Lava Beds National Monument - Caving Postcard

This image captures a portion of Valentine Cave in Lava Beds National Monument in Siskiyou County, California. This point, several hundred feet from the mouth of the cave, is in total darkness, making photography challenging. It’s also one of the more popular caves, adding to that challenge. When my wife and I were there on an April afternoon, we were fortunate to have this spot to ourselves for about 15 minutes, which was just long enough to capture the six frames that were used here. I set my camera on a tripod and set it for 30-second exposures. I then had my wife depress the shutter button for each exposure as I walked in front of the camera “light painting” the walls with a handheld flashlight. By keeping the light aimed as close to 90 degrees as I could to the camera lens, I was able to show the textures and details a good bit better than the flat image that would have resulted from a camera-mounted flash. A ½ CTO (color temperature orange) gel on the lens of the LED light offset the blue cast that would have resulted from using the light “naked.” Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California showcases a rugged volcanic landscape shaped by the eruptions of the Medicine Lake Shield Volcano, which is larger than the nearby and far better-known Mount Shasta (a composite volcano). Among its many lava tube caves, Valentine Cave stands out for its wide, smooth passages and easy accessibility. Formed by flowing lava thousands of years ago, the cave invites visitors to explore its dark corridors and marvel at the power of geologic forces beneath the earth's surface.