Desert Shooting Advice & Death Valley, CA

cbass

cbass

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Next month I'll be part of a support crew for a two-day, 508-mile bicycle race through Death Valley, CA. The race route begins in Santa Clarita, CA and ends in Twentynine Palms, CA. In between we pass through Claifornia City, Trona, Panamint Valley, Stovepipe Wells, Townes Pass, Furnace Creek, Jubilee Pass, Shoshone, Baker, Sheephole Summit and Kelso.

Race conditions dictate that my gear be small, simple and idiot-proof so I'll be packing a P&S: either an Olympus XA2 or a Canon AF35ML (a/k/a Super Sure Shot, Autoboy Super). In between my race responsibilities I'd like to take as many photos as possible. However, I've never been to Death Valley and my desert shooting experience is very limited.

Can any forum members recommend a good film for desert shooting with a P&S? Do any of you desert shooters out there have other good photo tips that you'd be willing to pass along?

Thanks in advance! :D
 
I was in Death Valley last month. In the valley it was 127 in the sun, not much shade. Now I don't know about Oct. but When I was there the wind was strong all
the time blowing dust and sand with lots of haze far off. A good UV and ND filters are
a must have. I shot with E100VS and had great images. You do know about the hills? You go from (I think) from about 6000 ft down to 200 ft below sea-level! I'm sure you can handle it. Me, I would have to be carried out. Oh, cellular service is slim to none.

Christo
 
Hmmm.....

Hmmm.....

Velvia 100, or for film, how about Fuji Superia, or maybe Portra 100 or 400 UC.

Personally, I would bring the Velvia. It does a nice job.
 
I think all of my Death Valley shots over the years were all taken with the Olympus Stylus Zoom P&S using various Fuji film.

The DV shots on this page were either Fuji 200 or 400 and scanned from prints:

http://www.letis.com/dmr/pics/vegas1.html

Those on this page were Fuji 100 (Reala I think) and DO/CD at Wally World:

http://www.letis.com/dmr/pics/vegas/vegas3/

These were last spring right after the rainy spell. At the time the Artist Drive was closed, but hopefully it's open again now.

And I would not be looking forward toward taking a bicycle thru there. No matter which way you go it's quite a climb. It's not ungodly hot in October but still warm. I would think that any of the climb-out routes would be very demanding.

Oh, be sure to eat at either the Bun Boy or the Mad Greek in Baker. :)
 
Thanks for the advice, everyone. I think I'll go with Fuji 200 or Portra UC.

Luckily I'm not the guy who has to ride the bike! I get to ride in the support vehicle, hand off food and water to our rider, navigate the course and perform various and sundry bike repairs if needed.

I won't have much time for shooting but I will be awake during the magic hours of pre-dusk and pre-dawn; hopefully I can get a few nice frames.

dmr: Nice photos, very saturated colors. Were some of those taken at Badwater? Our race guidebook specifically mentions the Mad Greek. They must have some good chow there!
 
cbass said:
dmr: Nice photos, very saturated colors. Were some of those taken at Badwater?
Click to expand...

Thanks. :) Several of those on page 3 were taken at Badwater last spring when there was more bad water in there than there usually is. :) That is supposedly the lowest point in North America on a paved road.

Our race guidebook specifically mentions the Mad Greek. They must have some good chow there!
Click to expand...

I admit I'm somewhat partial to the Bun Boy (yeah, bad name I know) but both are very good and have almost fanclub followings. Baker is really the major oasis between the Nevada state line and Barstow, so both of them have been doing well for ages and haven't had trouble surviving when all of the chain places invaded Baker some time ago.
 
Desert Shooting Advice & Death Valley, CA

The Mad Greek in Baker is pretty good — especially if you've been tramping around the Mojave. Most of my time in Death Valley has been spent camping, but if your budget can stand it, the Furnace Creek Ranch Steak House is excellent, as is the Furnace Creek Inn Dining Room. For a burger, try the golf course snack bar & grill at Furnace Creek Ranch.

High temperatures should be in the 80s or low 90s in October, dropping to the 60s at night. Bring plenty of water and keep it cool.

The valley is really beautiful from before sunrise to when the the light reaches the Western mountains. If you want a reflection in water in the foreground, Badwater is the place to be. Dante's View or Hell's Gate (on the road to Beatty) are great at dawn, as well. Just get up early to catch the light.

You may see some wildlife, like coyotes, fox, chuckwalla lizards or even bighorn sheep. You'll need a tripod and telephoto for these. In any case, it's a beautiful place. Have a good time.
 
Do you know if the roads to Dantes View, Zabriskie, and Artist Drive are open again? I know they closed after a flood last year, and there were all kinds of delays in reconstruction.
 
Desert Shooting Advice & Death Valley, CA

I haven't been in Death Valley since May but, according to the Park Service, Zabriskie Point is open again. Artists Drive and Dante's View are supposed to re-open in "mid-September 2005", whenever that turns out to be.

I forgot about the road closures when I wrote my other posting — sorry.

For anyone interested in wildlife, there is supposed to be a badger that, amazingly, lives right by Badwater. I haven't been lucky enough to see it myself.
 
Folderholder said:
The valley is really beautiful from before sunrise to when the the light reaches the Western mountains. If you want a reflection in water in the foreground, Badwater is the place to be. Dante's View or Hell's Gate (on the road to Beatty) are great at dawn, as well. Just get up early to catch the light.
Click to expand...

One thing I won't be doing a lot of during the race is sleeping :) so I'm hoping to catch good light at both dusk and dawn over two days.

Now I'm also thinking about bringing the Bessa with me and leaving the P&S at home. Thanks again for all the advice & comments. I can't wait to see Death Valley in person!
 
cbass said:
Next month I'll be part of a support crew for a two-day, 508-mile bicycle race through Death Valley, CA. The race route begins in Santa Clarita, CA and ends in Twentynine Palms, CA. In between we pass through Claifornia City, Trona, Panamint Valley, Stovepipe Wells, Townes Pass, Furnace Creek, Jubilee Pass, Shoshone, Baker, Sheephole Summit and Kelso.

Race conditions dictate that my gear be small, simple and idiot-proof so I'll be packing a P&S: either an Olympus XA2 or a Canon AF35ML (a/k/a Super Sure Shot, Autoboy Super). In between my race responsibilities I'd like to take as many photos as possible. However, I've never been to Death Valley and my desert shooting experience is very limited.

Can any forum members recommend a good film for desert shooting with a P&S? Do any of you desert shooters out there have other good photo tips that you'd be willing to pass along?

Thanks in advance! :D
Click to expand...
...........................
Since I lived in Mojave for 25 years, I've a couple tips.
Don't need Velvia, not much green this time of year. Astia 100F is fantastic for that area.
The wind will likely blow, have goggle-type glasses and a bandana and keep the P&S is a zip-lock between shoots.
If you get a chance, take some shots at Red Rock state park. You'll notice the landscape there was used for lots of Cowboy classics and even a Twilight Zone.
My only 'century' was done in that area, have FUN! :D
 
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