8 Bonneville Salt Flats photography tips: Capture the beauty of Utah!
The Bonneville Salt Flats are one of the most picturesque locations in Utah. It is a wonderful place to fall in love with the beauty of nature. The landscapes you will see here are out of this world and it will mesmerize your eyes again and again! Photographing Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the main reasons behind people visiting there.
Every year a huge number of photographers visit the Salt Lake City and explore these Salt Flats to get breathtaking photos. You can choose this place for post weeding photoshoots, family photoshoots, couple photoshoots, landscape photography and many more! So scroll down to know the 8 Bonneville Salt Flats photography tips!
What is a salt flat?
When lakes and rivers are dry or completely soaked up due to heat and continuous evaporation they leave a good number of chemical substances on the land such as Sodium Chloride or basically salt. During thousands of years this salt clusters around and create Salt Flats at the end. For instance, when the river Bonneville of Utah dried up many years ago. After that the salt clustered and created the Bonneville Salt Flats which we see now.
What is so special about Bonneville Salt Flats?
The Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah are one of the hidden wonders of the world. It has a unique natural structure and how the salts have clustered here to create such a strong bond is unimaginable. The sunset here is probably the most beautiful thing. When the sun sets in this white Salt Flakes it feels like the world has turned into a Disneyland! Every photographer should visit this place once in their lifetime. Because the photos you will get here are improbable to get somewhere else in the world!
The best times to visit Bonneville Salt Flats
According to the opinions of majority of the photographers from the best photo studios in New York, summer is the best time for visiting Bonneville Salt Flats. During summer, Salt Flats remain dry and the light from the sun makes the white salt flats look shiny. You can use this white environment for post wedding photoshoots and beautiful landscape photoshoots. Some people also visit Bonneville Salt Flats in winter or on the months of October and November. During this time you will get to see wet Salt flats. Although they are not so friendly for walking, they create a beautiful reflection of everything which is a good thing to capture in your camera.
Things you need to pack for Bonneville Salt Flats photography –
A camera that makes your comfortable
It is not so easy to do Bonneville Salt Flats photography. In spite of being an eye-catching place it is a very uncomfortable place for shooting. So you need to bring a camera which is comfortable for your use. For professional photography you need a camera with advanced ISO settings. So that you can take as much natural images as you can.
A good lens and extra battery
You will be taking a lot of wide angle shots and landscapes during the photo session in Bonneville Salt Flats. So, a lens which is good for wide angle shots is required for the job. These wide angle photos or landscapes need to be clear and sharp in all conditions. So bring a lens that can deal with all of that and don’t forget to bring an extra battery with you since you will be photographing for long sessions.
Tripod for clarity
For a proper photoshoot, using a tripod can be very helpful. Tripod can support you in every weather and give rest to your hands during long sessions. Besides it is the best option for avoiding all kinds of hand shake that can ruin the photo. In fact you can comparatively take better photos with tripod than you can take with your hand.
Grab your regular hiking boots
Walking on the Salt Flats can be very disturbing and at one point you can lose patience too. During summer the surface is harder to walk on as you will see your feet getting stuck in the salt. Shooting in winter will also be tough because of the slippery surface. So you should grab your best hiking boots for photographing in the Bonneville Salt Flats during any season. They will save your feet from all kind of disturbances during photography.
Outfit
Most people are confused on what to wear at Bonneville Salt Flats. You should pick a comfortable outfit for shooting on the salt. Standing on these Flat Salts for hours will not be an easy job to do. But do not make the mistake of wearing shorts because the salt can discomfort you. Wear full pants with comfortable T shirts or Shirts. And pack them in a the best backpack you have to keep your travelling experience easier.
Pack some food too!
You are going to shoot on a place filled with salt for hours and you won’t be hungry? It is definitely not possible! So carry enough food if you don’t want to shoot with an empty stomach later!
Here are the best 8 Bonneville Salt Flats photography tips you can follow-
Choose the best time and place to shoot
Choosing the right time and place will be your first priority. To choose properly you need to know about the place first. There are mainly two special locations here for photographing. The Salt Flats resting place and the speedway. Don’t be shocked to know but yes! There is a speedway on Salt Flats. You can choose either of these two or roam around other places at different times with your camera to find the best view. Usually early morning of summer or winter and the sunset time is the best time for capturing attractive landscapes and wide angle photos.
Take wide angle shots
Generally, wide angle shots always produce excellent results. Wide angle shots will cover your subject and also the details in the background. It is the best way to describe the relation between your subject and the white Salt Flats, clouds, sky or other details in the background. These pictures will be more meaningful and attractive to people.
Capture the sunset
Sunset is the best thing in Bonneville Salt Flats. So if you visit Bonneville Salt Flats and don’t take those amazing Sunset photos you will miss the best part of being a photographer. Try capturing the sunset by telling a story. It might be a landscape photo or a wide shot but make sure it describes the beauty of the sunset and the atmosphere of that time.
Show the reflections
If you are shooting in winter you will notice that the Salt Flats are wet. These wet Salt flats will create a shiny reflection of different things for you. You can use these reflections to your advantage by adding them into your photo!
Set time for shooting in each location
As we said before that there are two main locations In Bonneville Salt Flats for taking photos. So you should plan the timing for each location and area before the photoshoot. You can plan a 30 min session for each area and wait till sunset for the best views. This is the best way to collect the pictures of all available locations in proper time.
Ask permit for specific locations
Sometimes doing a proper photoshoot in some areas are forbidden in Bonneville Salt Flats. So before setting up your gear you should take a written permission from the authority or else the guards present there might disturb you while shooting.
Show your creativity with different poses
Ask your models to give as many poses as possible. Try unique poses that mean something. If it’s a post weeding shoot or a family photoshoot then the poses should be relevant to the respective kinds. Try thinking out of the box with the poses. Because you will mostly get the similar white view from each locations in the Salt Flats. So it’s the poses that will make the difference.
Use some props to create moments
You can use candles or flowers for couple photos and different other things for different types of photography as a prop. Use these props in a way that it can create a story or a moment. Usually moments that can emotionally attach us are the best ones to capture and in Bonneville Salt Flats; the core beauty of nature your emotions will be at its peak. So make sure you use props to bring out such each emotions and capture them with your camera!
Some common FAQs-
Where do you take pictures in Bonneville Salt Flats?
There are two main spots to take photos in Bonneville Salt Flats. The Salt Flats rest area and the Salt Flats highway. Most of the people choose these two places over all other places. They are relatively easy to explore and more beautiful than other places. They are 10 miles outside from Wendover.
Do you need a permit to shoot at the Bonneville Salt Flats?
Yes. Bonneville Salt Flats authority has some restrictions for shooting in some areas. They have not specified all these places so it is necessary to ask for their permit before setting up a proper photoshoot in some areas.
What should I wear to the Bonneville Salt Flats?
You should keep yourself as comfortable as possible in Bonneville Salt Flats. Wear comfortable shirts and Full pants or trousers so that the salt cannot make you feel uncomfortable. Wearing comfortable sandals is also not a bad idea. But hiking shoes will always be the best option for keeping your feet safe from the salt.
Is there water on the Bonneville Salt Flats?
No there is no water in the Bonneville Salt Flats. It has dried up long time ago. You will still notice a brine of salt at some places which look like water but it’s not water you shouldn’t swim in it!
At the end
Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the best places in the world for photography and exploring the beauty of nature. For professional photographers it is necessary to click the photos with perfection. But if you are a newbie or not good enough you can follow our Bonneville Salt Flats Photography tips for taking beautiful landscape and wide angle photos. You can even choose some photo editing services to save time with editing at the end.
