Off the West Side

I owe this shot to Brant, a film photog I met on a detour through Alabama Hills.

I had a quick chat with him while shooting Mobius Arch that Friday morning, and I didn't think I'd see him again, until we ran into each other at Badwater to shoot sunset. After that, we pretty much just shot at all the same places most of the weekend.

 

Anyway, he left me a voicemail Saturday afternoon of that weekend, saying he had found a salt flat with formations, water, and potential. He had spotted it from Dante's View with his long telephoto! I made my way there and it was great!

 

It wasn't that big at all, but there were some pretty cool formations, and it was partially flooded. Bordering it were other salt formations similar to that of Devil's Golf Course, and it had nice views of both the Panamint Range and Amargosa Range.

 

And the best part- we were the only ones there! Maybe cause it was off a dirt road, but it still surprised me that with all the photogs I'd seen at DV that weekend, nobody else was at this site.We shot there the rest of that afternoon/sunset and then the following morning.

 

This shot was from the morning. We still had the whole place to ourselves and we joked that everyone was probably forming a row of shooters at Zabriskie Point, like what you see in the Death Valley posters.

 

I don't want to be selfish though, so if you don't know about this site already and wanna check it out, I've marked it on the map. Coming from Badwater Rd., drive a couple of miles down West Side Rd. till you see a small pocket on the left that can fit 2 or 3 cars. Park there and walk about 100 yards further down the road till you see the salt formations on either side of the road.

Done