These photos differ a lot but not just because of the different models. The picture on the left was shot in Summer 36 years ago, while the other one was taken last Spring. The positions of the Sun (times of the day) are also different. But, apart from such 'natural' differences, there are others regarding the photographic technique itself.

Both pictures were taken with simple, unpretensious cameras. The old one had a much narrower field of view so the photographer had to stay far from the model in order to capture a significant portion of the background landscape (on the other hand, the shot conveys distances better than the recent one). Also, the old picture was taken on a Kodak film and the emulsions have since then deteriorated quite a bit. The recent picture was born digital, so it will never deteriorate. Most striking, however, are the differences in the range and fidelity of colors: despite efforts to digitally enhance the scanned old photo, it was impossible to get anywhere close to the symphony of hues captured by the present-day digital camera.

There are few changes in the landscape. The terrain in the recent photo appears to be a bit worn in all easily accessible places, no doubt because people are undisciplined and walk all over. The 1971 information board is missing in 2007; click here if you want to know what was written on it and/or see the palette without a model.

Death Valley National Park, California, USA, August 1971 (left) and April 2007 (right)