Thanks David! Patience is definitely key, and also working with what the location as to offer rather than trying to force a shot. These things go hand in hand, and it also really pays to get to know a location very well. In any case, I'm really looking forward to heading to Zion again in the fall. I can't wait for that nice chill in the air. It's rather hot in my home office right now. :-) Thanks for watching and commenting!
I enjoyed this Ben. I think one of the things that set your work apart is your willingness to photograph less obvious subjects sometimes unsuccessfully, sometimes very successfully. The ultimate result is a really distinctive body of work.
Thank you Alex! I think some of that is determined by the limitations of large format. Since I have to dedicate to particular scene well ahead of time, I'm likely to show the final results whether I like the photo or not. It also allows me to justify the expense of shooting the expensive film. Even if the photo didn't turn out, there's something to be learned from it.
Ben, I always enjoy your work! Your VLOGs are soothing and very educational. Your opening monologue is so relaxing and entertaining. Thoroughly enjoy your work.
Thank you Rhawi! I love how those intros come together for setting up the trip. This one took me two days to write the script, then a third day to record it. Even though it seems very natural, it's the toughest part about the whole process. So glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Very peaceful. I find the blue tones in the image calming. I also enjoyed the story of your peach tree. It reminds me of my cherry tree. Thank you for sharing
Loved your opening monologue Ben and it has set the tone what what i think will be a wonderful series. Im glad you got some images from the day as that wind sounded wicked in a photographic sense
Thanks Scotty! It was definitely a "hold onto the tripod" sort of evening when that wind kicked up, and that wasn't even a very strong wind by Death Valley standards.
Thanks for watching Dennis! There sure is something very calming about the absolute silence and the open space in Death Valley. It gives a whole different perspective on the lockdowns over the past year or so. Thanks for watching Dennis!
Thanks Russ! Those Death Valley skies sure are great to work with. It changes so much from day to day, and the place sure has a personality, that's for sure.
So good to see you back in the field Ben! I have not done any serious landscape photography since last March and I feel like I have lost touch with that creative side of me, so it's really great to get some inspiration from you!
Thanks CS! I can relate to that feeling. It had a negative impact on my first couple trips since the pandemic started, but just like anything else, it all comes back once you have a chance to get out there and practice a bit. It was on my 3rd trip since the pandemic started that I felt some degree of confidence in m own work again.
Aaaaahhhhh mandatory Ben Horne peaceful, and meditative video, to start the day, before everybody in the household wake up and the noise begins... Thank you for the poetic words read in a soft tone.
Ben: of all the photographers on TH-cam, you seem to be the most experienced and prepared in the wilderness. With that in mind, it would be awesome if you could do a video at some point on all the steps/equipment you use to stay safe on your trips. It would be both interesting and a public service.
Thanks Nick! It's definitely important to be prepared out there. I have a pretty decent knowledge base for the specific areas I visit, but beyond that I feel like I know very little. That being said, I'll try to work some of that into my upcoming backpacking trip to southern Utah.
Pretty amazing how your attire choice just about perfectly blends in with your surroundings :) "Ben Horne Collection - Earth tones done well" I like the Provia version too.
Absolutely classic Death Valley images, just so clean. And, I used to keep an empty 35mm transparency slide to judge full-frame compositions. Nice job.
Thanks Robert! Carrying around an empty 35mm slide sure is a great way to do it as well. There's something so very important about putting a rectangle on a scene to see how well it would work for a composition. Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
Thanks Ben. As always I enjoy your videos; they are well thought out and pleasing to the eye and ear. Right now (April 24) I'm relaxing in my travel trailer, just south of DV, resting after several long trips through and around the Valley. I have been influenced by your focus on landscape details. It's going to reach 100 degrees by next Saturday, so time to head out.
It sure heats up pretty fast up there! On my trip, the temps were in the high 60's most of the time, but with the light reflecting off the salt flats, it felt much more like the 90's at times. I can only imagine how it must be when the temps really start to soar. I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip! Thanks for watching and commenting Daniel!
Thanks, Ben! Beautiful photo as always. Because of your trips, I was inspired to make a trip to Death Valley in winter. I am taking 2 of my photo buddies there next January, 2022 for a photo workshop. So, I will review your DV videos for more tips before our trip. Have a nice weekend.
Thanks Achintha! It is quite interesting how some of these scenes can be difficult to compose despite their inherent simplicity. All those tiny details make a big difference. Thanks for watching and commenting!
To say that I was excited to see this first episode of your Death Valley trip would be nothing short of an understament! I'm even happier now since I became a wee Patreon and know that although in a very very small way, I'm somehow supporting you on your journey, I think is the least I could do when you give your everything, relentlessly, every day, to become a better photographer and person and share the hard lessons learned along the way. Don't listen to haters that look at your boots and have seen a few minutes of a video and think they know you and everything that goes behind the scenes, and believe in their ignorance that the world needs to hear what they think... is just not worth it. Look on the other hand and the thousands and thousands of comments of love, admiration and true respect that your videos and your work have gotten over a decade that you've been doing this, at your growth as a creator and as an artist, and keep in mind how you've always stayed honest and humble, true to your principles, taking always the hardest path because you knew that it was the right way. Honestly Ben, thank you! Thank you for sharing this, I can't wait to watch the next one already! Take care!
Thank You Kevin! That's the thing about putting yourself out there. There will always be those who take exception to it for one reason or another, but it's often because of their own internal struggles. I don't take it personally, but it certainly would be nicer if people were kinder to each other.
Living in Ireland, i often wondered what, hiking, photographing and spending time in a desert was like. This gives a realistic example of what desert looks and sounds like. Many thanks Ben.
Thanks Carl! If you ever have a chance to travel to the desert, it sure is a wonderful place. There's something about how quiet and wide open it is. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Just starting with you on this latest journey , your ability to know that that scene would look so good on film amazes me. I think I would have given up and gone back for a lie down hours before hand. Well done for showing us the need for patience and how it really helps to know a place and how the weather affects it.
Thank you as always Andrew! It sure was a fun trip, and I look forward to heading out into the field again soon for a backpacking trip to the wonderful canyons in southern Utah. I hope you're doing well!
