Photo Guide

PHOTOGRAPHING DEATH VALLEY

Valuable tips on capturing Death Valley in pictures

by Phil Kember

INTRODUCTION

One of the World’s great photographers said of this special place, “Death Valley is very difficult to photograph: A few obvious opportunities and a vast number of recalcitrant situations that try the photographer’s patience and craft.” Those words were spoken by no less than Ansel Adams. Such philosophy from a master of his craft is enough to make anyone pause before endeavoring to photograph mainland America’s largest and perhaps most intimidating National Park. Death Valley covers a vast area of open desert encompassing well over three million acres of harsh terrain, from scorching salt flats and giant sand dunes to seemingly endless dry lakes and alpine-like mountain tops.

The challenge Mister Adams faced more than sixty years ago still faces us today: how to make a visual record or photograph of our time in Death Valley National Park. In this article, I will guide you through the steps required to make the most of your photography in Death Valley. I will also point out some of the difficulties and offer my experience in helping you to improve your images.

My first visit to Death Valley was in June of 1985, and all I remember of that brief encounter was that it was hot and desolate. My next visit was in 1996. I had just taken up a new hobby, photography. I had recently spent a week with my camera in Yosemite National Park, and although I was taken by it’s beauty and grandeur, it wasn’t for me. I found myself drawn to a landscape where I had spent many years camping with friends as a younger man – the inland desert region of southern California.

In the late fall of 1996, I set out with my camera, and returned to a place that had intrigued me more than a decade before. I returned from that second trip to Death Valley excited by what I had seen. I loved the wide open landscape, the sense of personal space and freedom that so many of us appreciate about the park. I also returned with images that made an impression on me – they didn’t look like images I’d made up to that point, nor did they look like any images I’d ever seen of the park before … I was hooked! Many of the images I had made on that fateful trip looked as though they could have been made on another planet – the surreal landscape held a fascination for me.

In fairly short order, I migrated through various cameras and formats, finding my way to an 8×10 camera using black and white film. This choice gave me what I was looking for, ultimate sharpness and detail. Of course, I also had to deal with a very large camera in a dry and windy climate. I would spend my first ten years as a photographer working almost exclusively in Death Valley, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, the challenges I faced in those early years would teach me my craft. It is no exaggeration to say that Death Valley National Park taught me how to be a photographer.

Some of what I learned during this time was how to read the environment, the weather, the light, and conditions in general. As photographers, we are accustomed to being at our chosen location with a little bit of time to spare, in order to set up and record an image. The importance of this exercise is magnified when working in the Park. Most of Death Valley’s attractions are widely spread apart by many miles, meaning that not only will we need to drive long distances to get to a particular location, but should we arrive to find poor conditions such as wind, cloudless skies etcetera, it will take us perhaps more time than we have to find a new location.

If you are planning a photographic trip to Death Valley and have some flexibility with your schedule, there are some seasonal conditions that you may want to take into account … some are obvious, others are not. There are no prizes for guessing that it gets pretty hot in the summer, but just how hot? July and August average around 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and it’s not uncommon to see days close to 130 degrees – and that’s in the shade, should you be lucky enough to find some! Clearly, peak summer months are to be avoided. Spring time (February through early April) is the most popular time for visitors: the flowers are out and so are thousands of people. I’ve noticed in the last few years that there are so many people out on the dunes near Stovepipe at this time of the year that it would be a challenge to avoid photographing them, let alone their foot prints.

My favorite time to photograph the park is between November and March, avoiding holiday weekends. At this time of the year, the park is relatively quiet and the conditions are more conducive to a successful photo trip. Regardless of the time of year you visit, once in the park, you’ll want to closely watch the conditions.

It is worth noting at this time that Death Valley can be windy. I’m not speaking of 10 to 30 mile per hour winds here, those being mere breezes. Consistent winds above 40 miles per hour are common (particularly in the spring), with extreme winds of up to 80-100 miles per hour possible! Death Valley National Park can become very dangerous in such events. I’ve personally seen the dunes at Stovepipe Wells whip up into a full-on sand storm in a matter of minutes. Be careful when the winds are up … don’t commit yourself to long walks in the environment.

