Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park (sunrise)

The featured image was taken at Zabriskie Point. There is a parking lot off of Highway 190. If you are coming from the south (north) it will be on your left (right). Park the car, walk up the path and explore! The photograph was taken from halfway into the pathway, facing south towards the model on the terrain.

All months of the year are suitable to photograph from Zabriskie Point. It doesn’t snow and remains relatively dry the majority of the year. But, I would avoid summer months, as it’s too hot to hike and there are no nearby water fountains.

Visit during sunrise for amazing light and contrast. Sunset can also be nice but the angle of the ridges don’t line up well at the end of the day; the mountains in the distance shade it from hitting the ground.

Dress appropriately. The weather can quickly fluctuate from extremely hot to extremely cold.

Try incorporating as much as you can into one photo with a telephoto lens (100mm). This place is extremely vast and if you photograph with a wide-angle it’s easy for the sky to overtake the image.

I composed my image with at least 2/3rds comprised of the ground. If there is an amazing sunrise or sunset, then 1/2 ground and 1/2 sky could be optimal.

Use the wind to your advantage when photographing models and find a place other than the lookout to get the full experience.

Check-out Golden Canyon trailhead, Manly Beacon, and the Oasis at Death Valley (a natural spring pool, which is really nice!).