So fun and relaxing watching you videos Ben! I look at your setup and how you wait sometime for hours on a composition I would never think to engage and then I’m blown away by the image! How you don’t have a million subscribers in this stress filled world is beyond me. I guess the secret of “you” isn’t out yet! ✊
I find the "softer" conceptual edges of images like these the most challenging to realize in real life. Many can recognize the immediate "OMG" moment of a sunrise/sunset, the drama of a contrast in transition (light-to-dark or vice versa), but I've always felt those moments are short, and their scarcity is a conceptual driver behind their aesthetic value. Images like this speak to the permanence of a place, it's day in and day out existence, and instead of its scarcity and drama contributing to its appeal it is the common that most don't stop to observe that contributes to its aesthetics. Also, yes to the Provia. Although I've sometimes thought Provia does some weird things with green in the neutral tones it works well for the composition. Looks like a great time.
Thanks Michael! You are very correct that there isn't a defining moment when it's clear to shoot a photo. Things change so very gradually, and it's easy to overlook those moments. That's one of the reasons why I like to take "safety shots" before the light is at it's peak. It's only when some time has passed that we have a better perspective on those moments. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Zion, Death Valley, Southern Utah, it's a tough life you lead :-) What a great intro and insight to tour wee tree, looks like a good start to the trip. Looking forward to what is to come.
The sense of aloneness there in this video is amazing. You certainly need to be prepared for anything and be self sufficient. It seemed as if you were the only one on that other worldly planet called Death Valley. Looking forward to see what you find.
I gotta say photographing Death Valley is like warming up to photograph Mars with its geology. The clouds truly set the mood. I love it when nature just does what it does. Good work as always, Ben!
You always seem more in touch with the wilderness on your Death Valley trips. Maybe this isn’t the case, but I always get that feeling from your journals. Perhaps it’s the vastness of the landscape.
Thanks James! That's the thing about Death Valley. Somehow the vast scale of this place serves to magnify one's mindset. On last years trip, I felt very overwhelmed early in the trip, and that feeling of being overwhelmed ballooned even larger. With the pandemic easing and so many other positive factors, I approached this years trip with a sense of calm optimism, and that feeling too was magnified. I'll be heading on a backpacking trip soon, and those can be the most difficult for me because of the isolation. We'll see how it goes with my new approach. Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
@@BenHorne And thank you for continuing to make these journals, they add something very positive to my life. I remember you feeling overwhelmed last year, and remember you metering the Salt Creek image with some frustration. I reflected on that moment while watching this first 2021 episode and you were pure ZenBen again - it was so great to see. I guess you’re right in that such a vast landscape acts to amplify your emotions, giving them nowhere to hide. I really appreciate you sharing all of your experiences, and not just cherry picking the good times.
Great first video in the series! I like how the overcast day cast a cool feel across a region that is typically one of extreme heat. Tells a really cool story about winter in the desert!
Thanks as always Brian! It definitely is a location with two very distinct personalities. I can only imagine how harsh that area must be during the summer heat. The rocks there look like they have taken quite the beating from the windblown sand and the intense weather.
Lovely, Ben :0) I am in awe of your ability to work with the conditions and wrest beautiful images from such an apparently barren landscape; coming from a very lush county in the UK this would freak me out for sure...Skills! 🙌🏻
Thanks Martin! It sure is a barren landscape, that's for sure. Those big skies often put on a really nice show though. There's something so very special about the desert.
I LOVE that video opening monologue Ben. So strong and totally sucked me into the rest of the video. That’s a serious set up you have too. I really liked how you explain how to think about photographing Death Valley. I’ve never been but hope to one day. Great images and I learnt a lot from your video. What did you mean by ‘safety shots’?
Thanks Ralph! Death Valley is definitely worth a visit if you ever have a chance, just make sure it's during the winter. When I refer to "safety shots", I'm referring to photos I take before I believe the light is at its best. There are however many times when the safety shots are in fact the best shots of the evening.
Great start of your trip Ben, this place looks so challenging to shoot!! I love to color tones in the sky, it works so well with the rocks in the foreground!
Thank you as always Sander! Death valley sure is a very interesting place. When driving through at mid day, especially on one's first visit to the park, everything looks the same, but the more you get out and explore, the more diversity you notice.
Ben I want to say that your opening monologues (and videos) are a masterpiece. You've garnered a following because you create videos that are more than just a person hiking along a trail, you create an experience for people to partake with you in. I hope you continue to bless us with your passion for photography, life, and whatever else you choose.
Great start to your trip, Ben. I like the simple, quiet beauty of the Provia image. With regards to the composition tool that Mr. Strickland told you about, there's a cheat that you can do to help visualization. Tie a string to it and then tie a knot at each distance where it approximates the focal length of one of your lenses. As a bonus, you can make the string a loop and then just carry it around your neck.
That's a very handy tip! I think I'm pretty lucky with the particular focal lengths I have. When it's nearly against my nose, it's good for my 240mm, just a hair further away, my 300, and the positions for my 450 and 600 are also very natural angles for my arm. The only tricky one is my 150. :-)
Beautiful image at the end. I like the way the rocks are strewn in the foreground (and of course the beautiful soft light in the background). The one potential down side is that the middle part of the image (the valley) feels a bit dull but I am not sure it's a downside just yet. Great video as well!
Thanks Sasidhar! It's really interesting how some scenes like that which seem so very simple can take quite some time to compose. Another interesting thing is the experience of viewing the film under a loupe versus a scan of it or other ways of viewing it. That barren mid ground takes on a whole different look when you see all the subtle tones and textures. It gives the feeling of an expansive and lonely space. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@BenHorne That resonates with me - I perfectly understand how all the subtle textures and tones won't be visible in the video. I have often found that the fruits of photography are best experienced in full scale on print.
