Death Valley In The Spring
I don't think I know a place that I like to photograph more or know better than the basin known as Death Valley. When I began offering workshops, Death Valley was one of the first places that I considered. When people ask me about "can't miss" workshops that I offer, Death Valley is always number one on my list. It's a place where I'm proud to take people, an area that I'm always anxious to show people. Actually, I just take people there and let this wonderful valley "showoff"!
Our 2005 Death Valley Spring Workshop strutted it's best for us. Despite the fact that three of my favorite places to photograph were not accessible to us due to road and storm damage, we were busy fourteen hours a day for 5 days photographing from the basement of the earth to the heavens above, from well below sea level to almost tree line. Our weather this year could not have been better. Temperatures up to ninety degrees and down to the high thirties. In a land that sees less than two inches of rain a year, over six have fallen and we saw a lot of clouds, almost as much sun and a sudden and thrilling thunder storm that yielded this image.
We were very fortunate this year on the dunes. We made three trips out and although Death Valley is one of the windiest places on earth, and we saw quite a bit, most of it occurred in the hours we were not there but gave us fresh and in most cases, un trampled patterns each time out. We also saw very few people on the dunes. This certainly would not have been the case just a few weeks before. Death Valley experienced a flood of people this spring due to the huge yield of wildflowers.
Photographing sand dunes is always problematic and very seldom in my experience, very easy. First there is the task of getting there. Unless you are satisfied with a long lens to compress the dunes to give a different perspective, you must get "into" them. Walking in sand is not much fun and carrying a heavy pack is a burden. To complicate matters, if you are like me and want to be in position before first light, it means that you must do this trek in the dark. A good lesson in the "experience is everything" handbook, knowing your route before hand and doing it through the years paid dividends here. I always break down my pack to a small one and take only what I think I will need. This allows movement from one location to another once I have light and can see the shoot as it plays out.
Taking advantage of low light whether at dawn or dusk always gives the best chance for ideal landscape conditions. I try to be in position well before. I try to avoid a rushed situation and give as much time as possible to scout and become comfortable with the area. In a workshop format this is very important. We all photograph at a different pace. Some need more time than others and it's my experience that freedom to explore ones thoughts and feelings bring better images. 
The image of the rock face is one that I have done every time I visit this location. At the end of our sunrise shoot high above the valley I showed this favorite of mine to some of the workshop participants. The play of light across the point of the rock was the focal point for me and I did not bother to polarize not wanting to cut the haze in the distance The thought was that it would detract from the strong foreground.
For the dawn on the salt flats, a Canon 24 Tilt/Shift lens allowed the foreground detail while still keeping the distant horizon from falling into or away in the composition. My thought was that by showing the detail of the salt grains, this would identify them and make the flats into infinity recognizable and fascinating.
The same setup was used on the sliding rock. A feature that has not been witnessed, the rocks certainly do move! Capturing this is not as easy as you might think 
photographically. After all, this is still photography. It's amazing but not only do they slide, but in some cases they slide a long way! The perspective I wanted was to magnify this point. With the use again of the T/S lens, I was able to "get above" this rock and by lining up the point of the rock and it's trail, I could make the track appear to disappear in the distance giving the illusion that it came from miles away.
Being in familiar settings a number of times encourages me to try different things. I have always benefited from working with my workshop participants. In the case of the old buildings from a now ghost town, I was told that there were much older ruins in the part of the world my companion was from. The thought turned to a composition in vertical panoramic format that brought thought of ancient civilizations. Trying to hide the old west that I was seeing I instead saw columns and pillars. It seems to say different things each time I view it. The sepia tone was added in post processing to add to the effect.
Along with the approach of using different techniques and different equipment, I like to go through the process of recall. That is what I've done in the past. One of the "rethinks" currently on my mind is the discontinuation of the use of split neutral density filters. Many of us have done this since the move to digital and I've been one of them. For the rainbow image below, a Singh-Ray 3 stop hard edge ND gave me the punch that makes the image jump. The idea was inspired by an earlier conversation with one of the workshop participants. A person that has been using split ND's in the digital process since it's inception.
As landscape photographers we usually work alone. In workshops it's unique contrast to this rule plays out in many ways. It's discipline and dedication to the entire photographic process seems to be contagious. I'm always amazed at the number of fine images that result. Sharing ideas, thoughts on strategy and technique all add to the mix. Meeting new people that share the same passion is an often overlooked part of a good workshop as is sharing the images after.
If you have yet to experience and enjoy all the benefits of a small workshop, maybe it's time to f-8 and be there!
Your comments are always welcome. f8andbethere@cableone.net