Death Valley

[spencer_chrouser]

<p>I'll be going to Death Valley for the day and I was hoping for some recommendations of some possible destinations while I'm there. Since I'll only be there for the day I'd like to get the most out of my day. I'm mainly going for landscapes and as I've never been I'm not sure what else there is to photograph there. I know this time of year they supposedly have excellent wild flowers in bloom, so that would be a bonus too. Any recommendations would be appreciated.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

[john_demott]

<p>A day is a very short time to visit Death Valley. Like many landscape locations, some of the best photography in Death Valley is around sunrise and sunset. Locations that are best at those times include the sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells, the view from Zabriskie Point and the salt flats at Badwater. During the hours between sunrise and sunset, you might consider exploring some of the side canyons such as the drive through Titus Canyon or hiking Darwin Canyon or visiting some of the old mining towns and sites like Rhyolite. There is much, much more to see, but the area is so vast that you can spend days just driving to and from various destinations.</p>

[bob_flood1]

<p>The dunes at Stovepipe Wells are a great idea, but can be time-consuming. You can walk out among the dunes, and that affords what feels like an endless number of views of the dunes. Midday is not the time to shoot the dunes - the overhead lighting flattens the dunes.</p>

<p>If there is standing water at Badwater, it makes for sensational reflection shots of the valley and Panamint Mountains shortly after sunrise. Zabriski Point is good early or late in the day. Dante's View on top of the mountains on the east side of the valley directly above Badwater can be good, but only if the visibility is very good.</p>

<p>My personal favorite is Artist's Palette. Between Furnace Creek and Badwater is a side road called Artist's Drive, a one-way loop that comes back to the same road. Out on the loop is a place of remarkable colored rocks called Artist's Point or Artist's Palette. The color photographs best later in the day once the sun has gone over the Panamint Mtns to the west. Direct sun on Artist's Point washes out the colors, but once the sun is gone the colors are amazing. Try to include a person somewhere in the photo give a reference for the size of the scene.</p>

<p>Keep an eye on the hillsides along the road between Furnace Creek and Badwater - you'll find some very interesting colors and rock formations worth shooting.</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>If by "going for the day" you mean that you'll be staying somewhere else and driving to DV to spend a few hours there , then I'd honestly suggest that you forget any serious photography and concentrate on tourism instead. Seriously I 'm not sure I've ever seen a top quality photograph of DV that was taken more than an hour or so from sunrise/sunset or in unusual weather conditions that aren't predictable. Of course if you're able to drive there and back in the dark for the sake of getting a couple of good shots at either end on the day thats different.</p>

<p>Seriously, you'll have a better day whisking round the highlights, in the full understanding that the light is unlikely to be good enough for serious photography than rushing around hoping against hope. </p>

<p>Not to be missed are Badwater, Zabriskie Point, Stovepipe Wells Dunes, Artists Palette, Golden Canyon, Mosaic Canyon, Titus Canyon. There are others but further afield and probably not sensible in the case of a short visit. If your route in or out takes you near the ghost town of Rhyolite, thats worth a half-hour too. <a></a></p>

[spencer_chrouser]

<p>Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I checked out some of the locations and I'll definitely be visiting them.</p>

<p>@David That's actually the plan. We plan to drive up later in the day and get there in the afternoon then leave later in the night. I realized I wouldn't be able to get there in the morning and at night and it would of been a waste to just be there in the harsh bright sun, so this was the best trade off. Plus I like night photography, so it's a bonus.</p>

<p>Thanks again for all of the suggestions.</p>

[spencer_chrouser]

<p>What would be the best spot to be at for when the sun sets? I've seen pictures of badwater and I know it's flooded at the moment so I was thinking that might be a possible location. Mesquite Sand Dunes were another consideration as well. As was Zabriskie Point, Artist's Palette, and Aguereberry Point.</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>I'm not sure anyone can answer you question for you since nobody but you knows the relative utility of a DV landcsape vs a photograph of dunes. However one thing's clear. If you choose Badwater/Artists Palette/Zabriskie you might just end up with three good late pm/sunset/twilight locations if you scurry and don't get too far from your car. If you do the dunes you'll get one. </p>

[john_demott]