Back in the '70s, when I was taking the photo courses at Orange Coast College, we took two pieces of 8x10" cardboard, cut them into 'L' shapes and then marked them for the various aspect ratios and used those instead of the little device you're using in this video. Gotta say, if I were still shooting large format I'd grab one of those things asap. Not shooting anything nowadays because of poor health, and I retired to SW Utah thinking I'd be out for weeks at a time shooting landscapes. I'm only 25 miles from Zion NP but the only pictures I've taken of it were over a year ago and using the equivalent of a 450mm lens on my Sony A7RII, shooting the West Temple from a walking trail a block from home. You can get some spectacular light on cloudy days with shafts of light coming through the clouds spotlighting one peak or washing along an entire plateau. Some days huge clouds will hang above the nearby mountains like enormous giants looking down at you. Other days will see multitudes of jets passing overhead with their contrails stretching behind them, looking like meteors falling from space. Depending on the season the sun raises over the peaks of Zion, add some clouds and you can get spectacular images.
That little framing device sure comes in handy. I like how it makes it easy to select the aspect ratios, yet it fits in my pocket. That's a bummer about your health, but it must at least be nice to be in close proximity to such beautiful areas, even when viewing them from a distance.
Love the patience of this video but one request - find where your audio plug-ins are located and use a high pass filter at about 200hz to remove the lower frequencies of the wind. Those of us with high end studio gear will appreciate not hearing that. :D
I'm curious what sort of equipment you're listening to it with, and what it is that you are hearing? I do my editing with studio monitor headphones and then listen to it both on my iMac's speakers and on my Tv's speakers to make sure all is well, but you're definitely hearing something I'm not. Is it in the bass? You're definitely suppose to hear wind because the wind was strong and even whistling a bit, but my voice overpowers it very easily with how I'm listening to it. I appreciate the feedback!
@@BenHorne - At 9:57 the low end recorded is rather huge dips down to 30hz and unnecessary. I'm using high end Genelec monitors and audio is passed thru a Universal Audio Apollo audio interface. If you call up a simple audio effect called "High Pass Filter" - Apple has one in their effects folder called "AUHipass" and set the value to 200hz and it would be a much more professional result. Just a friendly suggestion from a professional musician that likes your videos. :D
Haha!! I was wondering if anyone was going to notice them there. I hand washed them the night before, then hung them there to dry on the drive there. I just wear regular shoes and socks while driving. For whatever reason it's more comfortable that way. I'm also a huge fan of the hat I have from Outdoor Research. It folds down super small and fits in my pocket which is nice. Thanks for watching Roger!
@@BenHorne I take my shoes off for long journeys it's supposed to be good for fuel economy and is more comfortable but my mother-in-law didn't approve!
Ben, just found your vlog and enjoying your approach/journey on your art. Off topic, I'm just getting back into it after many years of iPhone trips with the family. Now that they are grown up I'm looking forward to exploring again. Your backpack looked very comfortable and practical and wondering what you were using. I have a few Osprey hiking packs so wondering if you used a traditional pack or a backpack for camera gear? Thanks in advance.
Thanks Gerry! I have several backpacks in my rotation, and which one I use depends on what I'm carrying. I use a photo specific bag when I'm just hiking with my lightweight video kit, but then I use a traditional backcountry backpacking bag when I'm carrying around the 8x10 camera. I use that bag for the 8x10 because it's too big of a camera for a photo specific bag, but also because backpacking backpacks have a very good harness. I have on order a larger photo-specific bag from Atlas packs for my growing digital kit, and I'll retire the smaller photo specific backpack I have from Mindshift Gear. There are a lot of options out there and there aren't any right/wrong answers, but you just need to find something that gives you easy access to the gear, has a comfortable harness, and can carry all the equipment that you need.
Were you using tent pegs and line to hold the tripod down? Very good idea! If I were dealing with that much wind pushing my camera around, and I shot with a smaller 4x5 Cambo, I would use one of my smaller reflectors, they were fabric attached to a solid frame, I'd stand there holding it to block the wind from hitting my camera. I'd hang my camera bag from the tripod to increase it's mass but I'd get it to just touch the ground enough to keep the wind from swinging it around. The tripod I used was bigger and heavier than the tripods used today by any of the other landscapers I've seen. You literally could mount a large telescope on it. Needless to say, it held the camera as solidly as a rock but was a bear to carry long distances. I am a big guy so managed it okay. At least it gave me a good workout. I was never a fan of carbon fiber tripods, I didn't think they deadened vibration very well. I liked the big monster Gitzos a lot. Couldn't afford the ones I really wanted. I think they were the 5 or 6 Series? They were meant for studio use and they held even the biggest cameras with monster lenses steady with no vibration.
Hi Robert! I have a very simple technique for really windy conditions. First and foremost, I don't want my camera to blow over. The wind in Death Valley can be VERY intense at times. For that, I sink a big metal ground screw into the ground, then use some cord with a fastener to tension the center of the tripod down to the ground screw. With this in place, the camera won't topple over. However, the wind will still shake the camera and make it near impossible to shoot. To help reduce this, there are ways I can use some cord to tension the front and rear standards to the rail a bit like the ropes on a ship to fasten the masts. This works in some situations, but you also run the risk of slightly tweaking the alignment of the standards. Now in those situations, I just tuck an umbrella under my armpit, and position my body so the umbrella blocks the wind. Very simple and effective. With regard to the weight of tripods, the heavier the tripod, the more stable it would be (imagine a tripod made of lead), but the heavier tripods are also more difficult to carry. That's why a lightweight but strong carbon fiber tripod along with some cord and a ground screw or perhaps a big rock will do the trick. It's much more effective than using a camera bag, and also much easier to get into the contents of your bag without messing with the delicate balance. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Certainly enjoyed my Sat morning with Ben. Always look forward to a new series. I’ve noticed you pretty consistently using a gray card on the ground for metering. Has that become your main mode of metering now? Is that the 12” or 20” lastolyte card?
Thanks as always Larry! The gray card has indeed become my primary method to meter.. It's faster than averaging a scene, and works well for subjects that lack both good highlight and shadow tone. I meter of the gray card, log that setting into memory, then hit the average button for that one meter reading. I can than evaluate the brightness of each subject and make sure the numbers look good. If they seem too bright/dark, I adjust the angle of the gray card to get a slightly different value. This method is great when the light is changing very quickly. This is the smallest of the lastolite gray cards, the 12", and I highly recommend it.
