California Photo Scout

Death Valley Flowers

Even the hottest and driest place in California harbors life. Wildflower seeds hibernate years below the surface waiting for a tiny drop of water. After the El-Nino rains shower the desert, life shifts into overdrive. Colorful flowers pop up and cacti put on a show, competing for pollinators, spectators, and photo-creators.

Within a few weeks, the resourceful plants have fulfilled their life’s destiny, sprang new seeds, and withered away in the unforgiving, scorching heat of Death Valley. This is the time of the year to visit and clearly, everyone knows this. If you come prepared, you can improve your odds and walk away victorious.

We even met Lucky Luke, the Coyote, who came to pay his respects. He kindly posed for a few shots before trotting off into the sunset.

How to get there

I found most of the wildflowers around Ashford Mills, just north of Mormon Point and on Highway 178 (Jubilee Pass Road) near Virgin Spring Canyon. I recommend taking this route into Death Valley from Barstow.

Highway 190 and 178 from the west have to pass two steep mountain ranges into Panamint Valley and then into Death Valley, making this route slower in most cases.

GPS position

Cacti near Virgin Spring Canyon:  N35 54.360 W116 37.494

Ashford Mill: N35 55.162 W116 40.989

How to photograph Wildflowers in Death Valley

Death Valley Blooming Cactus

Read my previous blog post on Wildflower Photography in Death Valley for more general tips and a list of good locations.

I used my favorite lens for most of the wildflower shots, the Tokina 12-24mm. This ultra wide lens gives me the chance to get very close to the blossoms. I can achieve a very large depth of field, by choosing a small aperture and a wide-angle lens, letting me place the flowers in the foreground and the dramatic mountains in the distant background.

Kneeling or laying flat on your stomach, you need to pay close attention to your horizon. With a wide field of view, tilted horizons are common. In the cactus photograph above, you can see that the horizon is straight by looking at the distant mountains. However, the first inclination would be to align your shot with the left tilt of the small hill. I used the built-in electronic level of my Canon 7D. For a few dollars, you can buy a level that attaches to the flash shoe of your camera. It performs the same function. If you did not bring one, turn on live view and the grids that most cameras provide. That should help you keep the image level visually.

Consider the placement of your main subject. I put the cacti flowers in the lower right third of my image. I also placed the flower in the lower right corner, about one third away from the right edge. According to the golden rule of photography, the lower right corner holds our interest the longest. We “read” images, similar to the way we read books and often end up in this position with our eyes. Any off-center placement like the golden rule or the rule of thirds creates strong dynamic images.

Coyote

When we met Lucky Luke, I placed him in the left part of the frame, since he looked to the right. Never let your subject, man or beast, look out the corner of your frame. Always have them look into the picture or leave sufficient room in the line of sight.

Lucky Luke was a nervous fellow, who kept looking around and moving. If you practice your composition, you will greatly improve the chances to be able to act fast when a situation presents itself. Become familiar with your camera so that you can operate it without looking and can adjust the settings while you raise the camera to your eye or while you peek through the viewfinder.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

March to April is the best time for wildflower photography. Late afternoon to sunset offers the best light.

Time required

A trip into Death Valley is a major undertaking. It takes a long drive to get here, so make sure you book an overnight stay in or around Death Valley.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Macro Lens
• Tripod and Cable release
• Zoom Lens
• Diffuser and Reflector
• Flash Diffuser
• Polarizing Filter
• Kneepads, a blanket or some foam for kneeling

Fees

To enter Death Valley National Park, you need to pay the fee at any of the self service machines or show your park pass at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center where you can also ask about current conditions.

Close Locations in Death Valley

• Wildflowers in Death Valley
• Badwater
• Badwater Basin
• Salt Pan Polygons
• Zabriskie Point
• Dante’s View
• Ashford Mills
• Mesquite Flat Dunes (near Stovepipe Wells)
• The Racetrack
• Lost Burro Mine

Close Locations outside Death Valley

• Ballarat Ghost Town
• Kelso Dunes (Mojave National Preserve)

Useful Resources

How to photograph Wildflowers in Death Valley (previous post containing many useful tips)

Death Valley Wildflower Report

Death Valley Morning Report

NPS Death Valley Pages

My Death Valley Photos

Subscribe to my feed and be the first to learn about the secret places to photograph.

Check the links in the resource section for current conditions and inspiration.

Tweet This! :: E-Mail This!
Do you find this post de.licio.us? Tell people that you reddit!