The Set Up
Welcome to Death Valley, California. The hottest, lowest and driest place in North America. With fewer than two inches/five centimeters of rainfall annually and a record high of 134°F, it sits at almost 300 feet below sea level. It is located in eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert. It borders the Great Basin Desert and is famous for extremes. This “natural” recipe makes it an amazing spot to photograph with it’s unique volcanic landscapes, high cliff walls, flash-flood carved slot canyons, long narrow desert floor and incredible textures. It is literally like no other place on the continent.
Last March, five photographers braved 100°F+ “Spring” temperatures, winds with gusts over 60mph, rain, salt and sand storms in search of diamond-in-the-rough landscapes to capture and bring home and prove that among the extremes there is beauty to be found. Here are five completely different perspectives on Death Valley taken March 25-29, 2022. Five photographers. Four photos each. One incredible place.
The Photographers
All from San Diego, California. Each brought a unique perspective to the shoot.
Keith Ayers
Follow Keith:
IG - @akaphotos619
Web - https://akaphotos619.com/
Dan Bucko
Follow Dan:
IG - @danbuckophotography
Web - buckocreative.com
Todd Willer
Follow Todd:
IG - @electricwooly
Dennis Bucko
Follow Dennis:
IG -
Sally Bucko
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IG -
Group Shot
Mosaic Canyon
The Photos
Keith Ayers – 4 shots of Death Valley
Keith is based in Oceanside CA and shoots anything but his passion is Milky Way astrophotography. He used a Nikon D750. This was his 2nd trip to Death Valley and he wanted to capture places that he didn’t get the first time. The 4 photos below from DVNP captured different times of the day and night and highlight the beauty of this national park.
Dan Bucko – 4 shots of Death Valley
Dan Bucko is a San Diego based photographer and professional creative. He shoots with a Canon 5D IV and a Fuji XT3 converted to super Infrared by Life Pixel. The beach, the city, the mountains and the desert are all close in San Diego and Dan is out a couple times a week looking for new compositions. The four shots from Death valley below focus on texture. Salt, sand, mud, water and wind combine with a history of volcanic activity and make this place amazing to photograph.
Todd Willer – 4 shots of Death Valley
Truth, goodness and beauty. Looking up. Todd is a San Diego artist who spends most of his time braving the wild waves of the Pacific and capturing the texture, shape and power of the local surf. When not getting wet, Todd also photographs the local streets, mountains, and deserts.
Dennis Bucko – 4 shots of Death Valley
This iPhone adventurer with a nod towards photo journalism proves you don’t need a heavy pack with a ton of lenses to capture a moment. As an added plus you can edit “in the field” and be the first to post your images.
Sally Bucko – 4 shots of Death Valley
Sally Bucko enjoys travel photography, especially portraiture. Recently, infrared photography has been her focus. These four photos taken in Death Valley at the Rhyolite, NV, ghost town were shot with a Canon mirrorless converted to 590. Infrared seems to give that deserted location an increased feeling of the past and a sense of abandonment.