Thanks Andrew! That is indeed a technique I use, but it only seems to help so much. What's really strange is that in the 8 years we've lived here, it had a fantastic crop of peaches only one year, but all the others it produced really small fruit. I learned early on that reducing the number of peaches helps prevent the limbs from breaking. I'm giving it extra water this year to see if that helps. The tree has termites and other things going on, but it sure is a stubborn tree, and that's something both it and I have in common. I don't even like peaches, but I'm determined to get it to grow a good crop. :-)
Благодарю вас за ваши добрые слова! Я переводил через Google, но только потому, что моя жена была на работе. В противном случае она бы перевела его мне, так как родилась в России.
Benjamin, Benjamin: You mustn't use the W word in Death Valley, just begging for...trouble. Zephyrishousness. Blowhood. Air moving rather briskly. Anything but the W word.
I could certainly do that at some point, though it's really just the same as tilt but on a different axis. Angling the front standard slightly to the right or left will move the plane of focus at an angle within the scene. I honestly don't use swing very much, but it does come in handy from time to time. Here's an example of a photo with front swing: www.benhorne.com/store/vertigo
I applaud your bravery, when during these trying times for everyone... you are asking for gas money... when wearing a pair of $250.00 boots, and living the lifestyle others could only fantasize about. Bravo!!!
They are very trying times indeed. When the pandemic hit and business were forced to close, I didn’t go on unemployment. Instead, I walked away from a comfortable day job I worked for over 15 years. I’ve been going on these solo photography trips and making these videos since 2009, it it has only been in the past few years that it has earned enough to even consider this to be a potential career. I chose many years ago to shut off ads since they have a negative impact on the motivations behind creating the videos. I also don’t run ads for squarespace or do any other sponsored content. As a result, I depend entirely on voluntary donations to pay my bills. There’s always more to the story than it appears on the surface, including the boots I’m wearing in this exact video, the exact ones you mentioned-well, those boots were very kindly given to me by an awesome viewer. They didn’t fit him well, but they are my exact size. Yes, it is a dream come true to be able to support myself and my wife entirely from photography, but it’s also far more work than one sees in a video, and it’s a constant struggle both physically and mentally to make ends meet. Imagine working a minimum wage job 60 hours a week, but getting paid only for 40 of those hours. That’s life as a landscape photographer. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world though, and I’m incredibly grateful for those that help.
And bravo for your superlative example of bitter envy. Well done you. Maybe you have hit on something and speak for 0.001% of Ben’s viewers. Though I doubt that. Though Ben should definitely wear plimsolls or go bare foot through the desert, to show the hardship you crave for him. Dolt.
Thank you for yet anther great video Ben. I love the way you are able to tell such a great story, both audibly and visually in such an eloquent way. Who would ever know that an old peach tree could be such a great calendar, and lucky for us, your followers, that it is.
Thanks Andrew! We had some rain yesterday, so I gave that old peach tree three barrels full of fresh rainwater. It looks like the peaches are loving it this year. We'll see how they are after my backpacking trip. :-)
The constant reminder from your videos is patience. As a landscape photographer, using digital kit in Britain, I'm full of admiration. Great video. 👍
Thanks David! Patience is definitely key, and also working with what the location as to offer rather than trying to force a shot. These things go hand in hand, and it also really pays to get to know a location very well. In any case, I'm really looking forward to heading to Zion again in the fall. I can't wait for that nice chill in the air. It's rather hot in my home office right now. :-) Thanks for watching and commenting!
I enjoyed this Ben. I think one of the things that set your work apart is your willingness to photograph less obvious subjects sometimes unsuccessfully, sometimes very successfully. The ultimate result is a really distinctive body of work.
Thank you Alex! I think some of that is determined by the limitations of large format. Since I have to dedicate to particular scene well ahead of time, I'm likely to show the final results whether I like the photo or not. It also allows me to justify the expense of shooting the expensive film. Even if the photo didn't turn out, there's something to be learned from it.
Ben, I always enjoy your work! Your VLOGs are soothing and very educational. Your opening monologue is so relaxing and entertaining. Thoroughly enjoy your work.
Thank you so much Bruce!! Much appreciated!
Didn't even watch the whole video and... woah, what an opening monologue. Thumbs up already on the 1st minute.
Thank you Rhawi! I love how those intros come together for setting up the trip. This one took me two days to write the script, then a third day to record it. Even though it seems very natural, it's the toughest part about the whole process. So glad to hear you enjoyed it.
I love my view catcher! I keep it handy when I’m out shooting. Best, inexpensive purchase ever!
Sure is a great little device isn't it? It sure helps quite a bit. Thanks Brie!
Very peaceful. I find the blue tones in the image calming. I also enjoyed the story of your peach tree. It reminds me of my cherry tree. Thank you for sharing
Thanks Craig! I've been on a mission to see if I can make the Peach tree grow a good crop this year. Things are looking hopeful, but we'll see!
Great to see winter photography from that place.
Thanks Mikko. I've been through there in August one year, and it sure was intense during the summer, that's for sure!
Love the opening monologue! Great photograph you came away with too.
Thank you as always Adam!
Loved your opening monologue Ben and it has set the tone what what i think will be a wonderful series. Im glad you got some images from the day as that wind sounded wicked in a photographic sense
Thanks Scotty! It was definitely a "hold onto the tripod" sort of evening when that wind kicked up, and that wasn't even a very strong wind by Death Valley standards.
Enjoy your work. Your voice is so calm and soothing. I look forward to more images from this location that I haven't been to yet.
Thanks Robert!
I love this place and I want to visit again!
What a place of peace!
It sure is a unique place, that's for sure. As always, I look forward to a return trip next year. Thanks Peter!
@@BenHorne I love the places in the South West.
Just it's not a car's drive from here in Europe.
Have fun and share :-)
Had a good time as always watching these. Looking forward for the rest of the videos.
Thank you as always Vishwas! I look forward to sharing the rest of the trip.
Thanks for bringing Death Valley to Germany as we are still stuck here. Love your videos and shots.
