Death Valley
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While Yosemite may be the "crown jewel" of the National Park Service, personally, I’ll take Death Valley any day. Undeveloped, unpopulated, and unbelievably beautiful, Death Valley’s odd geography – valleys 200 feet below sea level, bordered by 11,000 foot peaks – makes for striking vistas and strange phenomena. This gallery of 30 images was shot in April of 2006 as I spent four days tramping around the park. |
I had intended to go backpacking for a few days, but solo backpacking in Death Valley is a tricky proposition, simply because of the water situation (or rather, lack thereof). The rule of thumb is one gallon per day, which is a lot of water to carry if you also need to carry a regular amount of gear. I decided to switch to day hiking and car camping.
All of these images were shot with a Canon EOS 20D and one of three lenses: the Canon 75-300 EF, the Canon 10-22 EF-S or the Canon 17-85 EF-S. I gave my camera’s sensor a thorough cleaning before leaving but once in the park, resigned myself to the fact that my images were probably going to have sensor dust problems. There’s a lot of sand in Death Valley and some parts of the park are astoundingly windy. I tried to be careful, but I really don’t think it’s possible to change a lens on top of a sand dune in the middle of a gale without picking up a few specs. Sure enough, I had to do quite a bit of touch-up to all of the images taken from the moment I first entered the dune fields near Stovepipe Wells. With this in mind, you might save any trips into Death Valleys four different dune fields for later in your stay.
One of the most compelling things about Death Valley is the variation. In one day, you can go from sand dunes to slot canyons to volcano craters to dry lake beds, and have a fair amount of time in each location, and without an exhausting amount of driving.
Don’t get me wrong, Death Valley is a harsh environment. It’s painfully, oppressively hot, and you’ve got to manage your water supply very carefully. If you’re driving, then you’ve got to be sure to keep your car hydrated as well. In fact, you probably just shouldn’t go there. Yosemite’s not that far away, and it’s got all the comforts of home – trees, water, cars, neighbors, convenience stores. But don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on Death Valley for you and if it cools down, I’ll be sure to post a message.
Click here to view the gallery
The images in these galleries may not be used in any form (print or electronic) without the express permission of the photographer.
Comments
12 Comments on Death Valley
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Jim Webster on
Thu, 1st Jun 2006 11:51 am
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Jhy Turley on
Wed, 14th Jun 2006 9:52 am
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John Storck on
Mon, 19th Jun 2006 12:17 pm
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Alina Hagen on
Tue, 11th Jul 2006 10:41 am
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Mollie Locke on
Wed, 12th Jul 2006 5:57 pm
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Gustavo on
Sat, 29th Jul 2006 6:59 pm
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Ben Long on
Fri, 11th Aug 2006 5:04 pm
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bob borkoski on
Thu, 4th Jan 2007 4:34 pm
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Kim G on
Tue, 22nd May 2007 11:03 am
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Tim K on
Wed, 28th Nov 2007 9:45 am
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Anna on
Sat, 29th Dec 2007 5:37 am
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Randy W on
Thu, 31st Jul 2008 11:27 am
Nice set of pictures. Like the compositions. Excellent contrasts.
A fantastic set images. As a beginner landscape photographer, these photos are a great inspiration.
Wow… really beautiful images Ben! I recently purchased a Canon 20D and am trying my best to learn as much as possible about the camera (and digital photography itself). Death Valley is a destination high on my list but will wait until I have a firm understanding of the 20D… think I’ll wait for the winter months to approach as well. Question for you… I currently have the 17-85 mm lense, if you had to choose just one other lense to add to your bag (and you were a relatively new photographer) would you select the 10-22 EFS or something different. I would greatly appreciate your feedback… all the best to you!
Gorgeous, gorgeous photos of Death Valley! I’m a hobby travel photographer and absolutely drooled over your work… very inspirational.
I grew up on the outskirts of Death Valley and fell in love with the ever-changing colors and spectacular scenery as the sun moves throughout the day. Your photos capture the beauty, majesty, and harmony of the desert perfectly! Excellent photography! I’m forwarding a link to my family so they can enjoy! Thanks!
Nice color and composition. Q: what do you use to clean your sensor? I too have the need to change lenses in the middle of dusty, windy New Mexico. Thanks and good work.
Hi Gustavo, Thanks for the nice words. I’ve been using the sensor cleaning products sold by visibledust.com. For the grunge I picked up in Death Valley, I needed to use both one of their sensor brushes AND one of their “wet” solutions – a special fluid and swab set. Their stuff is very good and I’ve never had any troubles cleaning my own sensor. However, you do need to be careful when cleaning, as you can damage your camera. To learn more, check out: http://www.completedigitalphotography.com/?p=355
Great imagery. I am fortunate to be in Las Vegas once or twice a year for trade shows which gives me the opportunity to see and photograph much of the southwest. I also spent four days in Death Valley but opted for February 2006, much cooler temps. I was amazed at the diverse landscapes and desert color. Thanks for the tip on sensor cleaning, I have picked up a dust spec and it is very irrating, I at least knew enough to gently use a blower brush to clear it but I will pick up a butt blower for my camera bag when I visit New Mexico in May.
Great photos Ben. Were many of those HDR? Thanks for sharing your beautiful images. You should make a book of your best DV photos from your various trips there.
This is professional feedback from one pro to another.
You have the makings of a really nice book here.
The positive – Your compositions are inspired and wonderful and this work shows passion and dedication.
My only negative comment is that your Photoshop (I assume) retouching of the skies left something to be desired. In some shots the retouch is obvious, with halos at the mountain-sky border. In others, the skies look impossible – you just went a bit far. I am not picking on you here. Digital does not have the dynamic range of film. You MUST retouch skies (or shoot HDR images) to get them to look right. However some of the images here look impossible, as if they cold not exist and be seen with the naked eye. It is equally true that the tradititional dodged and burned images of Ansel Adams, our Grandaddy photog, are ‘impossible’ in some ways. However, his retouching – via dodging and burning on the print, was done in a much less obvious way.
These photos were great. I had no idea that Death Valley had such a varied landscape. Just goes to show. And I admire the intrepidity of the photographer.
Oh – I just realized who you are! Ben Long! I read your books! I love your books! You have the best digital imaging books I have ever seen! You got me through what no one else could! Thanks!
This is one of my first times visiting your site and for the most part I’ve found it to be informative and interesting. Well done. However, I too have a problem with your over use of HDR in so many of your otherwise excellent Death Valley shots. Only the non-photographer would be aw struck by that effect. I call it Flickr-goo, because all the newbies go goo goo for it. Perhaps next time you’d be better served by bringing a GND filter instead and ditching the trendy HDR effect. It has it’s place, but I think only when used in extreme moderation.
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