Salt of the earth
Although several African desert nations lay claim to being the hottest places on Earth, official records show that the highest-ever temperature was reported nearly 100 years ago at Greenland Ranch (now Furnace Creek), in California’s Death Valley. On 10 July 1913, the mercury nudged a sizzling 56.7°C, a temperature that the ranch caretaker, Oscar Denton, described at the time as being ‘so hot that swallows in full flight fell to the earth dead’.
Death Valley is also the driest and lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. Ringed by high mountain ranges, the sunken elevation of this long, narrow basin causes heat to be trapped close to the ground. At the aptly named Badwater, where the crusty white saltpans shimmer in the sun, elevation is 86 metres below sea level.
The increased atmospheric pressure below sea level traps heat radiated from the valley floor, thereby creating warm air currents that rise up the mountain slopes. After cooling slightly, this air – now heavier – sinks back down to the valley to be heated further. The subsequent increase in air pressure and heat ensures ground temperatures rise throughout the day.
This microclimate makes Death Valley an inhospitable location during the summer, but in the milder temperatures of winter, it becomes a popular destination for landscape photographers. Within the valley’s 7,800 square kilometres are a myriad of geological formations, including windblown sand dunes, eroded badlands of undulating rock and the shimmering saltpans that most typify the aridity of this area.
Below sea level
Badwater is as desolate and unforgiving as it sounds: it’s a dry, flat expanse of bright white salt, where summer temperatures sometimes reach 38°C by 6am. Like Badwater, many of the world’s naturally occurring saltpans are found below sea level in desert depressions where the rate of evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation, thereby drying out any lake or pond that previously existed.
The Lake Eyre Basin in Australia and the Caspian Depression in Kazakhstan feature large expanses of remnant salts and minerals from evaporated lakes or inland seas. Although Lake Eyre occasionally floods, it soon dries out to resume its more common guise as one of the driest and hottest regions of the Australian Outback.
In other parts of the world, saltpans are found in rift valleys, formed thousands of years ago when land dropped between two plates, creating a water-filled graben, which subsequently evaporated. A prime example of a graben is the Dead Sea in the Jordan rift valley. At 423 metres below sea level, this is the world’s lowest point on land.
Like many of the world’s salt lakes, the Dead Sea is an endorheic body of water, meaning that it has no outflow. Any inflowing water only finds its way out through seepage or evaporation, thereby leaving dried salts to collect in the basin, increasing salinity over time.
While the salt lake that once covered Death Valley dried out thousands of years ago, leaving the saltpans that give Badwater its name, the Dead Sea remains as a large expanse of water with an average depth of nearly 120 metres. It’s also hypersaline, with a concentration of salt approximately eight times greater than that of the oceans.
High and dry
Not all saltpans are found in desert depressions below sea level. In the high Andean plateau known as the Altiplano in Bolivia lies the world’s largest salt flat, the Salar de Uyuni. Here, a salt crust several metres thick covers an area of more than 10,500 square kilometres. Sitting at an elevation of 3,656 metres above sea level, the Altiplano is one of the flattest places on Earth, with an elevation that varies less than one metre across its entire area.
While they differ markedly in elevation, Salar de Uyuni, Death Valley, Lake Eyre and other famous saltpan sites share many physical features that make them as challenging to photograph as they are intimidating to explore.
Even under the milder sun of winter, saltpans produce enough glare and stray light reflections to make accurate exposures less than straightforward. Salt reflects sunlight much like snow or white sand. With so much light reflecting in all directions, glare and highlights are commonplace.
Adding a polarising filter to the lens reduces glare and adds definition to any wisps of cloud in the sky. A polariser also reduces exposure by up to two stops, but the conditions are so bright that a fast exposure is still likely, even at lower ISO ratings of 200 or less.
Sharpness and clarity
The dry desert air (humidity in these locations is close to zero) and flatness of a saltpan landscape mean that visibility in cooler temperatures is as clear as anywhere on Earth. With the lens stopped down, the clarity of the atmosphere ensures that fine details from the salt crusts in the foreground to the distant slopes at the basin’s edge will be sharply rendered by a high-resolution camera that’s kept absolutely still during exposure. To ensure the sharpest result across the frame, the camera and lens need be mounted on a tripod and the lens stopped right down to f/16 or f/22, to maximise depth of field.
The high reflectivity of white saltpans also raises the risk that the camera’s meter will produce a reading that will underexpose the scene. As with photographing snow and ice, it’s far better to begin by overexposing the metered reading by a stop or even 1.5 stops and taking a bracketed sequence of exposures to compare on screen. This way, you can choose the most accurate exposure and lock in that setting via the camera’s exposure lock (AE-L).