PHIL’S PHILOSOPHY

Before we move on to individual destinations within the park, I’m going to discuss how I go about making photographs in Death Valley National Park. In any given year, I make around fifty to seventy five pictures total, that’s equal to two rolls of 35mm film, or in digital terms, it’s a number of images that wont even make a dent in a memory card. I do this in part due to the amount of time associated with developing and storing large film negatives, but also because over the years I have developed a discipline in the way I make photographs. Because I make so few pictures, I obviously like to make them count.

The process starts by carefully observing the conditions of the day. I may still be in my Jeep, but I’m watching, looking for elements to include in my picture. What do I mean by elements? Basically, anything that gets included in my final picture. Lets take the Race Track for example, where my primary subject may be a sliding rock. Then, there will be the dry-lake that the rock sits on, the nearby mountains, sky and hopefully some clouds, in this scenario – that makes five elements. My job as a photographer is to group those fives elements in a balanced cohesive fashion, using my camera to create an illusion of the scene, in my case on film. Sounds easy enough, so why is it that some do it more convincingly than others?

Why do some photographers stand out as being extraordinary? One response would be to say opportunity. We as photographers are not confronted on a daily basis with the chance to make a “Moonrise Hernandez” or “Clearing Winter Storm” to use a couple of Ansel Adams’ images as examples, but all of us have and will be faced with this type of special moment in time, and we need to be ready when the opportunity arises to make the most of the moment.

PRE VISUALIZATION

Okay, I’m in my Jeep, driving along and I start to notice some interesting things going on. I have some clouds to the north, the light is pretty good … halleluiah, there’s no wind, so I feel like the Salt Flats would work well today. At this point, I’m making decisions that will effect my final image, and the photograph is starting to take shape … not literally, but I’m starting to pre-visualize my final picture. Given the fact that I have clouds to the north and not to the south, I’m going to be making an image facing north.

With that in mind, I’m thinking about what I have available to me as a primary subject. In this case I’m thinking about being out on the Salt Flats, making the most of the extraordinary salt formations found there. At this point I’m half way to making my photograph, having essentially pre-visualized the final picture. Now I’m narrowing things down.

I’m looking for a place to stop my rig, walk out onto the salt, and find my spot. As I walk onto the sprawling valley floor, feeling quite miniature as a lone person, I’m looking for patterns and shapes that will work for my foreground. I’m also thinking about the lenses I have available to me, given the camera I have already chosen to carry, either a conventional rectangular format, or a panoramic camera. All the while I’m watching the clouds and the light to see what if anything is changing. I stop because I’ve seen a pattern that I think will work. The forms I see are ridges and they will have the effect of leading the viewers eye through the picture, starting at the bottom of the frame and carrying through to perhaps half way through the image. At that point the lines of the mountains will take over and lead to the horizon line.

I place my equipment on the ground and look in greater detail. I’m paying close attention to every little aspect of my subject. I have a lens in mind and I’m fairly sure of what it will cover when installed in the camera. At this point, I haven’t even taken the camera out of its case, yet I have pre-visualized all the elements I have available to me and balanced them all to the point where I can “see” the final print clearly in my mind’s eye.

BALANCING THE ELEMENTS

The balance aspect of the pre-visualized image refers to the way I have placed each element within the frame. I cannot over emphasize how important this is. I see so many images from photographers who come close to making a fine image, but miss the mark with awkward placement with one or more of the elements. Take the time to look around, at first through the view finder: Look at the perimeter of your image, is there anything there that leads the eye out of the frame, is there a disproportionately large element placed at the edge of the frame, does it generally feel balanced, if not, this is the time to change it, not later. At first you may need to force yourself to do this – in time however, it will become second nature and your photographic images will improve.

I’m not yet at the point where I feel confident in making a successful photograph … I’m only going to produce one composition and perhaps two negatives, not to bracket the exposure, but to have a spare just in case.

Now, it’s finally show time! I have pre-visualized my composition, checked carefully to make sure all elements are balanced, and the light is right. The time has come to click the shutter!

The picture I just made started life while driving along the road. I assembled it based on the elements available to me. Those elements suggested to me where I needed to stand with the camera. I effectively worked backwards, instead of standing at a vantage point trying to make sense of what was in front of me, I paid attention early-on in the process and allowed myself to be influenced by the environment rather than being forced to wrestle with it.

