Death Valley weekend

Eldon SheaEldon Shea Registered Users Posts: 145 Major grins
edited December 10, 2015 in Landscapes
Spent the weekend of the 14th at Death Valley N.P. This is the perfect time of year there. Daytime temps in 70s to 80s depending on elevation, and nights down to only the low 50s. Some areas of the park are closed due to recent flooding, but luckily the areas I like best were fine.

Comments welcomed.

Bryan


1. Sunrise, Mesquite Dunes

i-7pqZQsr-X2.jpg


2. Dunes hardened by recent rains

i-97VN6h4-XL.jpg

3. Racetrack Playa

i-pgbrWfp-XL.jpg

4. The Big Squeeze
Titus Canyon

i-GtHbCMz-XL.jpg

5. Polychromatic
Titus Canyon

i-FznmdZt-XL.jpg

6. Milky Canyon
(My first attempt at light painting. Had to make due with a small LED flashlight I had in my Jeep.)

i-gJWt6VD-XL.jpg

7. Stormy Exit

i-FQXKG5m-X2.jpg
Bryan

Gallery: https://eldonshea.smugmug.com/

Comments

  • StumblebumStumblebum Registered Users Posts: 8,480 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2015
    #1, #2 and #5 rock for me! Cheers!
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,948 moderator
    edited November 24, 2015
    Very nice. Especially your parting shot.
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • roaddog52roaddog52 Registered Users Posts: 1,323 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2015
    Wow! A great set of images. thumb.gifthumb These fine images really helped cinch the fact that I have got to make a point of traveling to Death Valley for some light chasing time.

    Phil
    I don't know where I'm going, but I'm going anyway.

    Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity!
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2015
    Really nice images!!!

    Hows the road to the race track? Better, worse or the same over time?

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • ThelensspotThelensspot Registered Users Posts: 2,041 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2015
    Bryan, very nice set. I enjoyed them all, especially 1, 5 and 7! Well done.

    Regards,

    Wayne
    "Photography is partly art and partly science. Really good photography adds discipline, sacrifice and a never ending pursuit of photographic excellence"...ziggy53

  • Eldon SheaEldon Shea Registered Users Posts: 145 Major grins
    edited November 24, 2015
    Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate complements, but suggestions and criticism are OK too. I'm re-posting the final image after removing the distracting roadside markers. I left the original above. This is better.

    Sam the road to Racetrack Playa was quite bad for about a mile, where the road had become a streambed. It is very rutted and littered with large rocks. High clearance vehicle is definitely required. However it looks like it won't be that difficult to fix. I assume they are waiting until the winter rains are over, because it is passable. The rest of the road was better than I remembered it. I was told that the road to Eureka Dunes is nearly impassible in places even with a serious off road vehicle. I didn't have time to try it anyway.

    Bryan

    i-FQXKG5m-X2.jpg
    Bryan

    Gallery: https://eldonshea.smugmug.com/
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited November 28, 2015
    Good work here, Eldon. I like your two panos a lot. thumb.gif

    Funny to see the Racetrack so pristine of footprints, tire-tracks (sic) and of course rocks and tracks. Like a fresh palette waiting for some rocks to paint it (and sadly for vandals to deface it.) Thanks for the road info.
    Moderator of Landscapes forum
    Link to my Smugmug site
  • joe-bobjoe-bob Registered Users Posts: 368 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2015
    All awesome shots.
  • Eldon SheaEldon Shea Registered Users Posts: 145 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2015
    Thank you for the encouragement, KDog and joe-bob. LA is less than 300 miles driving distance from four amazing National Parks, including Death Valley, but I don't visit them enough. I'm setting a goal of shooting each of them twice in 2016. Haven't figured out a way to get my motorhome to Channel Islands NP, so will settle for Carrizzo Plain and Pinnacles National Monuments instead.
    Bryan

    Gallery: https://eldonshea.smugmug.com/
  • Hikin' MikeHikin' Mike Registered Users Posts: 5,467 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2015
    Great series. Love the textures and I think you did a great job with the light-painting!
    - Mike
    Images in the Backcountry

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  • Eldon SheaEldon Shea Registered Users Posts: 145 Major grins
    edited December 10, 2015
    Thanks, Mike. I appreciate the vote of confidence on the light painting. It's amazing how much light a little led flashlight powered by 2 AA batteries can put out over the span of 30 seconds. What looks like car headlights on the road is not, it's from my little flashlight. It was black as pitch in that canyon and I had to light the ground so as not to trip.

    Bryan
    Bryan

    Gallery: https://eldonshea.smugmug.com/
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