lights are 70 Lumens. Made of ballistic metal (?). Kind of fun to play with photo wise.

My guess would be that the kid was never in the Boy Scouts He needs to get himself a SPOT II GPS unit...at the push of a button, it will send in "all okay" or "need help" message via email and text to anyone of one's choosing, along with the the current GPS coordinates...handy little device, especially if one is apt to go out alone. Thanks for the info on the lighting.

From Connecticut, moving to LA, never been in the wilderness before, said would never do it again either.

irishman wrote in post #13837017
Yes, it is red. I used a red flashlight.

Well, that would certainly explain things! LOL

Nice work, Bruce. I'll have to try some night shots out there somewhere.

Good story and a fun picture. We were there several years ago and went to the arch. Back at the campground was a couple who said they'd been camped for two days and couldn't find the arch! I tried to help but they had this blank look, might have been caused by the haze around them.

irishman wrote in post #13837017
Yes---the moon was at top right. A cool shot would be the full moon through the arch. What are you doing tomorrow night?

Not zipping over to Joshua Tree if that's what you're thinking... I am hoping to head out somewhere this weekend to shoot. I'll keep you posted if I do anything...

Great shot! The red is very space-like. Great back-story too.

argyle wrote in post #13837195
My guess would be that the kid was never in the Boy Scouts He needs to get himself a SPOT II GPS unit...at the push of a button, it will send in "all okay" or "need help" message via email and text to anyone of one's choosing, along with the the current GPS coordinates...handy little device, especially if one is apt to go out alone. Thanks for the info on the lighting.

I don't feel bad for the kid though - he shouldn't be walking around without knowing how to navigate in the desert (pay attention to direction, compass, sun, etc). Good thing Irishman saved him!

Good shot Irishman!

I was a set of an alarm away from going to Joshua Tree this past Saturday as well. Too bad I won't be in town this weekend or I would have joined you out there.