Death Valley National Park in California is one of my favorite places. I've probably been there a dozen times now. It's a great place for dark skies, a large variety of desert landscapes, canyons, washes, waterfalls, oasis, hiking trails, many backroads to explore, and great geology. You can camp (campground and back country) or stay in one of the hotels. The park has elevations that range from -282 feet (-86 meters), which is the lowest spot in North America to 11,049 feet (3368 meters) at the top of Telescope Peak. The photos below are from a few days I spent there in March of 2013. Enjoy. . .
Sunset with crescent moon
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 30.3mm
Exposure: 1/80 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 800 RAW
Telescope Peak from above Golden Canyon
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 36.9mm
Exposure: 1/250 second at f/5.6 with a circular polarizer
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Golden Canyon with Manly Beacon in the background
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 38.6mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8 with a circular polarizer
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
A side canyon of Golden Canyon
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 24.5mm
Exposure: 1/250 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Looking over Golden Canyon from the base of Manly Beacon
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 15.1mm
Exposure: 1/200 second at f/8 with a circular polarizer
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Red Cathedral
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 33.0mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8 with circular polarizer
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Telescope Peak from the base of Manly Beacon
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 49.5mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8 with a circular polarizer
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Alone in the Desert - A phacelia in Gower Gulch
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 15.1mm
Exposure: 1/320 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Gower Gulch
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 15.1mm
Exposure: 1/500 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Salt formations
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 25.0mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 400 RAW
Elephant salt formation
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 36.9mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 400 RAW
Elephant salt formation
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 36.9mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 400 RAW
Salt crystals
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 33.6mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 400 RAW
Salt crystals
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm with Canon 250D Close-up Lens
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 400 RAW
Salt crystals
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm with Canon 250D Close-up Lens
Exposure: 1/160 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 400 RAW
Salt crystals
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm with Canon 250D Close-up Lens
Exposure: 1/160 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 400 RAW
Darwin Oasis
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 15.1mm
Exposure: 1/200 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Darwin Oasis
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 20.6mm
Exposure: 1/250 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Upper Darwin Falls
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 15.1mm
Exposure: 0.6 seconds (x4) at f/16 with buit-in ND3 filter
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Darwin Oasis - The pools below the upper falls
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 15.1mm
Exposure: 1/250 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Darwin Oasis - The chute and pool below the upper falls
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 21.7mm
Exposure: 1/250 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Darwin Oasis - Frogs (2 of 10 in this pool)
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm
Exposure: 1/30 second at f/5.8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Lower Darwin Falls
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 36.9mm
Exposure: 0.4 seconds at f/11 with buit-in ND3 filter
Camera Mode: ISO 200 RAW
Lower Darwin Falls
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 21.3mm
Exposure: 1.0 second at f/16 with buit-in ND3 filter
Camera Mode: ISO 200 RAW
Dead tree and Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 22.9mm
Exposure: 1/320 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and the Funeral Mountains
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Ripples on the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm
Exposure: 1/250 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
The high peaks of the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and the Grapevine Mountains
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm
Exposure: 1/200 second at f/5.8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and the Funeral Mountains
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 41.3mm
Exposure: 1/200 second at f/5.6
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
One of the narrows in Marble Canyon
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 39.7mm
Exposure: 1/30 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Igneous inclusions in Marble Canyon
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm
Exposure: 1/15 second at f/5.8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Barrel cactus high up the wall in Marble Canyon
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/5.8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Looking up at the crescent moon in Marble Canyon (at the bathtub)
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 15.1mm
Exposure: 1/125 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
A California poppy in Marble Canyon (at the bathtub)
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 60.4mm
Exposure: 1/60 second at f/5.8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Death Valley from Dante's View (6 frame, 166 degree panorama)
Lens: Internal 15.1-60.4 mm, set to 15.1mm
Exposure: 1/400 second at f/8
Camera Mode: ISO 100 RAW
Photographer: Rick Scott
Date: March 13 to 17, 2013
Camera: Canon PowerShot G1 X digital camera
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS5 for RAW conversion and image processing. PTGui for panorama image stitching.
Updated: April 23, 2013