As I’ve previously stated, Death Valley is an enormous place, with an almost endless number of scenic vistas to visit and photograph. There are however some that stand out as icons of the park. In the following pages I will talk about some of them and hopefully help you make the most out of your photographic visit. They are in no particular order of significance, for they all offer great potential, any one of which could turn out to be the next Ansel Adams look-alike.

ZABRISKIE POINT

An icon of Death Valley National Park and one of the more accessible attractions, Zabriskie Point is a panorama of ancient lakebed sediment with some volcanic deposits thrown in for good measure. Located just a few minutes from Furnace Creek, the new visitor is greeted to an extraordinary, almost prehistoric, site.  The elements of nature have had little success at washing away the fine silt deposits, but instead have weathered them into ridges and peaks.  The area is capped by Manly Beacon, the focal point of most images made here.  The Panamint Mountains make for a rugged backdrop.

While Zabriskie Point is an obvious choice for photographers, it is one of the Park’s real challenges if we are to make a unique image. Most people arrive pre-dawn to take advantage of a colorful sunrise, but experience will show that it is difficult to suspend a colorful sky over this unlit landscape.  Waiting for the sun to rise will give a much more enjoyable view of the badland formation, but by now under normal (blue sky) circumstances with the sun having risen pretty much directly behind you, the scene will appear to be compressed for lack of contrast and shadows.

My challenge lasted more than a half dozen years before I was at the right place with the right weather. The sky was cloudy, the sun not breaking through. It had just rained and I thought I’d sit and wait, hoping maybe the sun would come through for me, illuminate the foreground and not the Panamints, which would effectively highlight the area of interest and create the “depth” I was looking for. The recent rains would saturate the colors, emphasizing the contrast available in the sedimentary deposits. I was lucky that day, and patient during the years that had led up to the special moment.  This is a theme that follows the photographer in Death Valley … patience!

When photographing Zabriskie Point, consider more than its sweeping panorama. Many excellent images have been made by “zooming in” on the details found there. The flowing lines and sharp contrast found in the details of the sediment make for some very remarkable images.

There are many trails and paths that can be taken in the area, allowing us to walk through the landscape and approach it from different angles.  It can also be interesting to include a hiker or two in your photograph. A distant hiker can add scale to your image. Normally there is very little evidence in a final print to suggest the enormous scale of Zabriskie Point.

THE RACETRACK

Perhaps the most famous attraction this National Park has to offer, the Race Track is situated in the northwest section of Death Valley at the end of a rather uncomfortable 26 mile dirt road. A visit to the Race Track should be well planned and a full day given to the trip. Before you set out, make sure you have the right equipment. You will need a rugged vehicle with good ground clearance and most importantly, very sturdy tires. I can’t count the number of stranded motorists I’ve seen, who set out on this road in a rental sedan or poorly equipped BEV (to use Steve’s term for SUV). Make sure you take plenty of food and water too.

Once you arrive safely in your well equipped vehicle, you will find that the Race Track has two small parking areas. The first that you will encounter is near a granite out-crop in the cracked playa known as the Grandstand. The second, about a mile farther down the road, will get you close to the famous moving rocks. These are what everyone wants to see and photograph.

The Grandstand has always held an eerie fascination for me … it is, I’m told, the top of a mountain that sticks up out of the dry-lake, composed of black granite. It glistens in the sun, and, in complete contrast to the surrounding absolute flatness, offers it’s own unique monolithic profile. To the non-geologist, it makes no sense to even be here.

About a mile down the road you can stop and walk out to the same dry-lake, but this time you’re looking for the famous moving rocks. The stuff of legend, these rocks, ranging in size from as small as your fist to the size of a television, exfoliate (fall) from a nearby hillside, to be picked up and blown across the otherwise barren surface.

As hard as it is to believe, these rocks actually do slide across the dry-lake, motivated by winds suspected of being as strong as 100 miles per hour. There are a couple of theories as to how this happens. One is that ice is involved, the logic of which escapes me, as the movement of the rock forces it to slightly dig into the soft (when wet) dry-lake, pushing the material to the side, so if any or all of it were frozen I don’t see how these tracks could occur. The logical answer is that after a (rare) rainfall, the normally compacted and hard dry-lake becomes soft to a depth of about half an inch, if there should be strong winds associated with the rain and the rock exhibits a sharp profile to the wind, it has a chance of being pushed forward, leaving the impressive trails.  You find the rocks by walking about a half mile straight out across the dry-lake … keep slightly to the right and you will find them.  I always leave plenty of time once out there to find just the right rock(s). I set my bags down and start walking around.

