Like 3/4 of the rest of America, I was in Death Valley a couple weekends ago. Of course I wanted to see the 100,000-year bloom, but more so I wanted to paddle the baddest water that Badwater has seen in a long, long time. Plus I'm a lowly kayaker, and you can't get much lower than 282 feet below sea level. So after enduring the motorhome traffic jams Disneylandish-like atmosphere (which was actually really cool, I love to see people enjoying nature!), I finally set out to paddle late in the afternoon. I paddled all evening and then after the sun set and the photographers were gone I went back to my truck and got my dogs and they joined me as I paddled under the stars. It was so cool because I could paddle hundreds of yards out in the lake and it was still only a foot or so deep. I'll never ever forget sitting out there quietly in my kayak with my dogs by my side as they stood next to me, or the way they bounded through the water trying to keep up! A very special and unique moment in my life, yes it was.
This is a shot of my kayak at Badwater Lake, or whatever they're calling it, late in the evening. The white stuff in the foreground is not snow, it's cocaine. Kidding, it's salts and minerals and dandruff from all the photographers walking the shore.
Here's my partners for this adventure (as well as most of my adventures!). My photos are not so much beautiful landscape photos, but more of a trip report documentation photo style situation thing, if you will. Will you? Anyway, I'm from the SacOfTomatoes area so it was a looOOoong drive down to Death Valley. I stopped and spent the first night in the Alabama Hills below Mt. Whitney. Heidi and Sierra pose next to the Buckmobile as they wait for me to put down my freakin' camera and do some exploring before the sun sets.
Still in the Alabama Hills, I kept seeing these incredibly bright red dots across the terrain, thinking they were something unnatural, but when I walked up to one I saw they were bright red flowers! I don't want to bore you with the technical names. I laid down on the ground with my wide-angle lens to get a shot of one close up and Heidi and Sierra kept walking around in front of it, or, in this case, laying down in front of it. ha ha! That's okay, it was just another excuse to take more pics of my dogs. This was on a cold, breezy overcast evening which meant I had to go back to Lone Pine for a big fatty pizza dinner.
This was where I camped. Okay, I actually just crashed out in the back of my pickup since I wanted to get a fairly early start. Sierra peeks out of the back of the truck as we set off for Death Valley. The previous night I sipped a couple beers and strummed my guitar underneath an encouraging starry night. I think I strummed a little too hard because I broke my "A" string. The acoustics in some of those rock caves was amazing. But by morning the thick clouds had settled back in and I couldn't even see the base of the nearby mountains.
I don't have many photos scanned yet of this trip so I'll try and add more here later as I do so. It was breezy the whole weekend so I don't have much in terms of flower shots, nor did I spend much serious time shooting landscapes. But I paddled my butt off, that's for sure! I also did a multi-day winter Mono Lake paddling adventure and I'll share some photos of that trip here soon. Buh-bye for now.
P.S. All shots were (e-burp) taken with Velvia 50. S'cuse me.
The first one is the BEST FRIKKING badass badwater shot...I was there last weekend....DV is definitly "Disneyish"...well more like the scene out of Independence Day when everyone was running with their tail between their legs.
Awesome story telling, Buck! I love that first shot. I almost got one like it last weekend, but the kayakers took off just before I got to the shoreline. What a sight that would have been with you and your dogs out in the middle of the Bad Lake.
Oh, I know what you mean about the clouds all the way down the backside of the Sierras so low the are touching the boulders...just ask Harley
It is really good to see you are back in action, so to speak, here at FM. I always, always look forward to your stories and wonderful images.
That #1 really is a special shot. Great colors, and nice composition. The rest are nice but, as you said, just documentary. Sounds like you had a blast.
Hey BaldurTŪ, no fill flash was used. On the first shot it was a long f/22 exposure (I don't recall how long, somewhere between one second and two weeks). On this particular night the sun set in the west (reeeeally Buck? No way?) which was on the right side of this pic. I may have used a 2-stop hard GND but I bracketed at a couple different exposures with and without filters so I'm not sure which combo this particular one is. I figured if nature wasn't gonna give me glass on the lake that I'd take matters into my own hands and long-exposure that sucker. I was so caught up being focused on kayaking that I didn't taken any shots without my kayak. Doh.
Gracias again for the el commentos. Mucho appreciatedo.
Buck, your eye and touch is stunning. The wide angle full frame (GOD I miss full frame) 1st shot is stunning beyone words. Love you dogs and to put them close to that red flower is a great touch. Can't wait to see more !!
Edited by realkuhl on Apr 01, 2005 at 05:32 PM GMT
Buck, that first shot is out of this world. It the most original badwater shot I've ever seen. I always enjoy your hilarious travelogue. Post the rest, please.
Buck,
Fabulous series! The first shot is so completely unbelievable with the foreground and background. The next thing you have to do, is get rid of that "store-bought" kayak and build yourself a real wooden boat. Love your work, and look forward to the narratives as well. Here is a way to suck up some more of your time. Well done. Tim http://www.pbase.com/woodwkrtim/kayak
That first one is one fine shot, Buck! I would not have thought of DV as a kayak destination. Looks like I missed my chance for the once in a lifetime bloom but maybe I can still get my twin-hole kayak there this month;-)
-David
Hi Buck, lovely series, but the first one is top notch and a bit more Fantastic perspective, wonderful composition and the tracks of your four legged friends. Awesome work, man.
Nice set of images. The first one is terrific and goes so well with the great introductory words you wrote. Seems like you had yourself an almost mystical experience (the kayaking in Badwater, not Velvia 50 ). You are very fortunate, and we too, after sharing this with you.
). You are very fortunate, and we too, after sharing this with you.