If there was ever a film made that might inspire a still-photographer to take up the video, it must be Lawrence of Arabia. The film is chocked-full, David Lean-style, with panoramic visions that, up until the digital revolution, were difficult or impossible to capture using SLRs. Lawrence of Arabia is also one of those kooky films that people continue to quote lines from – there are websites dedicated to the subject. My favorite line is one that occurs in one of the first scenes including Lawrence (aka T.E. Lawrence) and Faisal, in which Lawrence suggests that ‘…the desert is an ocean in which no oar is dipped…’ That’s a beauty line, but I cannot find it anywhere in the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, so I’m guessing it was added or adapted by the screenwriters, Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson (who were both colorful characters in their own right).
The image above, of the sea of salt that lines the Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, was recorded on April 12, 2009, at about 18:50 PST, using the Nikon D700 and the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens at 14mm. Exposure was f/16 at 1/125s, ISO 200. Contrast in the red and green channels was enhanced prior to conversion to BW using Nik Silver Efex Pro.
From Badwater, one can walk westward along a well-worn path into the Badwater Basin. The percolation of water within the salt basin, together with the wind and rain and sun, shape the salt into formations that look remarkably like frozen waves, as shown here.
Tags: Badwater, Badwater Basin, David Lean, Death Valley Nation Park, Death Valley NP, Lawrence of Arabia
