This museum grade fine art photograph is available in a fine art limited edition of 200, signed and numbered with a signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided for additional provenance.
Glowing Beacon - Storm Cloud Sunrise over Zabriskie Point and Manly Beacon, Death Valley, California
Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California
Storm Clouds at Sunrise over Manly Beacon, Red Cathedral, Panamint Range and "Death Valley Waves" at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park
Sunrise illuminates the top of Manly Beacon, Red Cathedral and the Panamint Range across the valley from Zabriskie Point with a golden color as the storm clouds covering the skies softly glow with yellow, orange, purple and magenta colors. The "Death Valley Waves" roll across the badlands in the foreground below Manly Beacon and Red Cathedral. These rolling wave formations in the badlands surrounding Manly Beacon and Red Cathedral have no official name, they are among the unnamed geological features of the Zabriskie Point badlands. As such, I have nicknamed them the Death Valley Waves.
Manly Beacon rises to an elevation of 823 feet, and is named after William Lewis Manly who guided the 1849 Death Valley emigrants to safety. The Red Cathedral gets its name from the red, iron rich fluted walls and its eroded, jagged spire. The iron-rich sediment found here is part of the Furnace Creek Formation.
Iron-rich minerals produce the vivid reds, pinks, and yellows seen here, mica and chlorite create the striking turquoise in the foreground and manganese produces the deep purples mixed into the landscape here. The Red Cathedral is the rust-colored ridge with distinctive fluted red walls composed of oxidized sandstone rising to an elevation of 943 feet, a figure confirmed via Gaia GPS and SummitPost as no official USGS elevation exists for this formation. The iron oxide, mica, chlorite and manganese responsible for the vivid colors here are the same geologic processes that create the vivid colors at Artist's Palette.
To see different perspectives of Zabriskie Point at sunrise, please see Red Cathedral Sunrise, Morning Glow, Death Valley's Awakening, Perpetual Dream, and Pink Dawn.
To see Zabriskie Point at sunset, please see Desert Waves, The Red Cathedral and Zabriskie's Last Light.
The History of Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point is named after Christian Brevoort Zabriskie (1864-1936), who was Vice President of the Pacific Coast Borax Company. His famous twenty-mule teams hauled borax from Death Valley's mines. The badlands around Zabriskie Point are composed of sediments from the ancient Furnace Creek Lake (known as a paleolake), which dried up approximately 5 million years ago, depositing the sediments of the Furnace Creek Formation visible today at Zabriskie Point and Golden Canyon. Beyond its geological significance, Zabriskie Point has a pop culture history as well: Zabriskie Point's otherworldly terrain was used in the 1964 film Robinson Crusoe on Mars, with most exterior scenes in the 1964 movie filmed at Zabriskie Point. 13 years later, the Golden Canyon section of the Zabriskie Point badlands appeared in the original 1977 Star Wars (now known as Star Wars: A New Hope), where it was used in the scenes where the Jawas attack in Jawa Canyon, as well as the scenes where Luke is attacked by Tusken Raiders. It also served as the backdrop for the cover of U2's Joshua Tree album. Pictures from Zabriskie Point were also used to create the planet Arvala-7 in the first season of The Mandalorian. In fact, in the very first episode the spaceship arriving to the planet flew above Manly Beacon and the Red Cathedral at Zabriskie Point.
Technical Specifications
- Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
- Settings: 35mm | f/11 | 1/15 Second | ISO 100
- Process: Single Exposure | Bespoke Multi-Layer Noise Management (Manual Masking to preserve fine detail and raw data integrity)
Note on Provenance
Captured using the single exposure workflow of the "Mead Method," developed over 15 years of fine art landscape experience. This image preserves a genuine, single moment in time executed entirely in the field without the use of composites, sky swaps, or generative AI. Just a single moment in time, preserved
Photo © copyright by James Mead.