Lens choice and composition also play a part in the meter reading. For example, a wide-angle lens angled down to include a greater amount of foreground saltpan raises both the horizon and the sky to the upper part of the frame. This greater area of white increases the likelihood of a meter reading that will underexpose the scene, turning the bright white salt to a dull grey.
Sailing in the sky
Dry saltpans don’t appear to support much wildlife, but that situation can change dramatically after a heavy downpour. For example, every November, three species of South American flamingo arrive on the Salar de Uyuni to breed, and at Etosha Pan in Namibia, the arrival of seasonal rains attracts game animals such as elephants, lions and zebras, as well as birds.
In Australia, the vast, low-lying expanse of salt that covers the basin of Lake Eyre occasionally floods, attracting dozens of species of wading bird. Lake Eyre has filled entirely on only eight occasions since 1885, although it partially fills more frequently, and such events transform the surrounding desert with teeming life as pelicans, sandpipers, terns and gulls from all over the continent flock to its waters to feed. During the last full flood of 1989–90, conservationists estimated that around 200,000 pelicans flew to Lake Eyre, providing an extraordinary opportunity for both birdwatchers and photographers.
Perversely perhaps, Lake Eyre also has a yacht club. Although few in number, its dedicated sailors only launch their boats during floods. However, when the sun is high and the water surface calm, it reflects the sky without a ripple, making the horizon indiscernible and creating the impression of sailing in the sky. A similar illusion occurs after rainfall on the Salar de Uyuni, when the saltpan resembles a giant mirror to the sky, providing a spectacular photo opportunity.
Human threat
High or low, the world’s naturally occurring saltpans are remarkable locations for photography, despite also being some of the most inhospitable places to visit. Throughout human history, salt has been a highly sought-after commodity and global demand continues to grow for this and the other minerals found in this environment. As a result, some of the most famous saltpans and salt lakes face considerable threats from commercial extraction. For example, most of the southern section of the Dead Sea has been transformed into huge evaporation ponds and manmade saltpans for the extraction of Dead Sea salts. This, together with the diversion of water from the River Jordan for irrigation and industry, has seen the Dead Sea’s depth drop by nearly 30 metres since 1970.
In Utah, the famous Bonneville Salt Flats, where many land speed records were set during the 20th century, have lost two thirds of their area since 1963 to salt extraction for the production of potash. Even the world’s biggest salt flat, the Salar de Uyuni, continues to be subject of debate about mining as it contains the world’s highest reserves of lithium, as well as large amounts of magnesium, potassium and sodium.
Like so many isolated environments, saltpans seem out of reach to all but the most dedicated travellers. However, isolation is no guarantee of preservation: the crumbly surface of a saltpan’s crust is symbolic of its vulnerability to commercial exploitation.
Dos & don'ts of photographing saltpans
DO
Fix your camera to a tripod in order to record the maximum detail and definition made possible by the clear desert light
Use a polarising filter to reduce glare produced by the numerous stray reflections coming off the salt surface. Like snow, sand and water, saltpans are highly reflective
Override the meter reading by adding about 1.5 stops exposure and locking this value in via the auto-exposure lock (AE-L). Meters are calibrated to render white surfaces such as saltpans as a grey tone. Extra exposure will avoid this
DON'T
Stray too far from a designated path or visible entry marker. The flat, monotonous and featureless vista of a saltpan can be very disorientating. Distance and direction become more difficult to judge the farther you venture
Compose your picture without checking that the horizon is level in the viewfinder. The flatness of saltpans means the horizon and a big sky will feature prominently in the image. Some cameras now have electronic levels in their viewfinders or screens and many tripods include a built-in spirit level
Forget to carry a bottle of fresh water. Saltpans are dry, hot and lack shade. At the risk of stating the obvious, any surface water will be salty!
Equipment selections
Clothing option: Explorer sunglasses
Mountaineers wear specially designed sunglasses with extended frames to shield their eyes from UV light. Julbo Explorer sunglasses (£110) are a typical example and although designed for high altitude, they’re also suitable for lower elevations where the harsh, bright light reflected from saltpans and deserts require the same degree of eye protection.
www.julbousa.com
Accessory option: Ultra-light tripod
The ideal tripod is lightweight yet robust. There are many that fit this bill, but prices vary widely. Davis & Sanford’s new Vista Voyager BH (£140) is an aluminium ball-head tripod with three leg-position settings, snap leg locks and rubber feet. Handy additions include spirit levels in the tripod and head for accurate levelling and a compass set in the tripod base.
www.tiffen.com
Camera option: High-resolution DSLR
Last year, Nikon released two DSLRs with a 36.3-megapixel image sensor: the D800 (£1,900) and D800E (£2,300). The difference is that the D800E doesn’t include a low-pass filter on its sensor. Low-pass filters reduce the effects of moiré, but they also soften
the image slightly. The D800E therefore reproduces even greater image detail than the D800.
www.nikon.co.uk
February 2013
Death Valley is also the driest and lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. Ringed by high mountain ranges, the sunken elevation of this long, narrow basin causes heat to be trapped close to the ground. At the aptly named Badwater, where the crusty white saltpans shimmer in the sun, elevation is 86 metres below sea level.
