Badwater Basin (Sunrise)

This photo was taken in Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park. You'll want to drive here. It's about five hours from Los Angeles and two and a half hours from Las Vegas. Depending on which direction you are coming from, Highway 190 or Highway 178 will lead you to Badwater Road, which is very close to where this photo was taken. You can park your car at the designated parking lot near Badwater Road (36.229873, -116.767280) and then continue walking towards Death Valley National Park. You will need to walk around 10 minutes (0.6 miles) from the parking lot to the GPS coordinates. I faced west for this view. Attention: The official website of The National Park Service (https://www.nps.gov/places/badwater-basin.htm) does not advise hiking after 10am during summer months as the temperatures can be dangerously high.

I took this photo of Badwater Basin in March right after it rained. To capture the mountains reflecting on the wet basin, visit during the spring or winter months when it is most likely to rain. If you want to photograph the cracked clay instead of the moist ground, consider visiting in the summer months. Mid-summer can be dangerous to visit this area, though, as the ground gets very warm and the temperatures can be deadly.

At sunrise, you'll enjoy shades of pink and purple in the sky, beautifully reflecting on the basin if it's wet. Avoid visiting during days of extreme heat—it can be dangerous.

Consider wearing sandals if the basin is flooded.

This area is quite vast—a wide-angle lens (16mm) will help you capture it's expansiveness. A telephoto would help you zoom into the basin's details.

Since you might have to shoot in the flood—consider bringing a tripod to make it easier. A chair might suit you well, also.

Pay close attention to the cracks and crevices in the basin. Find shapes that interest you and try photographing its details. In my image, you'll see how I used a pattern as a leading line, guiding the viewer more deeply into the expansiveness of my image.

Explore Death Valley National Park which is known as the hottest, driest and lowest national park (in sea level). You can do hiking, birdwatching or horseback riding in the park.

Death Valley National Park is also one of the best places for stargazing and therefore, astrophotography. They organize Death Valley Dark Sky Festival every year. You can check the upcoming dates here.

https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/death-valley-dark-sky-festival.htm

If you want to visit some viewpoints for nice mountain views, you can check out Devil's Golf Course and Dante’s View.