Chromaluxe® Metal Prints | Gallery Float Ready to Hang
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• Float mount backing for a frameless, floating display. Ready to hang out of the box
• Signed and Numbered Limited Editions of 200
• Signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided for additional provenance
• Hand Crafted in the USA by our master printmakers
Please contact me for Alaska, Hawaii, and international shipping rates. Please allow 3-4 weeks for production and delivery.
These metal prints are ideal for collectors seeking a contemporary look with museum-quality output. Resistant to scratch, moisture and UV fading, they work beautifully in both home and office settings.
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Lumachrome TruLife® Acrylic HD Fine Art Prints | Gallery Float Ready to Hang
Museum-Grade Brilliance. Gallery-Worthy Depth.
Bring home the brilliance of nature with the industry’s finest print medium. My Lumachrome TruLife® Acrylic HD Fine Art Prints are crafted using a state-of-the-art process that infuses archival pigments into a transparency layer, backed by a clear acrylic backer and mounted under crystal-clear TruLife® acrylic. This creates a luminous, almost 3D effect. Colors appear to glow from within.
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• 1/8" clear acrylic backer mounted using an archival adhesive layer
• 1.25” Roma wooden rear float mount frame inset 2” from the edge for a clean, frameless display that is ready to hang
• Signed and Numbered Limited Editions of 200
• Signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided for additional provenance
• Hand Crafted in the USA by our master printmakers
• Ready to hang out of the box: no glass or framing required
Please contact me for Alaska, Hawaii, and international shipping rates. Please allow 3-4 weeks for production and delivery.
Whether you're designing a luxury interior or curating a personal gallery, these prints are built to impress and designed to last a lifetime.
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Roma Framed Lumachrome TruLife® Acrylic HD Fine Art Prints | Museum-Quality Ready to Hang
Timeless elegance. Unrivaled depth. A true centerpiece.
My Roma Framed Lumachrome TruLife® Acrylic HD Fine Art Prints represent the pinnacle of archival display. These statement pieces combine the award-winning brilliance of Lumachrome HD with the craftsmanship of custom Roma wood mouldings, transforming your chosen image into an heirloom-worthy work of art.
Each piece is handcrafted by master printmakers and framers in the USA using museum-grade materials. The print itself is infused with archival pigments into a transparency layer, mounted to an archival acrylic backer and face-mounted and sealed under a 1/8" layer of crystal-clear TruLife® acrylic: a premium optically-coated surface that eliminates reflections and enhances depth, vibrance, and clarity.
Surrounding this luminous presentation is your choice of genuine Roma Moulding, hand-built with a choice of 3.5" or 4" Italian made wooden Roma frame with a 3" black linen liner for a refined, framed, museum grade appearance. This adds approximately 13 to 14 inches to both the height and width of the final piece. This level of finish is rarely seen outside of luxury interiors and gallery exhibitions.
After placing your order, I’ll reach out personally to confirm your ideal frame and liner pairing from my curated Roma collection. If you’d prefer to finalize your framing choice in advance, feel free to reach out any time for a custom recommendation.
These museum grade works of art feature:
• Gallery-grade presentation with luminous depth and 3D effect
• TruLife® acrylic: anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, and blocks 99% of UV
• Archival quality construction with pH-neutral adhesive and backer
• Available in your choice of 3.5" or 4" Roma wood mouldings with a black linen liner for a framed, museum-grade appearance
• Museum-grade 3" black linen liner for added depth and visual separation
• Signed and Numbered Limited Editions of 200
• Signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) provided for additional provenance
• Hand Crafted in the USA by our master printmakers
• Ready to hang out of the box: no glass or framing required
Please contact me for Alaska, Hawaii, and international shipping rates. Please allow 4-5 weeks for production and delivery.
Whether displayed in a luxury residence, corporate lobby, or fine art collection, these framed prints command attention and offer a sense of permanence few art mediums can match.
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These are investment-grade art pieces designed to last generations. If you have any questions, need any mock-ups or if you need anything else before purchase, please reach out and I will be in contact shortly.