Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Landscape Photography Locations => Topic started by: Rajan Parrikar on February 04, 2014, 03:21:16 am

Title: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on February 04, 2014, 03:21:16 am
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=740474725976812&set=a.427505487273739.100541.146565715367719&type=1&theater

PS: I wanted to go in Dec for a sunrise shoot there but was told by the rangers that the playa was wet, so I decided to go elsewhere.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: francois on February 04, 2014, 06:25:41 am
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=740474725976812&set=a.427505487273739.100541.146565715367719&type=1&theater

PS: I wanted to go in Dec for a sunrise shoot there but was told by the rangers that the playa was wet, so I decided to go elsewhere.

Between the Goblin Valley State Park vandals and this new act of stupidity, one has to wonder what will follow…
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: Mjollnir on February 04, 2014, 12:09:22 pm
Anyone else notice what look suspiciously like holes made by a tripod?

These clowns may have been photographers.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: summit68 on February 04, 2014, 01:12:45 pm
If by Photographers you mean someone with a camera, then I agree. That is where the definition ends.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: bretedge on February 04, 2014, 01:18:51 pm
I saw this and it disappoints me greatly.  Living in and photographing the area around Moab, I see all kinds of photographers behaving badly.  It's very frustrating.  I'm not one who keeps his mouth shut when I witness such stupidity and so I frequently call out other photographers who are acting without regard for the environment or other photographers.  Shame...
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: tim wolcott on February 05, 2014, 12:51:03 am
Several years ago some asses stole the rocks from this Playa.  Now we asses doing this.  A good bullet can stop that!  I wish I would have caught them.  Tim
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: pluton on February 05, 2014, 01:09:57 am
Several years ago some asses stole the rocks from this Playa.  Now we asses doing this.  A good bullet can stop that!  I wish I would have caught them.  Tim

A bullet to their camera--if one was present--would have been a "safe" solution.  These axxholes deserve worse, though.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: tim wolcott on February 05, 2014, 10:30:45 am
I don't think they had a camera.  But who said camera?  We will need a lot of rain and wind to remove that, may take decades.  What a shame. Stupid is as stupid does!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: chris cramer on February 05, 2014, 02:05:21 pm
well, that's incredibly disappointing.  i was thinking about making a trip there in march as i had never seen this.  sigh  :(
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: sdwilsonsct on February 05, 2014, 02:14:07 pm
I have visited DV only once but came across a visitor busily carving her initials into a trailside rock.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: chez on February 06, 2014, 07:56:55 am
If by Photographers you mean someone with a camera, then I agree. That is where the definition ends.

Well if they had tripods with them, I think we can categorize them as photographers.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: chez on February 06, 2014, 08:02:12 am
This type of stuff occurs all the time, everywhere. I hike in many very sensitive environments in the Canadian Rockies and the West Coast and see people all the time off the designated trails trampling through extremely fragile echo systems. We get upset because this happened to a photographic Mecca, but much of our beautiful natural environment is being trampled every day. My opinion is we need to educate the people about the importance of preserving these environments so our future generations have something to marvel at.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: hubell on February 06, 2014, 12:01:26 pm
I have never been there, but even if its dry, don't the photographers who photograph these rocks leave footprints
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: summit68 on February 06, 2014, 01:03:56 pm
Well if they had tripods with them, I think we can categorize them as photographers.

Do you have a phone? Then you are a 'photographer'. Everyone is a 'photographer', but not everyone is a photographer. There is a difference.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: chez on February 06, 2014, 04:32:22 pm
Do you have a phone? Then you are a 'photographer'. Everyone is a 'photographer', but not everyone is a photographer. There is a difference.

Not quite...a phone is carried by everyone these days. A tripod is typically used by a serious photographer.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: Paul Sumi on February 06, 2014, 05:36:13 pm
I have never been there, but even if its dry, don't the photographers who photograph these rocks leave footprints

No, when it is dry, the surface of the Racetrack playa is like hard clay tiles.  These "tiles" can be broken, but generally you don't leave footprints when you walk on them.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: Roman Racela on February 22, 2014, 01:11:34 am
This is just sad.
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: sanfairyanne on March 13, 2014, 06:19:05 pm
I'm from England, a few years ago I spent a week at the playa. I remember being out one day when I heard a lady telling her young son ''don't take such a big one remember we have to take it back on the plane''

Because I was a foreigner I didn't say anything but I sorely wish I had, what kind of moronic mother would let her son do such a thing. I first went to the playa in 09, two rocks that I shot back then have definitely been removed.

Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: e3photo on April 26, 2014, 10:51:46 pm
I just returned from a week in Death Valley,and can report that there are still plenty of wonderful sailing stones to photograph. Yes, there are footprints around a couple,and obvious tracks where the stones are missing,but luckily there are still plenty of wonderful shots. I would suggest being there in the afternoon,and make sure you are at the southern end.

Emerald
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: Lonnie Utah on May 22, 2014, 12:07:59 pm
Update.

https://www.facebook.com/DeathValleyNP/posts/796567097034241
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on May 22, 2014, 12:37:28 pm
A blessing in disguise? Perhaps this might force "photographers" to shoot something original instead?  ;)
Title: Re: Racetrack Playa defaced
Post by: sierraman on June 06, 2014, 02:51:07 pm
A blessing in disguise? Perhaps this might force "photographers" to shoot something original instead?  ;)
Hoping to go there soon. I'll try to a get a few original images.  :)