Sometimes I’m looking for a solitary rock to photograph, sometimes a grouping of rocks. The trails left by these travelers can be mind-boggling, many of which are fairly straight, but some go around in a radius, and a few even double back on themselves! One thing is for sure: there is no shortage of photographic opportunities to be discovered. I’m often asked what the best time of day is to photograph this area. While I have made a few early morning images with some success, I would recommend working in the late afternoon. I usually arrive around four hours before sunset, as this gives plenty of time to find a spot and set up for the end of the day. It’s likely you will not be alone here, and sometimes it can be difficult to keep your fellow photographer out of the image. If this happens, find a rock that is closer to the edge of the dry-lake and face away from the maddening crowd.

I’d like to add a few more words of caution concerning this, and for that matter any remote destination you venture into in Death Valley.  It is easy to forget how quickly and effortlessly you can find yourself away from help. Plan and prepare thoroughly, never leaving on even a relatively short road trip without a full tank of fuel, two gallons of water per person per day, and plenty of food. Always consult with a Park Ranger as to the condition of the roads before you leave, and if you do find yourself stranded, never leave your vehicle because it (and therefore you) can be seen from the air, greatly improving your chances of bring found. And of course, your BEV provides shelter. Lastly, a simple rule-of-thumb I live by in remote areas: if the decision you are contemplating doesn’t feel safe or your “gut” reaction tells you not to proceed, then by all means, don’t. There’s nothing out there that’s worth the loss of your life.

DEATH VALLEY SALT FLATS

The Valley floor is broken up into three sections: upper basin, the area just north of Stovepipe Wells, mid basin: between Stovepipe and Furnace Creek and the lower basin, Furnace Creek south to Badwater and beyond. It is primarily in the lower basin that we find the area known as the Salt Flats. Once, eons ago, the entire Valley was filled with water to a depth of 600 feet and stretching for 100 miles. After these waters evaporated, all that remained were the minerals that once washed out of the surrounding mountains. These minerals, mostly common table salt, now cover hundreds of acres.

From the paved road, the Salt Flats look fairly ordinary. If you take the time to walk out on to them however, you will be greeted by a scene that is anything but ordinary! As the water held in the ground evaporates in the sun, the crystals are pulled up into fantastic patterns and designs, the most striking examples of which can be found at an area known as the Devils Golf Course. Towering columns as high as three feet with shark tooth like protrusions cover many acres here. I recommend photographing this area in the late afternoon or evening. Try using a wide angle lens and a vertical format, as this will “pull” your foreground in, showing more of the detail at your feet. Make the most of a colorful sunset here for a fire over ice effect.

The Devils Golf Course is but one of many places that offer access to the Salt Flats. Most are located along the Badwater Road, itself a turn off just a mile up the road from the community of Furnace Creek. The most visited area along this road is known as Badwater, which it is marked by a large parking area 15 miles south of Furnace Creek. This general area is home to the lowest point in North America, at minus 282 feet below sea level. There is a fine view of the adjacent Panamint Mountains, which in winter are frequently covered by deep snow. A well traveled path takes you out onto the salt, where you will find more varied and unusual salt patterns at your feet. Just look down … that is if you can take your eyes off the inviting panorama!

Take the time to walk around and find the right location. Look for leading lines, shapes or forms in the salt that catch the eye and “walk” you through the scene.  I find that using a wide angle lens works best because I like to pull the foreground in to reveal the detail and patterns. I also recommend this area for people who enjoy making panoramic images. If a wide angle perspective is not for you, try using a macro lens to study the miniature architecture of the salt. Again, I suggest afternoon light, as there’s just something about this time of the day in Death Valley. Keep in mind that the sun descends behind the Panamint Mountains much earlier than the appointed sunset time, leaving a soft light that lasts for about a half an hour. If you’re lucky enough to be in the Park when there are clouds in the sky, I highly advocate taking advantage of them out on the Salt Flats.

THE SAND DUNES

When you say dunes in the context of a visit to Death Valley, most people will think of the sand dunes that are within walking distance of the community of Stovepipe Wells. There are, in fact, numerous large accumulations of sand within, or very near to the Park. It must be said that by far the easiest to get to are those near Stovepipe. If you’re in Death Valley during the tourist season, I can guarantee that you will not be alone as you make the trek out to these steep slopes. It can be a little frustrating to make the effort, only to be left hunting for an area that doesn’t have foot prints. Should you be lucky enough to find a clear spot of your own, there are many photographic opportunities to be had.

