Patience and Deliberateness in Death Valley

Death Valley is a vast expanse of landscape with varying terrains throughout the park. As a visitor, it is easy to find yourself rushing from place to place to take it all in and capture it in images. Is that the best way to photograph it? Or is being slow, patient, and deliberate a better approach?

In this video, the first part of a six-part video series, we follow Ben Horne on an early part of his regular trip to Death Valley National Park. Horne, a large format photographer, builds his entire photographic experience on patience and deliberateness in his approach—a reminder to slow down, enjoy the experience, and leave the frenetic pace behind.

Horne returns to an area he has visited before with a specific composition in mind. Along the way, he briefly talks about the history of Death Valley’s name, including its original name, Timbisha, as he works his way up a canyon under clear blue skies.

Reaching a location of interest, Horne sets up his camera and patiently waits for the light. He notes what he is waiting for and briefly discusses his camera settings as the light of the day fades and the sun drops behind the mountains.

I find following Horne’s approach a welcome reminder that even though I tell myself to slow down in my approach to landscape photography, I have a lot of patience to learn. You can practically feel the drains of the world fade away as you watch Horne’s patient and deliberate approach to the scene.