Thanks for watching Dennis! There sure is something very calming about the absolute silence and the open space in Death Valley. It gives a whole different perspective on the lockdowns over the past year or so. Thanks for watching Dennis!
@@BenHorne I can hear you! Death Valley was my last trip before everything started.
That composition is a great start to the trip. One thing I crave when I have my annual trip is big, open skies.
Thanks Russ! Those Death Valley skies sure are great to work with. It changes so much from day to day, and the place sure has a personality, that's for sure.
Wonderful as always Ben, beautiful images, I agree the Provia image suits the scene better.
Thanks as always John! That sheet of Provia sure is a lot of fun to view with a loupe.
So good to see you back in the field Ben! I have not done any serious landscape photography since last March and I feel like I have lost touch with that creative side of me, so it's really great to get some inspiration from you!
Thanks CS! I can relate to that feeling. It had a negative impact on my first couple trips since the pandemic started, but just like anything else, it all comes back once you have a chance to get out there and practice a bit. It was on my 3rd trip since the pandemic started that I felt some degree of confidence in m own work again.
Loved how the rocks formed the triangle shape similar to mountains.
Thanks Rakesh! Those triangles really caught my eye, and you'll see that theme again later with a different photo.
Aaaaahhhhh mandatory Ben Horne peaceful, and meditative video, to start the day, before everybody in the household wake up and the noise begins...
Thank you for the poetic words read in a soft tone.
Thanks for watching, and so glad you enjoyed it!!
Thanks, as ever, Ben.
Thanks Ben!
Ben: of all the photographers on TH-cam, you seem to be the most experienced and prepared in the wilderness. With that in mind, it would be awesome if you could do a video at some point on all the steps/equipment you use to stay safe on your trips. It would be both interesting and a public service.
Thanks Nick! It's definitely important to be prepared out there. I have a pretty decent knowledge base for the specific areas I visit, but beyond that I feel like I know very little. That being said, I'll try to work some of that into my upcoming backpacking trip to southern Utah.
Another great episode. I love your quiet patience. Wonderful commentary, too.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Looking forward to episode 2
Thanks!! Hopefully it doesn't disappoint!
Pretty amazing how your attire choice just about perfectly blends in with your surroundings :) "Ben Horne Collection - Earth tones done well" I like the Provia version too.
So you're saying not every outdoorsy photographer needs to wear a bright red jacket? ;-) Thanks as always Robert!
Absolutely classic Death Valley images, just so clean. And, I used to keep an empty 35mm transparency slide to judge full-frame compositions. Nice job.
Thanks Robert! Carrying around an empty 35mm slide sure is a great way to do it as well. There's something so very important about putting a rectangle on a scene to see how well it would work for a composition. Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
Thanks Ben. As always I enjoy your videos; they are well thought out and pleasing to the eye and ear. Right now (April 24) I'm relaxing in my travel trailer, just south of DV, resting after several long trips through and around the Valley. I have been influenced by your focus on landscape details. It's going to reach 100 degrees by next Saturday, so time to head out.
It sure heats up pretty fast up there! On my trip, the temps were in the high 60's most of the time, but with the light reflecting off the salt flats, it felt much more like the 90's at times. I can only imagine how it must be when the temps really start to soar. I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip! Thanks for watching and commenting Daniel!
Great video Ben always very well made.
Thank you!! Those initial voiceovers are tough to record, but I love how they contribute to the story.
I used that little view finder all the time for finding compositions when out drawing. I love that you're using it for photography. :)
It sure is a great little device to have. I'm so glad to hear you use it for drawing! Thanks for watching Levi!
Thanks, Ben! Beautiful photo as always. Because of your trips, I was inspired to make a trip to Death Valley in winter. I am taking 2 of my photo buddies there next January, 2022 for a photo workshop. So, I will review your DV videos for more tips before our trip. Have a nice weekend.
Thank you Linda! That's so cool to hear about your trip to Death Valley! It sure is a wonderful place.
This video is awesome. Soul! 👊🏾
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice…thanks for sharing! Cheers..
Thanks for watching Alejandro!
Love your style, well done Ben
Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed it!
Love the photograph. if I was there, I wouldn't have found that composition
Thanks Achintha! It is quite interesting how some of these scenes can be difficult to compose despite their inherent simplicity. All those tiny details make a big difference. Thanks for watching and commenting!
To say that I was excited to see this first episode of your Death Valley trip would be nothing short of an understament! I'm even happier now since I became a wee Patreon and know that although in a very very small way, I'm somehow supporting you on your journey, I think is the least I could do when you give your everything, relentlessly, every day, to become a better photographer and person and share the hard lessons learned along the way. Don't listen to haters that look at your boots and have seen a few minutes of a video and think they know you and everything that goes behind the scenes, and believe in their ignorance that the world needs to hear what they think... is just not worth it. Look on the other hand and the thousands and thousands of comments of love, admiration and true respect that your videos and your work have gotten over a decade that you've been doing this, at your growth as a creator and as an artist, and keep in mind how you've always stayed honest and humble, true to your principles, taking always the hardest path because you knew that it was the right way. Honestly Ben, thank you! Thank you for sharing this, I can't wait to watch the next one already! Take care!
Thank You Kevin! That's the thing about putting yourself out there. There will always be those who take exception to it for one reason or another, but it's often because of their own internal struggles. I don't take it personally, but it certainly would be nicer if people were kinder to each other.
Awesome, looking forward to seeing more Death Valley adventures Ben.
Thank you so much Michael!
That was an amazing intro!
Awesome!
Thanks Robert! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Living in Ireland, i often wondered what, hiking, photographing and spending time in a desert was like. This gives a realistic example of what desert looks and sounds like. Many thanks Ben.
Thanks Carl! If you ever have a chance to travel to the desert, it sure is a wonderful place. There's something about how quiet and wide open it is. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Just starting with you on this latest journey , your ability to know that that scene would look so good on film amazes me. I think I would have given up and gone back for a lie down hours before hand. Well done for showing us the need for patience and how it really helps to know a place and how the weather affects it.
