Comments on: Death Valley 2012: Day 3

By: pixelogist

pixelogist — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:46:38 +0000

i enjoy reading ur blog (and viewing ur great shots) keep it up

By: Ben Horne

Ben Horne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:09:38 +0000

Thanks for the feedback! Dune shots have always been frustrating for me, but now I’m developing a better sense of what to look for with my photography. I don’t think I got that ideal curvy dune shot I was after on this trip, but I look forward to heading back again next year.

One thing in particular that I will strive for next year is a dune photo without sky. I noticed that if I cropped off the sky from the sunset dune photo, it took on an entirely different appearance because it was no longer grounded in reality. In the case of my second shot from this blog post, cropping the sky doesn’t quite work because of the diagonal line leading in from the left near the top. My goal next year when I return is to find an intimate shot of a sinuous dune — perhaps with my long lens.

By: Ben Horne

Ben Horne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:03:39 +0000

For the videos, I did indeed hold the camera upside down. I figure it’s just easier to view the video that way.

Death valley can be a fickle beast. If all the elements align, the vast scale helps produce amazing conditions at sunrise and sunset. There is no guarantee that this will happen, and it can be very frustrating at times. I know what you mean about the wind — it makes photography with LF nearly impossible. That being said, I’ve learned to immensely appreciate those moments of majesty, and roll with the punches when I get skunked. This is my 4th consecutive year visiting DV, and I’m only now getting to know the potential of this location. I look forward to my return in 2013.

Congrats on the new 4×5, and I hope you’ll get some great work from DV in the years to come!

By: Ben Horne

Ben Horne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:56:51 +0000

Thanks for the kind words. Speaking at the SMUG meeting last month was great. It’s awesome to see that many people who are so passionate about photography.

By: Ben Horne

Ben Horne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:51:00 +0000

Thanks Laura. I had envisioned a curvy dune shot on all my previous visits to DV. This is pretty close to what I had envisioned, but I know I need to continue to work this location to get exactly what I had hoped for.

By: Ben Horne

Ben Horne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:49:39 +0000

Thanks Karl. When I saw that line in the dune, I knew it would catch some nice light. I scaled that dune earlier in the day, but I made sure to walk on the west side of the crest so as not to put footprints in my own composition.

By: Ben Horne

Ben Horne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:48:21 +0000

I agree with you about the midground of the first shot. Though it looked good to my eye, it didn’t translate to film quite like I had hoped. The evening shot from that same viewpoint made the foreground a stronger element. I hope to return to the location of the Sunset Dune shot and see what other conditions I can experience there. I’m confident that I can get the exact shot I want, but it’ll take some time. Not bad for a first visit to this location though. It often takes about 3 visits before I walk away with the shot I had in mind.

By: Ben Horne

Ben Horne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:46:00 +0000

Good call on the extra camera viewpoints. In all honesty though, I am always looking for new ways of doing the video. After a while, I get tried of the same viewpoints again and again. I may eventually rig up something for a over the shoulder viewpoint, or other crazy stuff like that. Needless to say, I have a lot of time to kill out there.

You’ll have a blast in DV during the winter. All you have to do is get a bit off the beaten path, and you can find some locations that you’ll have to yourself.

By: Ben Horne

Ben Horne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:43:17 +0000

You’re a braver man than I am. You certainly won’t have any problems with footprints in the sand in July, but man-oh-man… it’s going to be hot. Congrats on the new 4×5, and make sure you keep that film cool!

By: Ben Horne

Ben Horne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Thanks David. As much as I have to try and plan for shots, sometimes it’s those unplanned shots that end up stealing the show. Though this trip is still fresh in my memory, I can’t wait to get back to DV and see what else I can find.