Bad Water Stars-Dawn

[Jim Dockery]

Inspired by Jim S's wonderful star shots he's recently posted I went back into my folder from Bad Water. I walked out to some nice salt formations very early in the morning, but had quite a bit of moon taking away from the stars. I decided to work with that inspired by Jim Fox's wonderful touch with such landscapes. I left my tripod in the same spot as I shot through sunrise for a sunrise sequence in a slide show.

Early morning

Dawn

 

[Ben Egbert]

This is really neat, I love moonlit landscapes. Both of these are wonderful images.

 

[AlanLichty]

Very nice. I have shot that place in the moonlight but didn't have the salt polygons anywhere near as nice as the ones you shot in this sequence. The moonlight shot is particularly captivating to view.

 

[Mike Lewis]

The moonlight shot looks otherworldly - so bright and yet the mind can tell it isn't illuminated by the sun. And that purple color right before sunrise or just after sunset is one of my favorite things to capture - really magical light for both of these.

ML

 

[Jameel Hyder]

While the moonlit shot is really nice, I keep coming back to the magical light in the second one. The polygons look nice.

 

[Jeffrey]

Very nice and interesting light on both of these. Something moved your camera between these exposures, resulting in a tilted horizon in the second.

 

[JimFox]

These both are super cool for different reasons as has been shared. You really nailed this, and it starts with that polygon. Finding a nice one for the foreground is not an easy task.

You are helping to make me want to really get out there next week! Hopefully I can.

 

[JimFox]

Congrats on the Daily Featured Post Jim!

@Jim Dockery

 

[Douglas Sherman]

Congratulations on the Daily Featured Post, Jim. Two really nice images. I really like that second one.

 

[Vieri]

Very nice work Jim, and congrats on the featured post! Best regards,

Vieri

 

[Dean]

Beautiful work Jim.. Love the first.
Regards,
Dean

 

[Jim Dockery]

Thanks for the Feature Jim, and all the nice comments friends.

Good eye Jeffery, when I was editing the second I tried to level it in ACR, but got it off a bit, should have left it alone!

I was thinking I'd stay out there until the sun was fully on my spot to finish the sequence, but I got bored and hungry for breakfast. Here's one of my last shots before I packed up.

And another from the parking area.

If you look close out on the salt flats you can see people, I was another half mile past that over on the right when I found my spot.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Jim, I have stayed out as the sun rises and works across that whole plain. When the light is at the bottom of the peaks, before it lights up Badwater itself is the last of the good light. So you made a great choice to go to breakfast when you did.

 

[Ben Egbert]

That first one is a lovely image.