Thank you as always Andrew! It sure was a fun trip, and I look forward to heading out into the field again soon for a backpacking trip to the wonderful canyons in southern Utah. I hope you're doing well!
So fun and relaxing watching you videos Ben! I look at your setup and how you wait sometime for hours on a composition I would never think to engage and then I’m blown away by the image! How you don’t have a million subscribers in this stress filled world is beyond me. I guess the secret of “you” isn’t out yet! ✊
Thanks Danny! I must say that there is something quite nice about flying under the radar.
I find the "softer" conceptual edges of images like these the most challenging to realize in real life. Many can recognize the immediate "OMG" moment of a sunrise/sunset, the drama of a contrast in transition (light-to-dark or vice versa), but I've always felt those moments are short, and their scarcity is a conceptual driver behind their aesthetic value. Images like this speak to the permanence of a place, it's day in and day out existence, and instead of its scarcity and drama contributing to its appeal it is the common that most don't stop to observe that contributes to its aesthetics. Also, yes to the Provia. Although I've sometimes thought Provia does some weird things with green in the neutral tones it works well for the composition. Looks like a great time.
Thanks Michael! You are very correct that there isn't a defining moment when it's clear to shoot a photo. Things change so very gradually, and it's easy to overlook those moments. That's one of the reasons why I like to take "safety shots" before the light is at it's peak. It's only when some time has passed that we have a better perspective on those moments. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Zion, Death Valley, Southern Utah, it's a tough life you lead :-)
What a great intro and insight to tour wee tree, looks like a good start to the trip.
Looking forward to what is to come.
A tough life indeed! :-) Thanks Andrew!
The sense of aloneness there in this video is amazing. You certainly need to be prepared for anything and be self sufficient. It seemed as if you were the only one on that other worldly planet called Death Valley. Looking forward to see what you find.
Thank you as always Danny! Sure made me feel like I was on Mars. :-)
I gotta say photographing Death Valley is like warming up to photograph Mars with its geology. The clouds truly set the mood. I love it when nature just does what it does. Good work as always, Ben!
It sure did remind me of Mars in that area! That's for sure. Thanks as always Bryan!
Thanks Ben. A very enjoyable day 1. I look forward to seeing the old valley again and what you find in future episodes.
Thanks as always Graeme! Certainly a bit further of a drive for you now!
You always seem more in touch with the wilderness on your Death Valley trips. Maybe this isn’t the case, but I always get that feeling from your journals. Perhaps it’s the vastness of the landscape.
Thanks James! That's the thing about Death Valley. Somehow the vast scale of this place serves to magnify one's mindset. On last years trip, I felt very overwhelmed early in the trip, and that feeling of being overwhelmed ballooned even larger. With the pandemic easing and so many other positive factors, I approached this years trip with a sense of calm optimism, and that feeling too was magnified. I'll be heading on a backpacking trip soon, and those can be the most difficult for me because of the isolation. We'll see how it goes with my new approach. Thanks as always for watching and commenting!
@@BenHorne And thank you for continuing to make these journals, they add something very positive to my life.
I remember you feeling overwhelmed last year, and remember you metering the Salt Creek image with some frustration. I reflected on that moment while watching this first 2021 episode and you were pure ZenBen again - it was so great to see. I guess you’re right in that such a vast landscape acts to amplify your emotions, giving them nowhere to hide.
I really appreciate you sharing all of your experiences, and not just cherry picking the good times.
Great first video in the series! I like how the overcast day cast a cool feel across a region that is typically one of extreme heat. Tells a really cool story about winter in the desert!
Thanks as always Brian! It definitely is a location with two very distinct personalities. I can only imagine how harsh that area must be during the summer heat. The rocks there look like they have taken quite the beating from the windblown sand and the intense weather.
Lovely, Ben :0) I am in awe of your ability to work with the conditions and wrest beautiful images from such an apparently barren landscape; coming from a very lush county in the UK this would freak me out for sure...Skills! 🙌🏻
Thanks Martin! It sure is a barren landscape, that's for sure. Those big skies often put on a really nice show though. There's something so very special about the desert.
Man I love this place. Never thought I say that. Ben you just bring it to life.
Thank you! It sure is a wonderful place isn't it? There sure is something about the desert that's so fulfilling.
I LOVE that video opening monologue Ben. So strong and totally sucked me into the rest of the video. That’s a serious set up you have too. I really liked how you explain how to think about photographing Death Valley. I’ve never been but hope to one day. Great images and I learnt a lot from your video. What did you mean by ‘safety shots’?
Thanks Ralph! Death Valley is definitely worth a visit if you ever have a chance, just make sure it's during the winter. When I refer to "safety shots", I'm referring to photos I take before I believe the light is at its best. There are however many times when the safety shots are in fact the best shots of the evening.
I think that’s a great idea and practice to get into. I Shall start adopting it I think 👍
Great start of your trip Ben, this place looks so challenging to shoot!! I love to color tones in the sky, it works so well with the rocks in the foreground!
Thank you as always Sander! Death valley sure is a very interesting place. When driving through at mid day, especially on one's first visit to the park, everything looks the same, but the more you get out and explore, the more diversity you notice.
Ben I want to say that your opening monologues (and videos) are a masterpiece. You've garnered a following because you create videos that are more than just a person hiking along a trail, you create an experience for people to partake with you in. I hope you continue to bless us with your passion for photography, life, and whatever else you choose.
Thank you so much Gregory! That means so much to hear that!
Great start to your trip, Ben. I like the simple, quiet beauty of the Provia image.
With regards to the composition tool that Mr. Strickland told you about, there's a cheat that you can do to help visualization. Tie a string to it and then tie a knot at each distance where it approximates the focal length of one of your lenses. As a bonus, you can make the string a loop and then just carry it around your neck.
That's a very handy tip! I think I'm pretty lucky with the particular focal lengths I have. When it's nearly against my nose, it's good for my 240mm, just a hair further away, my 300, and the positions for my 450 and 600 are also very natural angles for my arm. The only tricky one is my 150. :-)
The last time I was this early, I preordered the Bible.
Haha! Good job!! You sure were quick!
