Badwater Basin
Mar, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Badwater Basin in Death Valley, CA. There is a well-worn tourist path that goes out pretty far into the basin, but if you just head out a bit farther you find some really interesting patterns. The patterns are created when the water evaporates, leaving behind the salt that constricts and cracks the basin floor. It's always different and always worth the visit!Time
I shot this photo late in the evening, but not quite sunset. The basin is surrounded by mountains so sunset can be somewhat deceiving. With the right cloud cover you still get a pretty dramatic photo.Lighting
I had been to this particular spot quite a few times. The lighting didn't seem that extraordinary at the time, as you can tell by the lack of color in the sky. What caught me were the "light rays" shooting out from behind the clouds, as if to highlight another special place in the basin!Equipment
This photo was captured with my trusty Canon 6d and the Canon 14mm f2.8L lens, along with my "go anywhere" Benro tripod. It can get pretty windy out in Death Valley so it pays to have a good, sturdy, tripod!Inspiration
Like I said, I had been to this area a few times before inspired by other photographers' images of the basin. The basin always strikes me as one of natures wonders, changing every day or every season. I wanted to make a photo that was mine but still reminiscent of the influence that brought me there. Without other photographers to look up to there wouldn't be any driving force for those that aspire. I guess, in a way, this photo is an homage.Editing
I use Lightroom and Photoshop for my post processing. I usually start out with Lightroom and get my basics down, it's what I learned first and seems easier to me than Adobe Camera Raw. Then I send that photo over to Photoshop for the detail work; dodging and burning, layer masks, etc. Then I usually sit and stare at the "finished" photo for quite a while before I decide whether or not to share it, seems like there is always something that can be tweaked.In my camera bag
Oh my god, usually more than I need! Definitiely my Canon 6D, I absolutely love that camera! A couple of lenses, the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 and the Canon 24-105 f4L. A remote shutter of some sort, a definite for landscape work. A couple of cleaning cloths and a small cleaning kit. A head lamp and flash light, landscape photography usually means you're going somewhere before the sun comes up or after it goes down. A rain cover for the camera and lens. A Cokin Z-Pro filter holder and a couple graduated ND filters (one in blue to help bring out the sky). Extra batteries, for the lights and camera. Extra memory cards. Hand warmers, a real blessing on those cold mornings or nights! And, although, not in the bag, per se, I have my best friend! My trusty Benro tripod.Feedback
I guess all I can say about that is get out there and shoot! The only way to capture a great photo is to be there. In landscape photography it's all right place, right time. Find locations that you really love and go there, a lot. Every time you're there the sky will be different, or the water will be different, or a tree will have fallen, or the sun will be shining on a different spot. It might get boring seeing the same places all the time, but when that day comes, where everything lines ups perfectly...that's when great photos happen. Oh, and be patient. Mother nature is on her own clock!
