Photography Playdate In The Alabama Hills

If someone asked a photographer what their idea of an ideal landscape for people like themselves, they might just come up with a description of the Alabama Hills west of the California town of Lone Pine. Dramatic (one might say, epic) scenery, tons of possible foreground opportunities, endless places to explore and get unique images, and, last but not least, the frequency of fantastic light at sunset and sunrise. Not to mention that you can just drive your RV or four-wheel drive vehicle right into the hills and pick a place to park for the night, set up a tent, and wait for the great light. No doubt about it, the Alabama Hills is a photographer's playground.
The Alabama Hills, a favorite location of Ansel Adams, has been featured in many a Hollywood Western movie, one of the most recent being Django Unchained by Quentin Tarantino. Hollywood has come to Lone Pine so often that the town now has a "museum" that pays homage to all the films that have used the Alabama Hills as a set location.
Another great thing about the Alabama Hills is that it's relatively easy to find unobstructed views of the Inyo mountains to the east and the Sierra Nevada to the west, so sunset and sunrise photography both are accessible, depending on which direction the best light is coming from.
I've been to the Alabama Hills twice now, and each time I come away marveling at how much more there is to explore in terms of photographic opportunities.