I landed in San Francisco, ho brah, so cold it was. After playing with my iPhone to let people back home know I made it to California with no sudden stops, I quickly jumped into the rental car to warm up. Wow, I have to hand it to the people who stay out there, all year-long it is cold. In the middle of summer you have to wear a full-blown Midwest winter jacket to get by.
On my way to Death Valley the temp. started to warm up. A long drive it was to the National Park, taking several pics along the way. I found myself reminiscing of the time when I lived out in the area. I knew everything about it. I knew the people and where everything was. It was nice to go somewhere and not have to use Google maps for everything. Word to the wise, make sure you have real maps. Many areas do not have cell phone service at all. When you drive through Area 51, make sure to stop for gas and junk food. You can't miss the place it's the only one, they make it known, lol.
So why did I want to go here so bad if I have been there before. I like the desert, but this was a special time. I was taking a chance to see the only time in human existence to see the rarest meteor shown known to earth. My timing was to place me in the park during the Camelopardalid Meteor Shower. It is said the next time it will be viewable to anyone on earth, us humans will be extinct. So I brought all my gear not knowing for sure what I will need, but had hoped my Minolta 20mm with Lee Filter set would do the trick. I bought the filters just for this shot, ho how expensive they are.
Here is what I was able to get on my Sony Alpha A99 v1.02, 20mm Minolta, and Lee Filter grad set.
Death Valley at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, during the Camelopardalid Meteor Shower. By- Christopher Nova Smith
I used my Sony Alpha A99 v1.02 with a Minolta 20mm bought on eBay and 3 Lee filter grades. The sun was setting far behind the mountains and night was beginning start. Using the grads to darken out the sun and allowing the one corner to be unaffected, I took several exposures for a sort of HDR image. An hour of shooting and waiting, unknowingly I came up with this. I couldn't see the full image even zoomed in. After taking it home, I was much surprised to have captured this image with very little work. The Lee Filter grads showed me how they are able to keep most details, even with three filters stacked. To my surprise the weapon of choice, was just perfect. A crisp clean image, like I always receive from my Sony Alpha A99 v1.02.
So after this adventure I went sight-seeing. I have several pictures to share with you in my gallery, and yes I'm still loading them up, but wanted so much to share a couple more photos with you here, as well.
Ferocactus cylindraceus (Red barrel Cactus)- Having a sculptural form and picturesque qualities, this already uncommon cactus is threatened by plant collectors. It is also losing habitat to clearing for new wind farms and solar power plants in the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert. Both Native and extremely rare in Death Valley, the drought of 2014 may prove to be too much for its survival there. By- Christopher Nova Smith
This cactus doesn't get much attention in Death Valley by the public for a reason. They are rare in the National Park, most die from the drought or is stolen by the public. a concerted effort is made by the National park to keep them alive. In most other areas the plant is killed off in the desert for alternative energy sources. A practice we as mankind need to change. Solving one problem to cause another is not the answer. A little more time and effort and both agendas could be kept without causing more destruction on the environment. I used the same Sony Alpha A99 v1.02 Minolta 20mm and Lee Filter system for this photo. This setup has proven to give a very real and organic look to the photos without sacrificing too much in the quality and sharpness of the photograph.
Darkness falls on the desert flood where a tumble weed is getting ready to make its own travels through the world. By Christopher Nova Smith
Hiking through the desert has its bonuses, I seen wildlife and many interesting things along my travel. I'm heading back to the car after another long hike and I walked up to this dead plant. Except this plant doesn't know it's dead. This guy is on its way to transform into a free moving biomass to help another plant grow or feed an animal several years from now. When this plant becomes completely dry it will break free to tumble through several miles of desert until its been completely broken down to settle and add to the Bio Mass Pyramid to help feed plants and other organisms.
Adding to the beauty of Death Valley is the beautiful nights, unaffected by city lights for hundreds of miles. By Christopher Nova Smith
Every night in Death Valley is simply beautiful, bring plenty of water, and a good set of hiking boots. Take the trip and have fun exploring. It's well worth the trip to Death Valley National Park. I want to say I love my Sony Alpha A99 v1.02. I use it every time I go out for a shoot, The Lee Filter system does add to a bit of time in preparing the shoot, but if thought out before you press the button; your Photos will have an organic look that HDR can not make. Trust your skill and pull away from HDR, get the shot correct in camera. It is possible to do HDR with the filters, but I found it to be much more appealing not to waste my time trying to photo edit everything and just get the shot correct in camera while taking the shot.
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