These sand dunes are created in part by converging winds, and although by definition the dune field is fairly stable in terms of it’s footprint, the constant shifting and weathering create interesting and changeable patterns. You’ll need to get up early for this photo shoot: I recommend you start walking out from your parked car at least 45 minutes before the sun rises, be careful as you venture out into the darkness, and take a flashlight to avoid tripping on rocks or uneven ground. Assuming you arrived pre-dawn, you’ll need to be quick with your composition and set up, because the magic hour on the dunes is in reality much more like the magic minute. To maximize the contrast offered by the first light of the day, work quickly to make your image, because as the sun rises, you’ll rapidly lose the contrast to a flatter harsher light (not a good thing if you are seeking the Ansel ambiance).

If a more peaceful dune experience is on your to do list, you can’t do better than a trip up to the Eureka Dunes. You will need to prepare in very much the same fashion as if you were going to the Race Track, for it’s a long drive from the center of Death Valley, much of which is on miserable washboard roads. This aspect of accessing these dunes, of course, keeps the crowds down to practically nothing. If you’ve never driven on a washboard road before, imagine a dirt road that looks like the surface of a cheese grater and feels like you’re riding a bicycle with square wheels!

The Eureka Dunes are located in the Eureka Valley, which is the very northern edge of the Park and, to my mind, one of the more peaceful and tranquil areas of the entire Death Valley region. The lead photograph on Steve Greene’s website was taken at these dunes near sunset.

Take a minute to look around before you make the final turn south toward the dunes themselves on the final ten mile leg of washboard heaven. In short order, you’re facing a huge field of dunes nearly seven hundred feet high! Parking is restricted to one corner of the dune field, so you’ll need to pick lightly and be fit enough for a strenuous hike. Don’t forget food and water. The reward for your effort is an abundance of sinuous dune forms to photograph.

I suggest the west side of the dune face for the first time visitor, which will be on your right side as you approach from the north. Here you’ll get the afternoon light. Take your time and look around for your shot and wait for the light. As with all dunes, make sure you don’t accidentally walk through your image. When I’m photographing in sand or snow, I make a special effort to look around for what I may want to photograph. If I see something that catches my eye , I’ll make sure to walk around the perimeter of where I think I may be making a picture, thus reducing the risk of including my own footprints in the final image. A small whisk broom could prove useful if you misjudge.

So, you’ve arrived in plenty of time and you’re confident about the image you have the camera set in front of – this is a good time to relax, but it’s also worth paying attention to the changing conditions. You may be set up for an hour or more before making your picture, so look around … a lot can change in an hour! If you have clouds in the sky, watch what they are doing, as they may make or break your photo. Are the clouds likely to obliterate the sun as it sets? Is the wind picking up as the day progresses? It’s worth noting that your equipment, when placed on the sand, even if it is in a bag or case, is in a hostile environment. As you walk around, you’re kicking up sand and dust, so don’t leave your camera bag open. If you do, the sand will find it’s way in. I suggest you set your bag aside, go to as needed, and be as careful as possible.

DANTE’S VIEW

At more than a mile straight up above Badwater and the lowest point in Death Valley, is an overlook by the name of Dante’s View. Just a half hour drive from Furnace Creek, the road winds up the backside of the Black Mountains to abruptly deposit you at one of the most striking vistas imaginable, a panoramic view of the valley floor and the Panamint Mountains across the salt flat. As many times as I’ve been to Dante’s, it gets a “Wow” out of me every time!

I suggest a morning visit for the first time visitor, not a sunrise necessarily. I prefer to wait until the sun has risen a little bit and starts to illuminate the salt fields of the valley floor. Take all your equipment, because there’s not a lot of walking required, although there are a couple of optional short hikes along the profile of the mountain range. A wide angle lens is a good idea, as you will want to take advantage of this panorama. A longer focal length lens is ideal for isolating the astonishing patterns found in the salt below.

Dante’s makes for a welcome break on a hot day, as the gain in elevation  affords a temperature reduction of around 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The same cannot be said of a windy day. Dante’s View can be one of the windiest places in the Park, the conditions making it difficult to stand upright, let alone setting a camera on a tripod. If the wind is blowing on the valley floor, don’t look for Dante’s View as an escape!

