Death Valley - Darwin Falls & Mesquite Rant

torags

A unique setting in Death Valley
1


Now Mesquite... Every significant formation was over run with footprints. The faces were ruined as well as the top edges. There are just too many inconsiderate people ruining the formations for the next days photographers.

I've been there twice in winter - once last weekend and I'm not going back. Eureka is less crowded as well as Dumont Dunes (near Ibis) at the southern end

2 Look at the top edge of the dune, It's ragged from footprints


3 A closer view


Its diminishing returns. The dunes look good from a half mile away, the closer you get the worse they look. So you hiked out and the sun is coming up so you can't explore other formations in time - and they are usually populated anyway by someone standing on the very point of a significant formation - playing King Kong. Ugh..

I thought this was my best shot
4

kwalsh

Never liked the mesquite dunes for photography. Too many footprints. Not any good for afternoon shooting so you have to do morning (harder to compose ahead of the light). The backgrounds are distant and boring. Usually people or other photographers in the way. They are close to a hotel and there is a turn out on the highway, I'm convinced that's why we see so many photos from there. (To be fair, there are still some nice close-up texture shots to be had as your last photo, and many other peoples over the years, demonstrate).

Eureka works well at sunset and has interesting backgrounds nearby. The southern section is always footprint free.

Ibex dunes make a wonderful distant subject for sunset, but it is a huff to get out there for closeups. I keep meaning to, there is a huge mill out there that would make an awesome foreground.

I haven't done them yet at sunrise, but I think the Saline dunes would be good. Certainly no footprints and the Inyo mountains right next to them. Again, no good at sunset but you can wake up in the morning with a dip in the hot springs before driving down the road to the dunes (there in lies the problem, once in the springs you don't want to get out).

The Panamint dunes are wonderful to visit, but a 4-mile one-way cross-country hike to them doesn't make them good for golden hour work!

I need to hit Dumont next time, haven't been and it is now on my typical route in and out of the area.

BTW, like the texture in your last shot.

Ken

P.S. While we are ranting, I ran into the PODAS $5K per person, shoot with a $50K camera workshop when I was out there - and of course they went to Mesquite. I'm sure those 60MP backs showed every footprint in all its glory. I also ran into them at Badwater in the morning - I have no idea what they might have captured, they were all standing in the trampled area near the parking lot. Seemed mystified I was walking a 1/2 mile out to actually find intact salt formations...

torags

kwalsh wrote:

Never liked the mesquite dunes for photography. Too many footprints. Not any good for afternoon shooting so you have to do morning (harder to compose ahead of the light). The backgrounds are distant and boring. Usually people or other photographers in the way. They are close to a hotel and there is a turn out on the highway, I'm convinced that's why we see so many photos from there. (To be fair, there are still some nice close-up texture shots to be had as your last photo, and many other peoples over the years, demonstrate).

Eureka works well at sunset and has interesting backgrounds nearby. The southern section is always footprint free.

Ibex dunes make a wonderful distant subject for sunset, but it is a huff to get out there for closeups. I keep meaning to, there is a huge mill out there that would make an awesome foreground.

I haven't done them yet at sunrise, but I think the Saline dunes would be good. Certainly no footprints and the Inyo mountains right next to them. Again, no good at sunset but you can wake up in the morning with a dip in the hot springs before driving down the road to the dunes (there in lies the problem, once in the springs you don't want to get out).

The Panamint dunes are wonderful to visit, but a 4-mile one-way cross-country hike to them doesn't make them good for golden hour work!

I need to hit Dumont next time, haven't been and it is now on my typical route in and out of the area.

BTW, like the texture in your last shot.

Ken

P.S. While we are ranting, I ran into the PODAS $5K per person, shoot with a $50K camera workshop when I was out there - and of course they went to Mesquite. I'm sure those 60MP backs showed every footprint in all its glory. I also ran into them at Badwater in the morning - I have no idea what they might have captured, they were all standing in the trampled area near the parking lot. Seemed mystified I was walking a 1/2 mile out to actually find intact salt formations...

Jeeze.. I think the dunes are a treasure there. they should at least post in the hotel/restaurant some to treat them with respect for the following photogs. It makes good business sense.

Simple things... like walk in existing footprints, don't walk on the ridges. Don't make an original trail up the face of significant dunes. I recognize that even if you walk on one side or other of the ridge it will ruin either the sunrise or sunset face, but it will reduce some of the defacement.

The photos bring people there, therefore it makes sense to try to maintain the asthetics of them.

end of rant....

kwalsh

torags wrote:

Jeeze.. I think the dunes are a treasure there. they should at least post in the hotel/restaurant some to treat them with respect for the following photogs. It makes good business sense.

Simple things... like walk in existing footprints, don't walk on the ridges. Don't make an original trail up the face of significant dunes.

That's an excellent point and idea. I think they are in the process of building a new turnout/parking lot there. They could put up some signs and it might have some impact. Sure not everyone will read them or pay attention, but every bit helps.

Out in Utah a lot of the soils have a cryptobiotic crust on the surface which is vital to preventing wind erosion and protecting the plant life. Walking on it destroys it and in heavily visited areas the impact is obvious. The rangers there have developed a clever phrase to drive the point home: "We used to say 'Take only pictures and leave only footprints' but now we don't even want the footprints."

Ken

MooreDriven

I like #2 and #4. I would even crop both a bit tighter for a different view. I've never shot sand dunes before, but it's on my list.

Andy

I had razor sharp peaks to the dunes when I was there last - partly because it had been windy, so the dunes 'refreshed' constantly

I expect it's a matter of timing!