Photographing the surreal Bisti Badlands in New Mexico

[@StevenLenkiewicz]

That sunset ending was amazing

[@SteveMillerhuntingforfood]

I think that gradient of color after sunset and before darkness is from the earth's shadow. Also observed in the morning looking west. Some of my favorite light.

[@victorcarmelo8606]

Nice video and amazing forms, very envious. Hope you took more Astro images like at the end with these forms included. Thanks for sharing.

[@kemerthomson]

As always, wonderful; the final sequence of sunset and ending on a simple black screen is divine. As a side note, your choice of music fits the locale so well. I have to wonder if 100 megapixels in a big, heavy body+lens is really worth the effort, especially given the hiking you do to get to the subjects. I guess that if you can manage it, why not?

[@nevvanclarke9225]

I go black and white in that scenario!!

[@SteveMillerhuntingforfood]

Same with me, but I might have dragged my large format and shot it with 4x5 TriX.

[@davelawrence8]

It's interesting to hear your frustration with not being able to get a good shot when most of us would (a) kill to be in that location and (b) be able to make something work. You're the expert, you do this all the time - so your standards are different, and that's understandable.

[@dominey]

I think everyone struggles to create the images they see in their head. Was especially true for me here.

[@mikeyjhn]

Sometimes watch your videos on the TV but often watch them on the laptop but this time increased the quality from default setting to 4k. A bit overkill on a 14" screen but it looked superb. 👏👍

[@dominey]

Thanks so much! 🙏

[@philipculbertson55]

So Ted, when there are no trails like that scenario, what is your strategy for picking a place to begin hiking in? I'll be there next week for the first time and don't really know what to expect and I have found little in the way of resources to know where to begin. Can you see far enough from the road to pick out rock formations that might be interesting so you know where to start? Do you just ride around until something in the distance catches your eye?

[@dominey]

If you’ve never been, I recommend going to Bisti first. You can park then hike about a mile or so east. Flat valley, so it’s pretty obvious where to go (you’ll likely see others).

[@FieldingSmith]

Was there in early june... think I'll be waiting till dec/jan for my next visit... was way too hot during the day for me, so didn't get to explore as much as I'd have hoped. I had nothing but blue/grey skies, so I'm thinking of maybe playing with an IR filter next time I go. Great video though, very cool to see so many things I missed.

[@dominey]

Yeah hell no (June). It was very hot in late September.

[@FieldingSmith]

@@dominey I'm currently in santa fe, and the entirety of northern NM has been hotter than average for the last month. 2-3 record braking high-temp days per week. it's ridiculous.

[@philipculbertson55]

I'm going to be out there the last week of October and first week of November. I am a bit concerned about getting out there with no trails and getting lost. How big a concern is that in reality? Also, can you see well enough from the road to identify spots where formations are located in order to hike in?

[@dominey]

Install GAIA GPS on your phone. Hit record when you start hiking, and the app will track your route so you can easily find your way back to where you started. Especially helpful after sunset when it gets dark.

[@sunilnamadevan3741]

👍👍

[@nevvanclarke9225]

Can I ask a silly question? Why do they call it the Badlands?

[@dominey]

It’s been said the word comes from “a bad land to travel” from back in the explorer days. Not a nice place to be.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

@@dominey he kinda reminds me of the desert in Australia. I'm in Australia and there are some places like that here. Thanks for the video.

[@BartSantello]

Unfit for human habitation.

[@williamdavidson1490]

The name 'Badlands' in South Dakota was know by the indigenous Lakota people as 'Mako Sica' also by early French trappers as 'Les mauvaises terres a traverser. Both translate into 'Bad Lands.' No water, no food, bad place to hike or travel through.