Description — This is a photograph taken from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park. It was taken just before sunrise on February 19, 2014.
Camera Nerd Info — Linhof Super Technika V 4×5 view camera, Fujinon-W 180mm f/5.6 lens, Fuji Provia 100F film, exposure 1/2s @ f/32, front rise.
Commentary — Zabriskie Point is along the mountain range east of Death Valley. It is a popular spot for photographers, and there were several there at the time to photograph the landscape at sunrise. The view is to the southwest, and the mountain range in the distance is on the opposite side of Death Valley. I was here on a photo trip with a photographer friend. We had a great time.
This scene was a challenge to photograph and print. I took the photograph at daybreak and exposed for the sky in order to get some detail in the moon. Given that transparency film has a narrow exposure latitude this left the ground too dark. Also, one of Provia’s few faults is that it tends to give a blueish cast in shadows. Finally, the rocks at Zabriskie Point are an odd color anyway, so lightening the ground in post-processing gave a result that didn’t look real. I was finally able to produce a JPEG for web publishing that looks like the scene as I remember it, but I still don’t have a satisfactory print. The lesson learned here is to shoot this place in black-and-white.
ML