Photography Exhibit Opens at Joshua Tree Visitor Center

Joshua Tree National Park, in partnership with the Joshua Tree National Park Association, announces the opening today of the Miles of Wonder photography exhibit at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center, 6554 Park Boulevard, in the community of Joshua Tree, California. Over 190 stunning color photographs by local nature photographer, David Jesse McChesney, depict the scenery, plant life, and wildlife of Joshua Tree National Park. The exhibit, curated by Mr. McChesney, will be on display until June 8, 2009 and is free to the public.

The story of America’s national parks has long been told through the sensitive eyes of such photographic masters as William Henry Jackson, Ansel Adams, Joseph and David Muench, and many others. Now, David McChesney uses his camera’s lens to reveal the intricate, yet subtle interplay of the park’s Mojave and Colorado Desert landscapes with their supremely adapted desert life forms. Where earlier photographers created their masterpieces using film and chemical processes, McChesney works in the digital domain of pixels to show views of Joshua Tree National Park that most park visitors seldom experience.

In 2007, the Joshua Tree Visitor Center hosted the America’s Best Idea exhibit, a collection of panoramic photos, one each, of all 58 of the nation’s national parks. The Miles of Wonder exhibit is a remarkably detailed look at a single national park– Joshua Tree, and its images show rare views of weather, wildlife behavior, and other natural phenomena that reveal the desert’s inner beauty.

The Joshua Tree Visitor Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Apart from the exhibit, park rangers and Association staff are on hand to assist the public and answer questions about visiting Joshua Tree National Park. Visitors can pick up federal recreation passes, books, and information about ranger programs and visitor services available at the park.