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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Furnace Creek Death Valley
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 11/14/2007 03:41:13 AM · #1
Anyone with any experience at Furnace Creek? I'm going this weekend to do some shooting. Never been before so not sure what to expect except the obvious heat, sand and cold nights.
 11/14/2007 03:58:47 AM · #2
There's quite a bit to photograph.

The famous sand dunes are very close to Furnace Creek. "Bad Water" is about a 30-40 minute drive from there (it's the lowest elevation in the U.S.). The salt flats are cool to photograph--especially the mirages. At night from the motel at Furnace Creek, you can see a gazillion stars and the Milky Way--bring your tripod! The mountains surrounding the valley are great photo ops too.


11/14/2007 12:49:35 PM · #3
Anyone know the setting to shoot the Milkyway? I've never done star shots. I'm thinking 50 ISO f11 @ 15 seconds?
 11/14/2007 01:05:04 PM · #4
Originally posted by jtf6agent:
Anyone know the setting to shoot the Milkyway? I've never done star shots. I'm thinking 50 ISO f11 @ 15 seconds?


You'll want to be at about ISO400, f4 or 5.6 ish, otherwise you wont pick up that much. It is coming up to a full moon though - I'd experiment.

If you are shooting with a 1D you can go up to about a 1 or 2 hour exposure without too much problems - just switch off noise reduction first!

I stayed at Furnace Creek a couple of weeks ago. You are much closer to Badwater than you are to the sand dunes at Stovepipe wells.

I'd suggest getting out in to the sand dunes early - about an hour before sunrise is awesome out there - you might want be out in the dunes by then.

Badwater is a cool sunrise or sunset location. The sand dunes aren't that interesting at sunset, much cooler at sunrise.

Zabriskie point is a short drive from Furnace creek - a good sunrise location.
Artist's palette is near there too. We just drove through there - not too exciting during the day, probably cool at sunset, not so interesting at sunrise, based on the direction it faces.

Darwin falls is a pretty unusual thing - a waterfall in death valley.

My two favourite parts of Death Valley are the dunes at stove pipe wells and badwater. It's worth being out at badwater, on the salt flats, at sunset or sunrise - again being there before or staying after is well worth it - everyone either seems to arrive far too late or leave far too early.

Some from last month


A trip a few years ago

I'm jealous - one of my favourite places to go.
 11/14/2007 06:12:32 PM · #5
We went there at the end of June this year. It was the first time I've been there and I loved every single minute of it. We stayed in Stovepipe Wells and I was able to get out early one morning to hit the dunes. Sheer beauty.

Badwater

Canyon Walls

Highway Sunset

Dunes1

Dunes 2

Dunes 3

Dunes 4

Dunes 5

Dunes 6

Dunes 7

As you can tell, I loved it there! Can't wait to go back, too bad it's so far from Vancouver Island, BC. :)
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