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Posted by on Jan 10, 2013 in Personal | 16 comments

I’m Heading To Death Valley

Photography Gear
I’m really psyched to be taking my first photography trip of the year today. This morning I woke up at some ungodly hour to get on a 5:30am flight out west. I’m meeting up with Brian Matiash (from onOne Software) and a few other friends to shoot Death Valley for the weekend. Early in December I found out they were taking a trip so I invited myself along ;) I’m incredibly excited because this has been on my “I wanna shoot” list for years and this was a great chance to get out there, and split some of the rental car and hotel costs at the same time.

Above is a photo of my gear packed in my Think Tank Airport Airsteam bag. I’ve got my Tamrac Velocity 9 bag in my checked luggage for getting around once I get out there. For this trip I packed my Nikon D800 and my 16-35mm lens as my primary body/lens combo. I did however borrow a few lenses to try out. First I got a 24 f/1.4. I think that’ll come in really handy for some night photography that we plan on doing. I’m also borrowed the Nikno 35 f/1.4 just to try it out. Finally, I’m trying out a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8. I don’t own a 24-70 so I’m anxious to test this one out.

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I’ve packed more layers of clothing that I think I ever knew I had, but something tells me I’m I’m screwed and in for a big shock. We plan on shooting at night a lot and I hear Death Valley gets pretty cold this time of year. Wish me luck! :)

I’ll try to post some photos tomorrow if I get any today. If not, I’ll post ‘em next week. Have a good one!

Matt Kloskowski

Matt Kloskowski

Education Director at NAPP / Kelby Training
Matt is a full time Education Director for the NAPP and Kelby Training. He's a best-selling author of various books on Photoshop and Photography co-hosts the live weekly photography talk show "The Grid" and is co-host of "Photoshop User TV". In his spare time he practices as a 1st degree black belt in Taekwondo and enjoys spending time with his family in Tampa, FL.
Matt Kloskowski

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  • Michael Drumgool

    Your going to freeze!! Wish I was going with you? 85 in January you can have this Florida weather!! Get some great shots.

  • Doug Sundseth

    There’s no such thing as weather too cold, only dressing inappropriately for the conditions. It’s not like it’s projected to be below zero — well below zero Fahrenheit, anyway. Heck, you don’t even have a moustache for your breath to freeze in.

    You’ll probably survive.
    8-)

    • http://www.mattk.com/ Matt Kloskowski

      Dude, perhaps you have me confused with some other warm-weather-loving Florida resident of over 20 years. If it’s below 30, it’s COLD to me. Just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is the cold ;-)
      Come on, it says it’s going to be 9 degrees one night. 9!!! That’s cold to just about anyone!
      I don’t know about anyone else, but the hardest part I find is my hands to keep warm. I want to keep my hands free enough to operate the camera, but that usually means you can’t wear those REALLY warm gloves. But I have the really warm gloves so we’ll see which wins out – camera operation or warmth? :)

      • Doug Sundseth

        More seriously, for gloves, I’d recommend gloves with cut-off fingertips underneath mittens that have a fold-up end. For people from temperate climates, that combination is good to around -40 (F or C — they’re the same), so you should be fine at +10.

        In general, layers are the really important thing. When it’s cold, I’ll have 4-5 layers on my core, three layers on my legs, two layers of socks (at least one wool), gloves and mittens, and heavy-duty head covering.. Then I can adjust my coverage to my level of activity. When I’m exercising, 35 needs only a vest and long-sleeved shirt. When I’m static, that temp needs at least another core layer.

        BTW, I envy you the trip. Have fun.

        • Les Howard

          I used fingerless gloves for many years. They’re okay down to freezing or a bit below. But clothing technology has vastly improved from that.

          I now prefer a pair of lightweight gloves made by Outdoor Research (specifically, their model MPL-400) that are fleece lined with silicone grips on the palms and fingertips that allow me to operate camera controls while keeping my hands and fingers comfortable to well below freezing. They are also windproof and the outer shell repels snow. Many Canadian outdoor outfitters carry these gloves and I would assume they’re easily available in the USA as well.

          When it gets even colder, I wear some oversize alpine style mittens over them. My hands don’t get cold. A friend who frequently photographs in the mountains in winter also uses chemical handwarmers inside his gloves. Of course, you have to take the Alpine mittens off to operate the camera, but the gloves will still protect you for the few minutes that takes.

          The layering advice is good. Be sure to avoid using any cotton garments. I like merino wool. Wear a wool toque you can pull down over your ears.

          Also, be sure to read the blog article I mentioned in my previous comment.

  • Patti Deters

    Sounds like fun. Death Valley is huge and so diverse that you should find tons of great photo ops. I’m especially interested to hear how you like the Tamron 24-70.

  • http://twitter.com/BrianBoingPhoto Brian Boing Photo

    I love death Valley and yes it can be cold this time of year…especially early mornings waiting for the sun. not sure which side your coming in from, but I almost froze my butt off in April shooting the sunrise at Alabama Hills on our way into the valley.!! So much to shoot up there Matt…have a great shoot and I look forward to your thoughts on the Tamron 24-70.

    • http://www.mattk.com/ Matt Kloskowski

      Yeah, its the wind chill I’m really worried about. I saw something about 20-30 mph winds. Ouch! :)

  • Doug Zeliff

    Enjoy Matt! It isn’t too far from where I work. The night sky is amazing, but you will still see Vegas in the distance. The dunes are a great shoot if the winds are laying down. So may great locations like Badwater, Dante’s View and Artist’s Drive. You will probably end up leaving your phone on airplane mode as coverage is pretty thin. Enjoy the Mojave!

    • http://www.mattk.com/ Matt Kloskowski

      True that! Didn’t have cell or internet service for 3 days!!! :)

  • Francis T

    Have fun Matt!

    I always thought you already had a 24-70 f/2.8. What lenses do you have right now? I think it’s the 28-300mm, 70-200 f/2.8 VR II(?) and 16-35mm.

    • http://www.mattk.com/ Matt Kloskowski

      Yup. Those 3 and the 85 f/1.4 and the 105mm f/2.8 macro.

  • wgchinn

    Maybe a few words on condensation taking a camera from normal room temperature into cold moist and cold dry weather would be appropriate.

  • Les Howard

    I’d love to visit Death Valley some day – especially in winter. I shoot a lot in cold conditions – one of the disadvantages of living in Canada. Here’s a blog post I wrote a couple of years ago with some tips for shooting in winter conditions (http://leshoward.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/winter-photography-tips-part-1/). I also started writing a Part 2 and Part 3 for that but never finished them, something I need to do soon.

  • http://www.facebook.com/fbernabo Frederic Bernabo

    Wow sounds cool and you better be prepared for that as when you’re too cold you won’t enjoy your time over there.
    I sill have one question for the gear you’re taking with you. Why 24mm f1.4, such a big aperture for landscape photography?
    Thanks for your input.
    Enjoy your weekend.
    Fred

    • http://www.mattk.com/ Matt Kloskowski

      Hey Frederic – A couple of reasons. 1) You often hear about fixed lenses being sharper. Figured I’d put it to the test. 2) I LOVE shooting into the sun. The f/14 gives you such a nice sun-star on your photos. I’ll let you know how I like it :)