LEE FLAT

Photographically speaking, one of the best kept secrets in the park is Lee Flat, home to huge numbers of Joshua tree’s, some of which can be seen from Highway 190 as you enter the park from the west. Drive seven miles in on the pot-hole filled Saline Valley Road and you will see many more, as far as the eye can see, thousands of Joshua tree’s as tall as thirty feet. Take the right at the ‘Y’ the road straightens out – park on your right and you’ll see Telescope Peak, the highest point in Death Valley at slightly more than eleven thousand feet in the background. If you’re really lucky, you may see some of the cattle that graze in the immediate area. Joshua tree’s are both fascinating to look at and to photograph, and they offer close-up opportunities if you enjoy macro photography. These unique trees collectively make for good general landscape subjects.

RHYOLITE

Technically speaking, the ghost town of Rhyolite Nevada is beyond the boundary of Death Valley National Park, but nevertheless, it has become a feature attraction for most visitors to the park. The town grew quickly after gold was found soon after the turn of the 20th Century. Townsfolk thought that their new community would be as big as San Francisco in just a few years, but the stock market crash of 1907 put an end to their dreams, and by 1909, it was all over.

During it’s brief moment of glory, the Rhyolite area was home to around 10,000 people, many living in tent, or wood framed homes, and a few had more permanent stone structures. The town did build its schools, banks and some of it’s stores from brick and concrete – one home was even constructed from glass bottles, and today these are all that remain of the town.

The most prominent and best known building is the three story Cook Bank. There is also a large School House and railroad station. Allow plenty of time to photograph Rhyolite as there is a lot to see. Get there as the sun comes up and you will get the first rays of the day on the facade of the Cook Bank. If you’re lucky with the sunrise, you may get a colorful sky behind the building. When you’re done there, take a walk down to the two room Brothel and Jail House, conveniently located right next to each other. Make sure you visit the Glass Bottle House … as with all the buildings in town, it is fairly well marked. The Bottle House was built from whisky and beer bottles consumed by the local population. It’s fenced off now, but local BLM volunteers open the gate a couple of times a week and you’re free to wander around the outside of the home.

On the outskirts of town, you will see a small sign pointing to the Cemetery. It’s definitely worth a look! There is a mixture of stone and wooden grave markers, most dating back to the first decade of the 1900’s. The BLM encourages people to visit the cemetery to help keep a watchful eye on it: sadly in years past, it had been vandalized.

One other destination that is a must-see in Rhyolite is the Goldwell Open Air Museum, which is a collection of rather unusual art, comprised of  ghost figures (one with a bicycle), a huge pink lady with blond hair, and a giant steel prospector with a penguin. This is fun stuff, but please be aware that this particular exhibit is on private property – if you plan on making images for commercial use, prior permission will need to be obtained.

TWENTY MULE TEAM CANYON

For years I didn’t know what to make of this area, at least in terms of photographing it. The stark multicolored sedimentary deposits are prehistoric in appearance, and it’s easy to imagine a dinosaur of some description sauntering towards you out of this canyon. Twenty Mule Team Canyon is about a mile south from Zabriskie Point on Highway 190, and in fact the sedimentary formations you will see are common to both locations.

It was several years before I made a successful image on this short one-way loop. It has recently become one of my favorite places to photograph. Initially, I tried to soften this landscape by making images during the customary morning or evening light, but at some point it occurred to me to render this landscape in a way that accentuated it’s unique appearance. For the past few years, breaking all the rules, I have made a practice of creating my images here in the middle of the day, even adding additional contrast with filters. This works well for black and white images, but may be a little more difficult to do in color.

Take a drive through the entire loop once and see what catches your eye. When you get back onto the paved road, make a left and drive about a mile. Start the drive over again and you will have a better idea as to what you will want to photograph. There are some short hiking paths and there are no restrictions as to where you can walk. Carefully climb some of the formations, as the best views are to be had from the higher vantage points. Whatever you decide to make of this area, there’s plenty to see.

SCOTTY’S CASTLE

(Death Valley Ranch or Staininger’s Ranch)

At first sight, Scotty’s Castle appears to be absolutely out of place, perhaps looking more at home on a movie set … anywhere but the middle of the desert. This is commonly the first impression of this palace by many folks. Spend a little time researching the story behind the scene and you will soon realize that Scotty’s Castle could only have happened here, in the middle of the desert.

