Got a chance to visit Death Valley this past weekend with FM'er Harley. It was a short trip filled with lots of wind and rain, some good light here and there, and some cool clouds. I had yet to visit DV in the spring, and boy, does that place look different with all the green on the hills! We headed to the southern end of the valley, as we heard there were some good wildflowers in that area. There were indeed wildflowers, but also that dreaded wind. Patience paid off for a few decent images of these desert sunflowers on a slope with a great sky in the distance...we had rain about an hour after this image was shot. In all honesty, this was a tough place to shoot and I am hopeful to find one, maybe two keepers in the bunch...for the whole trip! All in all it was a good time...good to get out of town, chat with Harley, explore new areas and shoot a bit. I hope to have at least one more shot posted soon. Comments appreciated. Enjoy. http://www.jimmygekas.com/deathvalley01.jpg
Looks like you had a "wild" trip. We're gearing up to go down there the first week of March and hoping it dries out a bit between now and then....though I'd love some of those scenic clouds to stick around to decorate the skies.
Sounds like you had fun and this is a wonderful shot. I love the contrast in the clouds and, of course, the flowers.
It's tough to get the wild clouds without the wind. Push the ISO and use a high SS, I guess. Sometimes there's not a lot of choice.
I've only been there a couple of times but certainly not with such a blanket of color. And those clouds! Wow! I'm sure that it was enjoyable despite the trying conditions. Hope you discover some gems that you didn't realize you had.
Jimmy,
That image has legs. The shot stretches from here to infinity. Really great job on the sky and general contrast. Harley has me intrigued...where's the mud shot?
Great shot Jimmy, and great conversion.
Did you guys get to the badwater area? I couldn't belive haw much water was there. I think the lake stretches for 10 -15 miles now.
Nicely done Jimmy. I had my own share of frustrations this weekend closer to home in Borrego Springs. I was hoping for some wild and dramatic weather, but ended up with flat and gray skies and lots of rain and wind-damaged flowers. I'm glad you're not the only one who like black and white for this type of work though...
Great stuff, Jimmy! The B&W conversion is top notch. And the composition, something special.
Glad you found a little time between deluges! It better dry up out there by the time our Zion trip comes around! Otherwise, we will need an arc for the trip down "The Subway"!
Looks like you had a "wild" trip. We're gearing up to go down there the first week of March and hoping it dries out a bit between now and then....though I'd love some of those scenic clouds to stick around to decorate the skies.
Sounds like you had fun and this is a wonderful shot. I love the contrast in the clouds and, of course, the flowers.
Rosemary
Thanks Rosemary! I am sure you'll find your clouds and flowers. The place is going to be an awesome site in a few weeks. Have fun!
DonH wrote:
It's tough to get the wild clouds without the wind. Push the ISO and use a high SS, I guess. Sometimes there's not a lot of choice.
I've only been there a couple of times but certainly not with such a blanket of color. And those clouds! Wow! I'm sure that it was enjoyable despite the trying conditions. Hope you discover some gems that you didn't realize you had.
Thanks Don. Yeah, the conditions were indeed trying. I actually got a few shots of the flowers that had sharp petals. This image is one of them, as the foreground flowers are still. The clouds were awesome and made me shoot more....I just had to find some composition that incorporated those clouds
harleygsb wrote:
Now when was there a long enough break in the wind to get that one? Were you shooting that with Velvia 50 rated at 40 at f32? Not a chance.
Nice image Jimmy. Great sky. I must have been in the camper imbibing a beverage with no olives when you took that shot.
Looking forward to seeing the mud shot posted here.
Harley
Hmmmm....I didn't notice any olives
Thanks for a great trip and all your camping expertise
