How to photograph in a desert

[407370]

Here is a typical example:


You find a bush in the middle of a desert and a few technical issues become apparent:

• natural lighting is very bright
• the sky is featureless
• it is very dusty (see noise in sky)
• golden hour lasts about 3 minutes

How would anyone else approach this situation.

 

[tirediron]

Stay inside, turn up the AC and crack another beer! Having spent a lot of time in this sort of environment, there's not a lot you can do. A CPOL will help, somewhat, sometimes, but at the end of the day, there's not a lot you can do.

 

[acparsons]

Do you use a polarizer?

 

[Newtricks]

Take a meter reading, set the aperture and shutter speed for the ASA of the film you are using then release the shutter, like any other shot in any other place. Sorry made the switch from film to digital last year... have yet to get in the digital mode of thinking. Before putting the old X700 away, I burned 2000 feet of Kodak 25 ASA technical pan I had stashed away in the refer, wish they still made it.

I understood film, could push or pull it, adjust development time to compensate for how I exposed it, tinker with light and time while printing, dodge and burn as needed, learning digital is like trying to learn Swahili.

 

[407370]

I use a polarising filter but I refuse to pay the ridiculous prices for stoppers.

 

[407370]

Take a meter reading, set the aperture and shutter speed for the ASA of the film you are using then release the shutter, like any other shot in any other place. Sorry made the switch from film to digital last year... have yet to get in the digital mode of thinking. Before putting the old X700 away, I burned 2000 feet of Kodak 25 ASA technical pan I had stashed away in the refer, wish they still made it.

I understood film, could push or pull it, adjust development time to compensate for how I exposed it, tinker with light and time while printing, dodge and burn as needed, learning digital is like trying to learn Swahili.

All of the above is possible with digital it's just a different path.

 

[TheFantasticG]

Boring environment is boring.

When I worked in those conditions it was the little
Things that caught my interest... On the micro level I mean. Of course, all that bright light would be great for my Siggy 150mm.

 

[407370]

I know what you mean:



The pic below was taken as I just removed the camera from a cool box. Notice the long thermometer broke. 57C is around 134F.



cheers

 

[gsgary]

The dessert is the top of my list to shoot, i would look for virgin sand where you get the ripples from the wind where yo get lovely shadows, this look like a dirty bit at the side of the road, saw a lot like this in Dubai

 

[table1349]

Here is a typical example:
View attachment 65262

You find a bush in the middle of a desert and a few technical issues become apparent:

• natural lighting is very bright
• the sky is featureless
• it is very dusty (see noise in sky)
• golden hour lasts about 3 minutes

How would anyone else approach this situation.

You tackle what you can and live with what you can't.
Bright lighting = ND filters & Grad ND filters depending on the situation.
Featureless sky = Pick a day with clouds or live with what you have.
Dusty = Pick a calm day or live with what you have.
Golden Hour = Be quick or use those light modifiers that are necessary to do the job.

I use a polarising filter but I refuse to pay the ridiculous prices for stoppers.

While I appreciate the sentiment, that it kind of like buying a fine racing car and saying you refuse to buy good racing tires.

 

[bc_steve]

the golden "hour" is short but comes twice a day and it is pretty awesome in the desert. The desert looks great with the soft light and dark shadows, and the sand and dust particles in the air make for some decent sunsets. Just use your time during the harsh light of day to decide where you want to be when the lighting is better. Don't forget about nighttime either, you could go out during the full moon or when there is no moon and you can see the milky way.

Could be worse, it's been boring and overcast and cloudy here for about a month.

 

[407370]

In three years of living in Qatar I have seen a cloudy sky once when I had time to go and got some of the best pics I have ever taken.

Same bush on that cloudy day:



There is a good array of different types of desert but what with work + family commitments time becomes the limiting factor.

Thanks all for the comments.

NB: I might even go mad and buy some filters

 

[bc_steve]

do you have a polarizing filter? if not I'd recommend one.

It'll make the sky appear darker and bluer, and when you do get another day with clouds like that it will make them stand out more. It can produce an annoying effect at wide focal lengths since it darkens the sky the most at right angles from the sun, and doesn't do much in the direction of the sun or directly opposite it, so if you're not careful you can have the sky appear light on one side of your picture and dark on the other. That keeps me from using a polarizer more often than I otherwise would, but it is still useful.