It really was a long way home from where I shot this! After a couple hours hiking in the midday sun to get to this spot, I was deep into Death Valley and waiting for the sun to dip so I could get some reprieve from the grueling intensity of the November sun. Yes, November sun. It was still over 100 degrees and I had exhausted nearly all my water.
Usually, I’m like a camel. I rarely even bring water with me, but I knew the conditions of this area, the below sea level altitude and the blistering intensity of the sun, so I brought my Nalgene. My Merrell’s where covered in sand because each step would sink me 6″ into the terrain and the bag on my back felt like I had an acme anvil from those old roadrunner cartoons hanging off of it. I made it a point to stop every ten minutes and take a few sips of water, sit down, rest and scan the landscapes.
If I was going to get a great photo from this area I knew it was imperative to find a great composition first. I really liked the way the sand drew my eyes right up the dunes and over to the mountains in the background. It would be a few more hours tramping around in the sand before I was ready to pack up my gear and take the long way home.