The increased atmospheric pressure below sea level traps heat radiated from the valley floor, thereby creating warm air currents that rise up the mountain slopes. After cooling slightly, this air – now heavier – sinks back down to the valley to be heated further. The subsequent increase in air pressure and heat ensures ground temperatures rise throughout the day.
This microclimate makes Death Valley an inhospitable location during the summer, but in the milder temperatures of winter, it becomes a popular destination for landscape photographers. Within the valley’s 7,800 square kilometres are a myriad of geological formations, including windblown sand dunes, eroded badlands of undulating rock and the shimmering saltpans that most typify the aridity of this area.
Below sea level
Badwater is as desolate and unforgiving as it sounds: it’s a dry, flat expanse of bright white salt, where summer temperatures sometimes reach 38°C by 6am. Like Badwater, many of the world’s naturally occurring saltpans are found below sea level in desert depressions where the rate of evaporation exceeds the rate of precipitation, thereby drying out any lake or pond that previously existed.
The Lake Eyre Basin in Australia and the Caspian Depression in Kazakhstan feature large expanses of remnant salts and minerals from evaporated lakes or inland seas. Although Lake Eyre occasionally floods, it soon dries out to resume its more common guise as one of the driest and hottest regions of the Australian Outback.
In other parts of the world, saltpans are found in rift valleys, formed thousands of years ago when land dropped between two plates, creating a water-filled graben, which subsequently evaporated. A prime example of a graben is the Dead Sea in the Jordan rift valley. At 423 metres below sea level, this is the world’s lowest point on land.
Like many of the world’s salt lakes, the Dead Sea is an endorheic body of water, meaning that it has no outflow. Any inflowing water only finds its way out through seepage or evaporation, thereby leaving dried salts to collect in the basin, increasing salinity over time.
While the salt lake that once covered Death Valley dried out thousands of years ago, leaving the saltpans that give Badwater its name, the Dead Sea remains as a large expanse of water with an average depth of nearly 120 metres. It’s also hypersaline, with a concentration of salt approximately eight times greater than that of the oceans.
High and dry
Not all saltpans are found in desert depressions below sea level. In the high Andean plateau known as the Altiplano in Bolivia lies the world’s largest salt flat, the Salar de Uyuni. Here, a salt crust several metres thick covers an area of more than 10,500 square kilometres. Sitting at an elevation of 3,656 metres above sea level, the Altiplano is one of the flattest places on Earth, with an elevation that varies less than one metre across its entire area.
While they differ markedly in elevation, Salar de Uyuni, Death Valley, Lake Eyre and other famous saltpan sites share many physical features that make them as challenging to photograph as they are intimidating to explore.
Even under the milder sun of winter, saltpans produce enough glare and stray light reflections to make accurate exposures less than straightforward. Salt reflects sunlight much like snow or white sand. With so much light reflecting in all directions, glare and highlights are commonplace.
Adding a polarising filter to the lens reduces glare and adds definition to any wisps of cloud in the sky. A polariser also reduces exposure by up to two stops, but the conditions are so bright that a fast exposure is still likely, even at lower ISO ratings of 200 or less.
Sharpness and clarity
The dry desert air (humidity in these locations is close to zero) and flatness of a saltpan landscape mean that visibility in cooler temperatures is as clear as anywhere on Earth. With the lens stopped down, the clarity of the atmosphere ensures that fine details from the salt crusts in the foreground to the distant slopes at the basin’s edge will be sharply rendered by a high-resolution camera that’s kept absolutely still during exposure. To ensure the sharpest result across the frame, the camera and lens need be mounted on a tripod and the lens stopped right down to f/16 or f/22, to maximise depth of field.
The high reflectivity of white saltpans also raises the risk that the camera’s meter will produce a reading that will underexpose the scene. As with photographing snow and ice, it’s far better to begin by overexposing the metered reading by a stop or even 1.5 stops and taking a bracketed sequence of exposures to compare on screen. This way, you can choose the most accurate exposure and lock in that setting via the camera’s exposure lock (AE-L).
Lens choice and composition also play a part in the meter reading. For example, a wide-angle lens angled down to include a greater amount of foreground saltpan raises both the horizon and the sky to the upper part of the frame. This greater area of white increases the likelihood of a meter reading that will underexpose the scene, turning the bright white salt to a dull grey.
