Badwater, Death Valley

shniks

Hi all,


Been some time since I checked in. Here is a shot taken this AM at Badwater in Death Valley. I got lucky and got a nice cloud formation. I have a couple more pics (panos) which I will post later.

Thanks for looking...





And this one taken on Saturday evening...
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Cheers,

canghuixu

Wow, those are beautiful. I was just in Death Valley and spent some time shooting but nothing so spectacular. Thanks for sharing!

shniks wrote:

Hi all,


Been some time since I checked in. Here is a shot taken this AM at Badwater in Death Valley. I got lucky and got a nice cloud formation. I have a couple more pics (panos) which I will post later.

Thanks for looking...





And this one taken on Saturday evening...
===============================






Cheers,

dogwood

Awesome-- you did get lucky with the clouds. The one chance I had to shoot Badwater at sunrise, there were no clouds and it was very windy. I decided to shoot a self-portrait using a tripod and the self-timer. Stepped in front of the camera just in time for a gust of wind to blow over the tripod and snap my 16-35 right off the camera! :cry



Luckily, Canon was able to fix it for a reasonable price. But it ended my Badwater dawn session rather abruptly!

shniks

Ouch Pete- I am shuddering looking at that beautiful lens broken that way. I HAVE to ask- how on earth did the TRIPOD fall over? That is a scary thought! I probably would have died, then gone to wherever (hell I guess in my case), looked down at the fallen tripod and broken glass and died again!

Glad to know that it worked out in the end! Phew!


Cheers,

CWSkopec

dogwood wrote:

Awesome-- you did get lucky with the clouds. The one chance I had to shoot Badwater at sunrise, there were no clouds and it was very windy. I decided to shoot a self-portrait using a tripod and the self-timer. Stepped in front of the camera just in time for a gust of wind to blow over the tripod and snap my 16-35 right off the camera! :cry



Luckily, Canon was able to fix it for a reasonable price. But it ended my Badwater dawn session rather abruptly!

:jawdrop

Ouch is right! :cry

Nikhil,
Great shots! Very well done! A good enough gust of wind could knock over my tripod if unattended... I just spent the weekend at Joshua Tree and the evening I made it up to Keys View gave me nothing to brag about because I just couldn't bring myself to set my camera on the tripod, mine's a cheapo, but those winds were gusting so much I wouldn't have felt comfortable even with a good one!

dogwood

shniks wrote:

I HAVE to ask- how on earth did the TRIPOD fall over?

It gets really windy in Death Valley!

The worst part was that was the only lens I had brought out with me, and as you know, it's a bit of hike from the parking lot to the cool salt formations at Bad Water. Of course with the lens snapped off, in windy Death Valley conditions, I kept my 5D lens mount covered with my hand for that all too long walk back to the car.

But... turns out Canon actually designs their lenses to break like this rather than to break the much more expensive lens mount. To this day, that 5D remains a fantastic camera and only the lens had to be repaired. And... luckily, the lens snap came on the last day of a four day trip in Death Valley so it wasn't that big of a deal.

toadlet

Lovely photographs, I enjoyed them both, but really liked no 1 as it shows of more of the harshness in the shapes in the landscape.

bryanj87

Nice shots! I like all the detail in the salt(?), and the colors.

A good gust of wind can topple a tripod. If your center shaft has a hook on the bottom, try hanging your camera bag from it. I haven't had a problem yet by doing this. I also have a "hammock" thingy that attaches to the legs that I can fill with rocks or sand to help stabilize it, but I've yet to try it.

agunther

These are beautiful. I like the lines in the first one slightly better, but both are outstanding.

schmoo

bryanj87 wrote:

I also have a "hammock" thingy that attaches to the legs that I can fill with rocks or sand to help stabilize it, but I've yet to try it.

Oh is that what that thing is for?

Beautiful shots of a desolate place, Nik! You really caught the right light there.

And dude, Pete, showing us painful photos like that isn't nice.

Andy

shniks wrote:

I just love how the white salt takes on the color of the sky and light

Here's one from a few weeks ago:

shniks

Andy wrote:

I just love how the white salt takes on the color of the sky and light

Here's one from a few weeks ago:

That's an awesome shot Andy- You must have used your 5DII..


Cheers,

Andy

shniks wrote:

That's an awesome shot Andy- You must have used your 5DII..


Cheers,

Thanks. You just prompted me to process another shot, pano stitch..... love how the dried lake bed and the salt just absorbs all this color

coscorrosa

Beautiful colors! I agree with Andy, I love the salt takes on the color of the sky around it. I really want to go back to Death Valley, one day was not long enough!

poker

I'll be there this weekend. I hope my shots come out well. Your photos got me excited for my Death Valley run.

shniks

poker wrote:

I'll be there this weekend. I hope my shots come out well. Your photos got me excited for my Death Valley run.

Have fun- but if I may, try and go for the twilight! Trust me, it will be worth the trek to the location when you see the sweet light!


Cheers,

shniks

Andy wrote:

Thanks. You just prompted me to process another shot, pano stitch..... love how the dried lake bed and the salt just absorbs all this color

Another cool shot Andy. I love the depth of field in this one too. You are right about the salt flats taking on the colors of the sky n light!


Cheers,

anwmn1

Very cool shots there Shniks.

I was recently there and now I want to go back!!

kdog

Awesome shots, Nikhil. Andy's ain't to shabby either.

shniks

anwmn1 wrote:

Very cool shots there Shniks.

I was recently there and now I want to go back!!

Do post your shots if you take some. Would love to see them.



Cheers,

Andy

shniks wrote:

Another cool shot Andy. I love the depth of field in this one too. You are right about the salt flats taking on the colors of the sky n light!


Cheers,

Thanks so much

riddim_maker

Now I've finally made up my mind for my next landscape photography destination thanks to you and Andy.
Great images