Beautiful images Ben
Thank you as always David!
Great start to the new series Ben!
Thanks as always Phillip!
Great work, Ben! I have a trip coming up where I'm going to shoot Provia for the first time, that shot has me all the more excited to give it a go!
Excellent! Provia is definitely a very faithful and reliable film. I love the excellent response to reciprocity.
At about the 8:30 mark I was thinking...thus captured the silence of Death Valley...and the. You mentioned it later!
Thanks Travis! It sure can be a very quiet place, that's for sure. I love how it comes alive in the wind though.
@@BenHorne the wind has a very unique sound of its own! Now I have talked myself into going back again!
Beautiful image at the end. I like the way the rocks are strewn in the foreground (and of course the beautiful soft light in the background).
The one potential down side is that the middle part of the image (the valley) feels a bit dull but I am not sure it's a downside just yet.
Great video as well!
Thanks Sasidhar! It's really interesting how some scenes like that which seem so very simple can take quite some time to compose. Another interesting thing is the experience of viewing the film under a loupe versus a scan of it or other ways of viewing it. That barren mid ground takes on a whole different look when you see all the subtle tones and textures. It gives the feeling of an expansive and lonely space. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@BenHorne That resonates with me - I perfectly understand how all the subtle textures and tones won't be visible in the video. I have often found that the fruits of photography are best experienced in full scale on print.
Back in the '70s, when I was taking the photo courses at Orange Coast College, we took two pieces of 8x10" cardboard, cut them into 'L' shapes and then marked them for the various aspect ratios and used those instead of the little device you're using in this video. Gotta say, if I were still shooting large format I'd grab one of those things asap. Not shooting anything nowadays because of poor health, and I retired to SW Utah thinking I'd be out for weeks at a time shooting landscapes. I'm only 25 miles from Zion NP but the only pictures I've taken of it were over a year ago and using the equivalent of a 450mm lens on my Sony A7RII, shooting the West Temple from a walking trail a block from home. You can get some spectacular light on cloudy days with shafts of light coming through the clouds spotlighting one peak or washing along an entire plateau. Some days huge clouds will hang above the nearby mountains like enormous giants looking down at you. Other days will see multitudes of jets passing overhead with their contrails stretching behind them, looking like meteors falling from space. Depending on the season the sun raises over the peaks of Zion, add some clouds and you can get spectacular images.
That little framing device sure comes in handy. I like how it makes it easy to select the aspect ratios, yet it fits in my pocket. That's a bummer about your health, but it must at least be nice to be in close proximity to such beautiful areas, even when viewing them from a distance.
Love the patience of this video but one request - find where your audio plug-ins are located and use a high pass filter at about 200hz to remove the lower frequencies of the wind. Those of us with high end studio gear will appreciate not hearing that. :D
I'm curious what sort of equipment you're listening to it with, and what it is that you are hearing? I do my editing with studio monitor headphones and then listen to it both on my iMac's speakers and on my Tv's speakers to make sure all is well, but you're definitely hearing something I'm not. Is it in the bass? You're definitely suppose to hear wind because the wind was strong and even whistling a bit, but my voice overpowers it very easily with how I'm listening to it. I appreciate the feedback!
@@BenHorne - At 9:57 the low end recorded is rather huge dips down to 30hz and unnecessary. I'm using high end Genelec monitors and audio is passed thru a Universal Audio Apollo audio interface. If you call up a simple audio effect called "High Pass Filter" - Apple has one in their effects folder called "AUHipass" and set the value to 200hz and it would be a much more professional result. Just a friendly suggestion from a professional musician that likes your videos. :D
Ben, I'm hoping you carry something like an Inreach when you get off trail. Thanks for another sweet episode.
Yup! You'll see it clipped to my belt in the scenes when I'm standing beside my camera. Great device!
Beautiful image Ben 👌
Thank you!!
Kudos for sharing your socks at 1:10 Ben. Possibly the most important piece of landscape photography equipment after a good hat?
Haha!! I was wondering if anyone was going to notice them there. I hand washed them the night before, then hung them there to dry on the drive there. I just wear regular shoes and socks while driving. For whatever reason it's more comfortable that way. I'm also a huge fan of the hat I have from Outdoor Research. It folds down super small and fits in my pocket which is nice. Thanks for watching Roger!
@@BenHorne I take my shoes off for long journeys it's supposed to be good for fuel economy and is more comfortable but my mother-in-law didn't approve!
Ben, just found your vlog and enjoying your approach/journey on your art. Off topic, I'm just getting back into it after many years of iPhone trips with the family. Now that they are grown up I'm looking forward to exploring again. Your backpack looked very comfortable and practical and wondering what you were using. I have a few Osprey hiking packs so wondering if you used a traditional pack or a backpack for camera gear? Thanks in advance.
Thanks Gerry! I have several backpacks in my rotation, and which one I use depends on what I'm carrying. I use a photo specific bag when I'm just hiking with my lightweight video kit, but then I use a traditional backcountry backpacking bag when I'm carrying around the 8x10 camera. I use that bag for the 8x10 because it's too big of a camera for a photo specific bag, but also because backpacking backpacks have a very good harness. I have on order a larger photo-specific bag from Atlas packs for my growing digital kit, and I'll retire the smaller photo specific backpack I have from Mindshift Gear. There are a lot of options out there and there aren't any right/wrong answers, but you just need to find something that gives you easy access to the gear, has a comfortable harness, and can carry all the equipment that you need.
The gears on your Cube tripod head may need fixin', but I see Prius Man is still tickin'. I do like the depth and the blue shades in that image. :-)
haha, I wonder how many other people caught that?
Haha!!! Love it!