<p>If I were going to suggest only one spot to set up for a sunset shoot, I'd pick the area around the Mesquite Sand Dunes. Not only do you have a chance for an iconic shot of the dunes themselves but there are lots of vistas in various directions to give you a chance to capture the changing light on the surrounding mountains (and hopefully some clouds), and also set up some nice shots of desert vegetation. You can find a nice location where you can move around a bit and watch how the light develops. There are always lots of photographers approaching the dunes from the south, but there are great locations in other directions also, if a little more difficult to get to.</p>

<p>If it were me, I wouldn't want to waste half or more of the best light of the evening trying to drive from Badwater to Artist's Drive to Zabriskie, especially if I wasn't familiar with where to set up at each location. But as David says, it really depends on what you want...you're only going to get the briefest of introductions to the area in a short visit.</p>

[craigpjenkinsphotography]

<p>Since this is obviously your first time to Death Valley I just want to point out how extreme the climate can be, especially in the Spring and Fall. You should bring suitable clothing for sun or rain and temperatures from below freezing up to the 90's F. And winds can gust strong enough to nearly blow your clothes off - figuratively writing of course. </p>

<p>My favorite place in Death Valley is the Race Track.</p>

[User_2000406]

<blockquote>

<p>If it were me, I wouldn't want to waste half or more of the best light of the evening trying to drive from Badwater to Artist's Drive to Zabriskie, especially if I wasn't familiar with where to set up at each location.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>In one sense I concur, as I've found it's usually best to pick one spot or local area for a given "golden hour". OTOH, it can also be productive to be driving during that hour in a landscape where there will be many opportunities for photographs. The drive from Zabriskie Point to Badwater is just that kind of drive, where the Black Mountains (seemingly a misnomer in that portion of the range, particularly at sunset) are lit up at a low angle with a beautiful golden light that casts good shadows. The salt flats to the west contrast strongly with the rugged and colorful mountains to create great beauty in the last minutes of sunlight. </p>

<p>Of course trying to do this sort of thing may not work out as expected. On one recent trip to Death Valley I intended to go through Titus Canyon during the golden hour, but only got as far as Leadfield because I was so busy shooting the fantastic lighting, thanks to unusual weather. I often feel that I really need to be able to rerun a period of great lighting over and over so I can take full advantage of the photographic opportunities. Sometimes there is just not enough time!</p>

 

[spencer_chrouser]

<p>Thanks for the responses everyone. Instead of going up for the day as planned I took a different route. I knew I wouldn't be able to go for the sunrise so I just waited till later in the day to go. We got there about 5 or 6 and I spent about 1 1/2 at the Mesquite Sand Dunes. Got a few decent shots I liked. There's one particular sand dune in the back, the largest of the bunch and the sun was setting and I turned back thinking I could maybe make it to the next area and still have the good light. Unfortunately it didn't work out that was and I'm still kicking myself that I didn't climb up that dune. Got a few shots along the way though, so it wasn't that bad. I'm sure the top of that dune would of been a lot nicer though.</p>

<p>After that we got something to eat and decided to spend the night. Woke up the next night at 5 Am and drove over to bad water. Unfortunatelly it didn't look that great so I didn't get that great of shots. For those that pointed out keeping your eyes open on the way there though, thanks. I got a few shots I really like while driving to badwater. Devil's Golfcourse was quite a nice place. Stopped at Golden Canyon as well and it was relatively nice. Zabriskie Point was nice as well, but by that time the light was so bright that shots weren't that great. I'd also recommend Dante's View for people considering going. It was quite a view. I'll upload a couple pictures later.</p>

[spencer_chrouser]

<p>Mesquite Sand Dunes</p><div></div>

[spencer_chrouser]

<p>Mountains alongside Badwater Road</p><div></div>

[spencer_chrouser]

<p>Alongside the road from Mesquite Sand Dunes</p><div></div>

[spencer_chrouser]

<p>Badwater</p><div></div>

[berg_na]

<p>Badwater looks more spectacular towards the end of the day.</p><div></div>

[michael_yew]

<p>A shot of Badwater (1/4 to 1/2 mile walk into the salt flats) in mid-morning light:<br>

<p> </p>

[berg_na]

<p>Great shot of the salt polygons Michael, it was getting late when we got the Badwater and didn't have enough time to make the trek to this area.</p>