Having acquired a new hobby of astrophotography, Anne and I have been taking regular excursions around the time of the new moon to dark sky locations far from the marine layer that obscures our view of the stars at home. The Mojave desert is a good place for reliable dark and clear skies, but in summer it gets forbiddingly hot once the sun has risen. Thus, we have been venturing further afield to higher and cooler elevations, driving up highway 395 through Owen’s valley toward Mono Lake. For astrophotography this area boasts Bortl1 skies, about as dark as it is possible to find in the lower 48 states. Moreover, the Mono basin holds many interesting locations for daytime landscape photography. One that I had not previously explored is marked by a highway sign a few miles south of Mono Lake pointing to a dirt road leading to Obsidian Dome.
The name “dome” conjures up an image of a rounded, compact dome of obsidian. However, arriving there we foundsomething rather different; tObsidian Dome is actually a 400ft high chaotic mass of volcanic rocks, created by eruptions as recently as 600 years ago, and extending over 5 square miles. The dirt road continues around the perimeter of the dome, where massive blocks of obsidian overhang the steep escarpment, from which large boulders have tumbled down to the forest floor. We parked at a shady clearing between the trees, and I wandered around the base of the dome. At first glance there did not seem to be much photographic promise,
But a closer look among the ankle-twisting jumble of rocks revealed hidden gems...
Unlike most rocks that take thousands (or even millions) of years to form, obsidian is created in the blink of a geological eye from lava that cooled so fast that it did not have time to form crystals. It is famous for its jet-black appearance but, despite its dark color, obsidian catches and reflects light in a way that adds depth and intrigue to its appearance. When polished, obsidian achieves a mirror-like finish, and polished obsidian stones (Scrying Mirrors} were used as divination tools by priests and shamans In Mesoamerican cultures for rituals communicating with spirits.
Even in their natural state many of the obsidian boulders at the base of the dome appeared polished and highly reflective, glinting brightly in the sunlight. The sun reflections were too bright and contrasty to photograph, so I crouched down and sought out polished areas on the shaded side of the boulders. There, the obsidian reflected the blue sky in wonderfully varied patterns, determined by the topography the glass surface as it cooled. Unexpectedly, I could also see patches of red interleaved among the blue! Fortuitously, I happened to be wearing a red T shirt that day which, catching the sunlight, threw a bright illumination on the obsidian. The interleaved patterns of red and blue reflections changed kaleidoscopically as I altered my viewpoint, and as I moved to reposition the light source from my T shirt.
The Aztecs believed that the reflections from obsidian mirrors had the power to reveal hidden truths, communicate with the spirit world, and foretell the future. While I don't believe that the images I show here posess such powers, it does seem that I may have stumbled on a unique new niche of abstract photography; Google searches have not pulled up similar images.
OBSIDIAN T SHIRT REFLECTIONS
The area around Obsidian Dome has been well picked over by rockhounders, and I was not able to find any small pieces of obsidian among the large, immovable blocks. However, after a strenuous hike to a more remote location at the top of the Mono/Inyo craters I did find a fist-sized chunk of obsidian that evoked some beautiful faceted reflections.
Black Mirror
- Obsidian T shirt reflection #1
On a second visit to the Obsidian Dome I used a deflated beach ball to generate a wider color palette.
OBSIDIAN BEACH BALL REFLECTIONS
OBSIDIAN IN NATURAL COLORS
created 08/31/2025
