Late Breakfast, Dusty Roads and a Salty Lake

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IMG_3313Canon EOS 6D (70mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec, ISO100)

After crossing Toga pass we went straight for breakfast in Lee Vining. We managed to eat at the same place as 3 years before but that’s not a challenge because Lee Vining is not much more than a cross road, a petrol station and two small diners.And Nicely’s restaurant seems to be famous. At least it has a very high ad sign. Inside everything is very old fashion but in a nice way. Looks like time stood still here since the late 70s. The waitresses fit the place and breakfast is good and plenty.

DSCF7154FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (14mm, f/8, 1/550 sec, ISO200)
 DSCF7147FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (14mm, f/4, 1/55 sec, ISO200)
 DSCF7146FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (14mm, f/4, 1/30 sec, ISO200)

I’m sure I will visit the place again. After breakfast we went to Mono lake. A great place but very hard to photograph. Early morning or late evening would be best but we visited the lake at noon.

IMG_3236Canon EOS 6D (28mm, f/9, 1/200 sec, ISO100)
 IMG_3250Canon EOS 6D (61mm, f/16, 1/200 sec, ISO100)

In such harsh sunlight it is best not to take any pictures at all but we planned to move on to get as close to the entrance of Death Valley as possible. No time to wait for better light. I took a couple of shots on the lake shore and some pictures of a curious bird and a shy squirrel. My favorite shots are the first and the last on on this page. Both are taken on the way out. Playing with depth of field in a landscape shot. I still can’t believe the EXIF data on the last shot. Looks like a wider aperture too me.

The first image I like most because it shows the contrast in-between the desert and the snow covered mountains in the back. America is country of striking contrasts.

IMG_3272Canon EOS 6D (280mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO100)
 IMG_3300Canon EOS 6D (280mm, f/4, 1/1600 sec, ISO100)
 IMG_3308Canon EOS 6D (135mm, f/20, 1/50 sec, ISO100)