Sailing in the sky
Dry saltpans don’t appear to support much wildlife, but that situation can change dramatically after a heavy downpour. For example, every November, three species of South American flamingo arrive on the Salar de Uyuni to breed, and at Etosha Pan in Namibia, the arrival of seasonal rains attracts game animals such as elephants, lions and zebras, as well as birds.
In Australia, the vast, low-lying expanse of salt that covers the basin of Lake Eyre occasionally floods, attracting dozens of species of wading bird. Lake Eyre has filled entirely on only eight occasions since 1885, although it partially fills more frequently, and such events transform the surrounding desert with teeming life as pelicans, sandpipers, terns and gulls from all over the continent flock to its waters to feed. During the last full flood of 1989–90, conservationists estimated that around 200,000 pelicans flew to Lake Eyre, providing an extraordinary opportunity for both birdwatchers and photographers.
Perversely perhaps, Lake Eyre also has a yacht club. Although few in number, its dedicated sailors only launch their boats during floods. However, when the sun is high and the water surface calm, it reflects the sky without a ripple, making the horizon indiscernible and creating the impression of sailing in the sky. A similar illusion occurs after rainfall on the Salar de Uyuni, when the saltpan resembles a giant mirror to the sky, providing a spectacular photo opportunity.
Human threat
High or low, the world’s naturally occurring saltpans are remarkable locations for photography, despite also being some of the most inhospitable places to visit. Throughout human history, salt has been a highly sought-after commodity and global demand continues to grow for this and the other minerals found in this environment. As a result, some of the most famous saltpans and salt lakes face considerable threats from commercial extraction. For example, most of the southern section of the Dead Sea has been transformed into huge evaporation ponds and manmade saltpans for the extraction of Dead Sea salts. This, together with the diversion of water from the River Jordan for irrigation and industry, has seen the Dead Sea’s depth drop by nearly 30 metres since 1970.
In Utah, the famous Bonneville Salt Flats, where many land speed records were set during the 20th century, have lost two thirds of their area since 1963 to salt extraction for the production of potash. Even the world’s biggest salt flat, the Salar de Uyuni, continues to be subject of debate about mining as it contains the world’s highest reserves of lithium, as well as large amounts of magnesium, potassium and sodium.
Like so many isolated environments, saltpans seem out of reach to all but the most dedicated travellers. However, isolation is no guarantee of preservation: the crumbly surface of a saltpan’s crust is symbolic of its vulnerability to commercial exploitation.
Dos & don'ts of photographing saltpans
DO
Fix your camera to a tripod in order to record the maximum detail and definition made possible by the clear desert light
Use a polarising filter to reduce glare produced by the numerous stray reflections coming off the salt surface. Like snow, sand and water, saltpans are highly reflective
Override the meter reading by adding about 1.5 stops exposure and locking this value in via the auto-exposure lock (AE-L). Meters are calibrated to render white surfaces such as saltpans as a grey tone. Extra exposure will avoid this
DON'T
Stray too far from a designated path or visible entry marker. The flat, monotonous and featureless vista of a saltpan can be very disorientating. Distance and direction become more difficult to judge the farther you venture
Compose your picture without checking that the horizon is level in the viewfinder. The flatness of saltpans means the horizon and a big sky will feature prominently in the image. Some cameras now have electronic levels in their viewfinders or screens and many tripods include a built-in spirit level
Forget to carry a bottle of fresh water. Saltpans are dry, hot and lack shade. At the risk of stating the obvious, any surface water will be salty!
Equipment selections
Clothing option: Explorer sunglasses
Mountaineers wear specially designed sunglasses with extended frames to shield their eyes from UV light. Julbo Explorer sunglasses (£110) are a typical example and although designed for high altitude, they’re also suitable for lower elevations where the harsh, bright light reflected from saltpans and deserts require the same degree of eye protection.
www.julbousa.com
Accessory option: Ultra-light tripod
The ideal tripod is lightweight yet robust. There are many that fit this bill, but prices vary widely. Davis & Sanford’s new Vista Voyager BH (£140) is an aluminium ball-head tripod with three leg-position settings, snap leg locks and rubber feet. Handy additions include spirit levels in the tripod and head for accurate levelling and a compass set in the tripod base.
www.tiffen.com
Camera option: High-resolution DSLR
Last year, Nikon released two DSLRs with a 36.3-megapixel image sensor: the D800 (£1,900) and D800E (£2,300). The difference is that the D800E doesn’t include a low-pass filter on its sensor. Low-pass filters reduce the effects of moiré, but they also soften
the image slightly. The D800E therefore reproduces even greater image detail than the D800.
www.nikon.co.uk
February 2013
