Apr 21 2008
As photographers we all experience moments, a time, place and setting where everything comes together, where you can instantly tell it’s special. The moment itself, to steal a phrase, that clicks. There is no wonder what you captured, but rather the excitement as you are shooting where you know you’ve done something, maybe that you’ve never done before. That each and every image has the potential to be memorable and “the one”. Your race back to upload the images isn’t with a sense of, “did I capture the moment”, you know you have.
Approximately a year and a half ago I ventured out to Death Valley and the Death Valley Dunes outside of Stovepipe Wells. As I chronicled previously…conditions were less than pristine. While happy with some of the results, I knew there could be something more, that I had somehow missed out on a memorable photographic experience.
This weekend I took my first photographic road trip with Andree. In part a kind of test in our new burgeoning relationship…how would she handle me being in full photography mode! I am happy to say things went absolutely fantastic, and I’ll write more about that later.
As for this morning she was more than willing to wake up at 4am as we sleepily jumped in the car and drove from Furnace Creek Ranch to Stovepipe Wells. We parked the car, gathered the gear, and slogged out to the sand. We stopped a few times as I pondered the locale I wanted…the advantage of being the first people out on the sand! I saw the big dunes, and we headed out towards them. As we got closer I stopped and figured this is where we’ll setup…only to spy another dune, a few hundred yards up (and another 50 to 100 feet UP!). We journeyed up the dunes and “made camp”.
This morning there was no wondering…will there be light. A cloudless sky, crisp cool air…and the envy of all the other photographers who were starting to make their ways out in to the sand!
As the sun started to rise, so did my excitement…I felt we were in the perfect spot. Sure, I was a tad bit worried about the 100-400 lens I had dropped, broke the filter on, and now couldn’t get the filter ring off the lens (I had to break the glass out of the lens so it was usable!)…but that was ok. And sure, it didn’t help to drop another lens in the sand…which Andree willingly cleaned for me. But for the most part…things were in perfect order. The sun rose over the mountains and I was mesmerized, the shadows, textures, and colors of the dunes that are so appealing came to life. This time there was no breathless hurry up and shoot…I had all the time I needed. Carefully compose, frame, expose and shoot. Returning to various formations to see how the scene had changed as the light changed. I was in heaven!
2 hours later we were done. The sun had risen high in the sky and it was time to head back to the car for a breakfast of beer, salami, and cheese (I love roadtrip food!).
Oh, and to the gentleman who walked up on us. Sure we had a great locale, and I understand you wanted to reach the highest dune. I also know you saw there were multiple paths to said dune. So, I’m not sure why you were surprised when you walked up to us and then stated “I don’t want to ruin your sand”…that I simply replied “I’d appreciate” and continued to shoot. You obviously knew it was a great scene, and you obviously knew because you took the path that was easily seen there was another way up the dunes without walking through my shoots. But, I guess I’ll just say thanks.
Here is one of the shots from the morning shoot, a shoot I can easily say was probably one of my greatest shoots. At this point I’m like a kid in the candy store. As Andree said to me last night “what point is rating them, if they are all 3 or above?”
Death Valley, California
April 2008