I awoke early to voices next door. Photographers just like ourselves, but obviously, they had arrived only last night. Probably after dark. They didn’t realize the effects of the dust/sand storm. Clearly, there was to be no pre-dawn photography, yet doors opened and closed, cars started, only to return a short time later. More doors opening and closing, and again, quiet.

When I peeked out the window, much to my non-surprise, there was nothing. Only the dim haze of fierce winds blowing sand and dust in the darkness.

We decided to head to another area. No point gumming up our cameras and lenses with the fine dust that comes with these storms.

There are a number of dry lake beds. Remnants of ancient times. The cracks and the mud and the patterns they form are very enticing to a photographer.

I knew what I wanted and put on a wide angle lens, a 12-24. As it turned out, I kept it on the whole day. I do that sometimes. Use it for the various effects it can offer. Sure, I used the zoom on the lens, but with a lens like that, the foot zoom is particularly critical to getting the effect one wants.

We drove by slowly, looking for different angles.

“Stop!’ I saw what was the right combination for me.

Out into the lake bed I went. There were slightly damp places that added to the texture. The storm made the distant views almost other-worldly. I found a rock that thoughtfully pointed into the scene.

A friend came out to shoot with us for a few days before the workshop. We headed to a famous ghost town. There are several in the park.

The skies were both gentle and eerie, almost ethereal. They provided a great backdrop to our scenes. This building stands tall, but usually, it is photographed in the low light of either end of the day.

We keep hearing stories of how unusual this storm is. Our hostess at breakfast, who has been in the area for many, many years, can only remember one other storm like this one. Again, those of us who love what Mother Nature dishes out feel lucky to have witnessed this.

It gave a surreal look to this building.

We were hampered by a fence. Barbed wire on top of it. Not one to be deterred by certain fences, I studied it and decided that there was probably a reason it was there. Perhaps something to do with safety. I respectfully stayed out.

With the wind whipping around us, threatening to snaggle all my clothing in the barbs, the wide-angle lens was the only solution for me. I wanted the height of the building, but a vantage point I would have normally selected was not an option, unless I wanted to feature the less-than-alluring wire and metal posts.

Using the right lens for effect is always important. Too many people use a lens to get closer or further away, not realizing what the lens can do.

Here, I wanted to get the telephone pole outside when the door swung open. This lens was the perfect choice for what I wanted. If I had used a longer lens, I would have lost the subtle effect of the pole outside.

The light that came in from the windows added a soft look to the weathered paint, giving it a glow that added life to it.

To be sure, I had to get into one of those “Margo positions” as Arnie calls them, and as anyone who has joined us has seen.

As I was photographing various aspects of this room, I wondered what it must have been like in its prime. It held such character now.

We headed down the road to a bizarre collection of outdoor sculpture. Arnie and Dave were intrigued by “the blond,” often known as the Pink Lady, while I photographed some old miners’ buildings.

Eventually, I made my way down to the sculptures and found one that surely has been photographed often. I wanted to give it a different look, take it out of the “normal” realm, not that anything about this piece is really normal. Even the bicycle sports a very flat tire in front, but perhaps because a ghost is going to ride it, it makes no difference.

The trick for me was to take a different view and separate the handle bar from the “head.”

It was fun, and the whole apparition made me laugh!

So, when you next go out shooting, put on the lens that you use least frequently, and have fun with it. Use it for full effect. See what you can find.

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