We’ve been itching for a roadtrip, so when we discovered that we had a free day on Sunday we decided to take a jaunt to the desert for an afternoon drive – slash – photo tour. A few days ago I was talking to a friend about the Salton Sea and I realized it has been a about a year since I last visited the wondrous sight of California’s most polluted lake/sea, so it was quickly decided a trip out to the sea was in order. After checking the weather report last night I realized there was a good chance of rain (the weather report was for…rain)…but I though this would lead to some interesting photo possibilities as the storm clouds rolled in and out and puddles created some interesting composition possibilities.
So, as you look at the photo above you think to yourself, well, that’s not the Salton Sea…so you can probably surmise the trip out to the sea was a bust. The first order of business was cruising in to North Shore to find that the Ace of Spades is now, well, I think it’s about to become a public library. It’s completely rebuilt (see the Ace of Spades in all it’s resplendent glory as recent as last January 2009) with a real parking lot, picnic tables, unbroken windows and the half submerged playground has been removed. What is the world coming to? Moving on we continued towards Bombay Beach, slowing down to cross deeper and deeper mud runoffs as they crossed the highway. Eventually we made it to Bombay Beach, only to discover the the roads in to the “ruins” was flooded and the rains were starting to come down harder. Andree, the wise one, stayed in the car with Sierra while I waded across the roadway, camera tucked under my jacket, and went to investigate the opportunities. After a minute or two of slipping in the mud I quickly turned back and headed to the car. Down, but not out, we headed back towards Palm Springs and the San Gorgonio Pass with the hopes of catching the windmills at sunset. A few weeks ago we had been traveling along highway 111 and I realized it afforded some interesting possibilities, especially with snowcapped mountains as a backdrop, though the reality is it is probably a better sunrise spot.
After a quick detour up to the Palm Springs tram we found what looked to be the best spot along 111 to photograph the windmills. I would have preferred to have been higher, shooting down towards the windmills, but there were some interesting composition choices from along the highway. As I bundled up against the wind Andree spent 30 or so minutes trying to convince Sierra that it was ok for her to pee in a strange place. I’m not sure we realized we adopted a nervous pee-er. Overall I’m not sure I’m overly enthused by the windmill photos, I may have to play with the white balance to try and warm the photos, they are a tad bit cold. For my next jaunt through the windmill farms, it’s time to figure out how to actually get closer to the windmills instead of shooting them from a distance.
So, to net it out…North Shore is ruined, we couldn’t get in to the Bombay Beach ruins, almost flooded the car, and wasn’t too happy with the photos I came back with. But 8 hours in the car with Andree and the Ipod always makes for a fabulous trip.
Enjoy the week
Sean Scanlon is a travel and landscape photographer based in Southern California, home to an amazing array of photographic wonders. He has traveled the world, journeyed on long and desolate desert roads, and spent many cold and shivering mornings waiting for the sun to rise while his partner in life, Andree, wonders what in the world she is doing up at 4am in the morning. His photographs have been presented on museum walls in Melbourne, Australia and countless numbers of family and friends.
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All content © 2010 by Sean Scanlon | redinkphotography | landscape, urban, and travel photography | fine art and stock sales