Take the time to read about how the Castle came to life, talk to the Rangers and definitely take one of the Tours. The Park Service puts on a good show taking you right back into the period of time when the Castle was built, 1920’s and 30’s. Cameras are permitted on the tour, however no tripods are allowed. After your tour, spend a few hours looking around. There’s a wealth of subject matter here for the photographer. Scotty’s Castle is adorned with ornate fixtures and fittings, huge wrought iron door hinges, one of a kind door handles, and loads of great stuff for close-up photography.

There’s even an automobile grave yard at the back of the property with several vehicles dating from around 1910 through 1940.  Morning is a nice time to be there, before the crowds arrive in tour coaches and the place gets going. I can’t count the number of times I’ve paid a visit and each time I find something new of interest to photograph.

UBEHEBE CRATER

If you plan a trip to the Race Track, you will pass right by a group of volcanic craters, the largest of which is 500ft deep. The latest scientific guess suggests that these craters were formed about 6,000 years ago, and that they were caused by ground water finding it’s way down to liquid magma, with a resulting steam explosion.

Access to the largest crater, known as Ubehebe (an Indian name meaning basket in the rocks), is very easy, the parking lot meeting right at the craters edge. The smaller craters are a short walk to your right.

Ubehebe Crater sits right at the north end of Death Valley proper, where there is also a pronounced tapering of the mountain ranges leading to this area, all of which means that the wind concentrates to a very high level. It can be difficult to stand up right when the winds blow. As a general rule of thumb, I always tell my workshop students to not leave a camera unattended on its tripod in even moderate winds! Here at the Crater edge, it’s a must, as the wind is unpredictable and gusty … and there’s nothing worse than the sound of an expensive camera hitting the ground, as you turn around to see it sliding quickly down into this immense abyss.

If you have a wide angle lens, give it a try at Ubehebe. I’ve looked at some good images made with fish-eye lenses too. If you feel brave, take a quick hike down to the bottom of the crater, although I’ve never done it with my equipment given that it weighs more than fifty pounds, I’m fairly sure there would be an interesting image or two to be had down there. Be the first to place your bottom image online for the world to see! Just remember though, that it’s one heck of a walk back up to the top.

CAUTIONARY TALES

Death Valley is a land of the unexpected, unique by definition. At every turn in the road, there is likely to be something you’ve never seen before. Most of the time that’s just fine, but once in a while these things can catch you out, and this is no place to be the recipient of an unexpected surprise.

One of my favorite stories is a surprise that came from above. Over the years I have covered many a mile on empty Death Valley roads while en-route to another prospective photo location, taking the time to enjoy the view while listening to music, with of course one eye on the road ahead. Enjoying this rare moment of automotive Zen, the last thing that you would expect is to be bombarded by an F18 fighter jet doing 500 miles per hour 200 feet above your car! The noise alone is enough to make you’re heart run counterclockwise. On a straight road this is manageable – the first time it happens, you freeze, realize what just happened and that you’re okay. Your heart starts to beat again and you go on.

I remember one occasion while caravanning a small workshop party west bound from Towne Pass, something made me look to my right down the side of the mountain, what I saw I will never forget: an F18 seemingly on the ground coming straight at me! Within a second there was an explosion of noise, and I thought the Jeep would surely fall apart. When our group stopped a moments later, I asked the people of the workshop who were behind me if in fact the jet had flown over me at about 60 feet. They were still stunned from what they had seen, and agreed with my estimation.

Another time, I was coming in to the park from Lone Pine, headed down to Panamint Springs, when right in front me a jet nose dives sideways into the ground at better than 45 degrees! Seconds later I realize he’s slid  into Rainbow Canyon, probably having the time of his or her life. This kind of occurrence is not rare – these are just a few of thirty or more such experiences I’ve had. Death Valley sits adjacent to a military base, the source of these aircraft. I pass on these tales so that when it happens to you on a winding mountain pass, you don’t panic and go off the road. The frustrating thing is that it all happens too quickly, and there’s no time to stop and get the incident on film!

Whenever you choose to visit the park, I hope that you have fun and enjoy the unforgettable scenery. You never know, you may just get hooked on the place!