Death Valley 2007
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What most people think of when they think of Death Valley is heat that leads to, well…death. With world-record heat recorded at several points in the valley, this is not an unreasonable concern, and so most people tend to visit the park in the winter and spring. I did this myself in April of 2006, and you can see the results of that excursion here. I had a great time last year and so went back this year in March and April. But Spring can be a very tricky time in Death Valley. In March I encountered afternoons in the mid-90s, while in April, I wasn’t sure if my sleeping bag was going to be warm enough, and many locations – even at lower altitude – were uncomfortably cold. |
But, as I found last year, Death Valley is a park with unbelievable variety of terrains and climates. What’s more, much of the terrain in Death Valley is unlike any that you’ll find anywhere else in the world.
One of the quickest ways to appreciate Death Valley’s rapidly changing terrain is to get yourself to Badwater which, at 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest place in the continental U.S. From that vantage point you can see directly to the top of Telescope Peak, (elevation 11,049 feet) and you’re only roughly 2 to 2 1/2 hours from Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the contintental U.S.
While the weather is difficult to predict, one thing is fairly certain: if you go to Death Valley in the springtime, you’ll see lots of photographers, especially in the more popular locations in the park.
Sunrise at Zibriskie Point
| You’ll probably be most frustrated by the swarms of other shooters when working in Death Valley’s sand dunes. There are four dune fields in the park, with the most popular one being the field just outside of Stovepipe Wells. If you’re hoping to shoot smooth unmolested dunes, though, you’ll need to be prepared to do some extra work. In the main dune field, you’ll be hard-pressed to find dunes that aren’t covered with footprints, but if you’re willing to hike farther into the field – and if you’re willing to give up access to some |
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of the larger dunes – then you can usually find some that haven’t been trod upon. Also, a little creativity can go a long way, and you might be able to find interesting shots even in the footprint-loaded dunes.
The best way to shoot clean dunes, though, is to get to one of the other dune fields. The other dunes are much more remote, and often unreachable except after hikes of several miles across open desert. Alternately, you can simply hope for a big rain or wind storm, and then get to the dunes as early as possible.
But don’t get too fixated on the dunes. There’s lots more to see in Death Valley’s side canyons and neighboring valleys. Just remember to plan for pummeling heat and severe dehydration. You might want to leave your heavier lenses behind so as to carry more water, and to afford yourself the ability to cover more ground.
Most of the images in the 2007 gallery were shot with a Canon EOS 5D with either the 24-105 L or 16-35 2.8L II. A few were shot with the Canon EOS 20D with the 10-22 EF-S or 75-300 EF. If you’re taking an SLR to Death Valley, do yourself a favor and decide right now that you will come back with bad sensor dust, and go ahead and budget some time for a lot of spotting on your images. Even if you don’t get caught in a nasty sandstorm that dumps buckets of sand into your tent (the storm was so strong the only way I could get my tent set up was to fill it with rocks) you’ll most likely get significant sensor dust just from changing lenses in the open desert.
As I mentioned last year, Death Valley is not for the feint of heart. If you want a comfortable shooting excursion, go elsewhere. If you’re willing to take some extra time and do a little extra work, Death Valley will provide you with excellent shooting opportunities.
View the new 2007 Death Valley Gallery
Comments
4 Comments on Death Valley 2007
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Kevin on
Wed, 2nd May 2007 2:15 am
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Kim G on
Tue, 22nd May 2007 11:13 am
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Digital Photo on
Fri, 17th Aug 2007 9:23 am
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Stephanie on
Tue, 13th Nov 2007 12:13 am
Ben, thanks for all that you provide to the online photography community. As usual your images are stunning. Looking at your work is inspiring, I can’t wait to get out this weekend and shoot. Good luck getting the dust out of your camera, and keep doing what you’re doing.
Beautiful photos Ben. Thanks for sharing.
Super set of photos in your 2007 Death Valley Gallery
Bravo !!!
those are beautiful. i hope i can visit it one day. you made it look so tempting.
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