Just went to Death Valley this weekend, for a 48 hour, whirlwind trip. Also just got my first, ever, red filter for B&W shots, a Tiffen #29 red, to go over a very dirty (and soon to be replaced) circular polarizer.

So, then:

Very possibly the most astoundingly lucky thing I've ever shot.

Zabriske Point, Death Valley. Just after mid day. Light so unbelievably, insanely bright, I couldn't see my viewfinder.

I saw a runner, out in the middle of effing NOWHERE, running down a ridge, going to nowhere. Headed down from on high to what's known as The Golden Valley. I had no idea if I could capture the pic, but put my hands around my forehead and my EVF and hoped it would turn out well.



Badwater Basin. Famous. Shot so often that I didn't know how to get something interesting. Big name talent making extraordinary shots of places in the basin I don't know yet.

So I got what amounts to the isolation of other photographers trying to capture what my little light sensor couldn't.



Sunset creeping in, taken from the same place as above, somewhat later, looking NE from waaaay out in the salt pan.



The Mesquite Dunes, shot rather too late in the morning, groups of photographers everywhere, and I mean everywhere, except when one walks a good 2 miles straight out into the middle of the dunes. Footprints from earlier days, animal tracks, gorgeous nevertheless.



One from the middle of the Mesquite Dunes, where no one had stepped for a few days. Dead trees, coming out of the sand.



Thanks for looking, folks, I am humbled by the massive, truly massive nature of Death Valley and it's immediate surroundings.

Huge beyond huge, and I thought I'd been everywhere worth seeing in CA.

Newp.

Oh, yeah: one in color, as well.

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tanngrisnir3

One from the middle of the Mesquite Dunes, where no one had stepped for a few days. Dead trees, coming out of the sand.

... I am humbled by the massive, truly massive nature of Death Valley and it's immediate surroundings.
Huge beyond huge, and I thought I'd been everywhere worth seeing in CA.

When you have an opportunity, go to the Eureka Dunes in the N part of the park:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/eureka-dunes.htm
They are not easily assessible from the main part of the park; the best way to get there is out of Big Pine. They far overshadow the Mesquite Dunes.

Also, if memory serves me properly, Death Valley is easily the largest NP in the lower 48 states.

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szalkowski

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tanngrisnir3

One from the middle of the Mesquite Dunes, where no one had stepped for a few days. Dead trees, coming out of the sand.

... I am humbled by the massive, truly massive nature of Death Valley and it's immediate surroundings.
Huge beyond huge, and I thought I'd been everywhere worth seeing in CA.

When you have an opportunity, go to the Eureka Dunes in the N part of the park:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/eureka-dunes.htm
They are not easily assessible from the main part of the park; the best way to get there is out of Big Pine. They far overshadow the Mesquite Dunes.

Also, if memory serves me properly, Death Valley is easily the largest NP in the lower 48 states.

Yes, I plan on going there, but am in need of a 4wd first.

Looking at Jeep Cherokee Sports on Craigslist all the time.

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tanngrisnir3

Quote
szalkowski
When you have an opportunity, go to the Eureka Dunes in the N part of the park:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/eureka-dunes.htm
They are not easily assessible from the main part of the park; the best way to get there is out of Big Pine. They far overshadow the Mesquite Dunes.

Also, if memory serves me properly, Death Valley is easily the largest NP in the lower 48 states.

Yes, I plan on going there, but am in need of a 4wd first.

If you go this route out of Big Pine, you don't need a 4wd (my son and I have done it perhaps 5 times in Saturn SL2 sedans):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Big+Pine,+CA&daddr=Eureka+Dunes,+CA&hl=en&geocode=FYMXNwIddgvz-CnNtgU-40m-gDGTrSStZXLzvQ%3BFVYJNgIdo2r8-ClbSnt7Qhq_gDGNg-o3LeK_Rg&mra=ls&sll=37.19369,-118.22319&sspn=0.125532,0.216637&ie=UTF8&z=10


In the lower 48 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_parks_of_the_United_States ):
Death Valley is #1 in area at 13,600 km²
Yellowstone is #2 in area at 9,000 km²



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2011 09:00PM by szalkowski.

You don't need 4WD for Eureka Dunes but you do need a car with a sound exhaust system and good shocks as the road is pretty washboardy. If memory serves it is about 25 miles from the main road to the dunes.

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Old Dude

The ridge on that last shot is surreal. I love it. My friend got a similar shot to your first one of me walking along the ridge of a sand dune at a distance. I'd like to see the color versions if you have them. Nice shots as always

Gorgeous! I took a photography class in Jr. High, and had a pretty nice "real" camera my dad bartered for. My dreams of becoming a famous photographer faded one summer day on a highway in west Texas when we'd just pulled away from some historical site and heard a 'thump' -- my camera falling off the top of the car.

I always say I'm going to get another "real" camera some day. Some day.

The color one is good but pales in comparison to those great B&W shots.

I like the first, but I would crop it so the guy is not dead center.