Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin sits at the lowest point in North America, a vast white salt flat stretching across Death Valley that creates some of the most surreal and graphic landscapes you can photograph anywhere in the world. The hexagonal salt polygons are the main subject here, and getting low to the ground with a wide angle lens, around 16 to 24mm, lets you use the repeating geometric patterns as a strong foreground leading out toward the Panamint Range. Shoot at sunrise or golden hour when the low light rakes across the salt crust and exaggerates its texture and shadows. Midday in summer is brutal and the flat overhead light flattens everything, so plan accordingly. Wear sun protection and bring plenty of water. Walk out beyond the boardwalk to get away from other visitors and find cleaner compositions. On rare occasions after heavy rain, a shallow reflective lake forms and creates extraordinary mirror images of the mountains. (Death Valley National Park, California, United States)