Salt Polygon Sunrise, Death Valley, California

I have only visited Death Valley National Park a few times. This image is one I had envisioned and had to be patient in order to make it happen. On this particular trip, the salt polygons were in beautiful condition, but the winds and skies were not cooperating. I had set up my 8x10 inch film camera five mornings in a row, battling the wind and hoping for the sky to light up. The first four days were fruitless. The clouds blocked the sun and left the skies grey. No film was exposed. Fortunately, my patience paid off on my last morning in Death Valley. While I had to block the camera from the wind, the sun rose under the cloud layer, lighting the sky up in brilliant pink tones. This is the image of Death Valley I had envisioned.