Were you using tent pegs and line to hold the tripod down? Very good idea! If I were dealing with that much wind pushing my camera around, and I shot with a smaller 4x5 Cambo, I would use one of my smaller reflectors, they were fabric attached to a solid frame, I'd stand there holding it to block the wind from hitting my camera. I'd hang my camera bag from the tripod to increase it's mass but I'd get it to just touch the ground enough to keep the wind from swinging it around. The tripod I used was bigger and heavier than the tripods used today by any of the other landscapers I've seen. You literally could mount a large telescope on it. Needless to say, it held the camera as solidly as a rock but was a bear to carry long distances. I am a big guy so managed it okay. At least it gave me a good workout. I was never a fan of carbon fiber tripods, I didn't think they deadened vibration very well. I liked the big monster Gitzos a lot. Couldn't afford the ones I really wanted. I think they were the 5 or 6 Series? They were meant for studio use and they held even the biggest cameras with monster lenses steady with no vibration.
Hi Robert! I have a very simple technique for really windy conditions. First and foremost, I don't want my camera to blow over. The wind in Death Valley can be VERY intense at times. For that, I sink a big metal ground screw into the ground, then use some cord with a fastener to tension the center of the tripod down to the ground screw. With this in place, the camera won't topple over. However, the wind will still shake the camera and make it near impossible to shoot. To help reduce this, there are ways I can use some cord to tension the front and rear standards to the rail a bit like the ropes on a ship to fasten the masts. This works in some situations, but you also run the risk of slightly tweaking the alignment of the standards. Now in those situations, I just tuck an umbrella under my armpit, and position my body so the umbrella blocks the wind. Very simple and effective. With regard to the weight of tripods, the heavier the tripod, the more stable it would be (imagine a tripod made of lead), but the heavier tripods are also more difficult to carry. That's why a lightweight but strong carbon fiber tripod along with some cord and a ground screw or perhaps a big rock will do the trick. It's much more effective than using a camera bag, and also much easier to get into the contents of your bag without messing with the delicate balance. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Certainly enjoyed my Sat morning with Ben. Always look forward to a new series. I’ve noticed you pretty consistently using a gray card on the ground for metering. Has that become your main mode of metering now? Is that the 12” or 20” lastolyte card?
Thanks as always Larry! The gray card has indeed become my primary method to meter.. It's faster than averaging a scene, and works well for subjects that lack both good highlight and shadow tone. I meter of the gray card, log that setting into memory, then hit the average button for that one meter reading. I can than evaluate the brightness of each subject and make sure the numbers look good. If they seem too bright/dark, I adjust the angle of the gray card to get a slightly different value. This method is great when the light is changing very quickly. This is the smallest of the lastolite gray cards, the 12", and I highly recommend it.
@@BenHorne thanks
You need to thin the fruit when it forms so you get fewer but larger peaches.
Thanks Andrew! That is indeed a technique I use, but it only seems to help so much. What's really strange is that in the 8 years we've lived here, it had a fantastic crop of peaches only one year, but all the others it produced really small fruit. I learned early on that reducing the number of peaches helps prevent the limbs from breaking. I'm giving it extra water this year to see if that helps. The tree has termites and other things going on, but it sure is a stubborn tree, and that's something both it and I have in common. I don't even like peaches, but I'm determined to get it to grow a good crop. :-)
That rock at the 6 minute mark looked a bit comfortable.
It sure was! Heck of great place to get off my feet and enjoy the silence of Death Valley.
Очень красивые фотографии! Супер!
Благодарю вас за ваши добрые слова! Я переводил через Google, но только потому, что моя жена была на работе. В противном случае она бы перевела его мне, так как родилась в России.
Nice & Thanks :)
Thanks for watching Krishnan!
Benjamin, Benjamin: You mustn't use the W word in Death Valley, just begging for...trouble. Zephyrishousness. Blowhood. Air moving rather briskly. Anything but the W word.
Haha! There is a lot of truth to that. It's a bit like summoning a genie that only breaks things. Thanks for watching Don!
Would it be possible to do a video on front swing?
I could certainly do that at some point, though it's really just the same as tilt but on a different axis. Angling the front standard slightly to the right or left will move the plane of focus at an angle within the scene. I honestly don't use swing very much, but it does come in handy from time to time. Here's an example of a photo with front swing: www.benhorne.com/store/vertigo
one day......
It sure is a fantastic place! Definitely worth it.
Man, you should link up with the f4 guys - 'f5 Roadtrip' sounds good to me :-),
This would be awesome
I'm pretty sure I'd just slow them down. :-). See what I did there? Photography humor.
I applaud your bravery, when during these trying times for everyone... you are asking for gas money... when wearing a pair of $250.00 boots, and living the lifestyle others could only fantasize about. Bravo!!!
They are very trying times indeed. When the pandemic hit and business were forced to close, I didn’t go on unemployment. Instead, I walked away from a comfortable day job I worked for over 15 years. I’ve been going on these solo photography trips and making these videos since 2009, it it has only been in the past few years that it has earned enough to even consider this to be a potential career. I chose many years ago to shut off ads since they have a negative impact on the motivations behind creating the videos. I also don’t run ads for squarespace or do any other sponsored content. As a result, I depend entirely on voluntary donations to pay my bills. There’s always more to the story than it appears on the surface, including the boots I’m wearing in this exact video, the exact ones you mentioned-well, those boots were very kindly given to me by an awesome viewer. They didn’t fit him well, but they are my exact size. Yes, it is a dream come true to be able to support myself and my wife entirely from photography, but it’s also far more work than one sees in a video, and it’s a constant struggle both physically and mentally to make ends meet. Imagine working a minimum wage job 60 hours a week, but getting paid only for 40 of those hours. That’s life as a landscape photographer. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world though, and I’m incredibly grateful for those that help.
And bravo for your superlative example of bitter envy. Well done you. Maybe you have hit on something and speak for 0.001% of Ben’s viewers. Though I doubt that. Though Ben should definitely wear plimsolls or go bare foot through the desert, to show the hardship you crave for him. Dolt.
Thank you for yet anther great video Ben. I love the way you are able to tell such a great story, both audibly and visually in such an eloquent way. Who would ever know that an old peach tree could be such a great calendar, and lucky for us, your followers, that it is.
Thanks Andrew! We had some rain yesterday, so I gave that old peach tree three barrels full of fresh rainwater. It looks like the peaches are loving it this year. We'll see how they are after my backpacking trip. :-)
@@BenHorne Hopefully they will be bigger and juicier. Love a nice peach straight off the tree.