Death Valley National Park Photography

Photographed on the water's edge of Badwater Basin in Death Valley, 282 feet below sea level, with the Panamint Range rising to 11,000 feet reflected in its ephemeral still waters.

In February, 2010 I participated in a four day photography workshop in Death Valley National Park.

I shot these photos during that workshop.

The workshop hosts were Jack Graham and Ralph Nordstrom, professionals in outdoor and nature photography.

Nine photographers participated in the workshop.

The timing was great for a desert visit, cool mornings and midday temperatures around 70 degrees F.

Winter has shorter days, which meant each day would be jammed full of activity.

We'd be en route to different venues by 4:30 to 5:30 each morning, depending on distance, to catch the sunrise.

Afterwards, we'd return to Furnace Creek Ranch Resort or Stovepipe Wells Village for breakfast.

We'd then go into a classroom session to review and critique photos and learn new processing techniques until mid afternoon.

That gave us just enough time to gather our gear and head for another photo location, where we'd shoot until after sunset.

We'd meet for dinner and finally return to our rooms around 8:30 each evening.

I would upload the 300 to 400 photos I shot during the day, review and pick two or three for classroom critique the next day, and be in the sack by 11:00 each night.

We'd be up before dawn the next day to continue our quest for a few good photos.

This was the second field workshop I've taken, the first in the Columbia River Gorge. I can guarantee that if you take a workshop offered by Jack or Ralph and follow their advice, you should return home with some exciting, exhibition quality photos.

If you want to improve your photography skills and learn from other photographers with similar interests, take a workshop!