Sunshine breaks through the clouds above the Bonneville Salt Flats.
2009 has been a year of firsts for me, first time to Pike’s Peak, the Texas Mile, a NASCAR race, and most recently – the Bonneville Speed Week. Bonneville is similar to Pike’s Peak in a sense. I’ve been nearby, but never really knew. In all the times I’ve been to Utah and SLC- I thought the salt flats were further away. Somewhere distant. Removed by a long drive. Hours and hours in a car. That’s not the case. Situated on the border of Nevada and Utah- the Salt Flats are about an hour and half from Salt Lake City. They are epic in their own respect. Like the blinding white sands of White Sands Missile Range – the salt flats are supernova white. Reflecting all of the sun’s intensity like a massive bounce card.
Electronic Art’s Speedhunters provided me a job to shoot the Royal Purple Streamliner running at Bonneville and I jumped on it.
Luckily for me, I would be joined by a great team of photographers and EA Staff who would make the experience really memorable.
Let’s Go…
There is a line in the mountain range that shows the former water level of the large lake that created the Salt Flats.
Linhbergh is a generous and kind rice photographer – he let me borrow his sunglasses! Which was swell, until they flew off my head while hanging out the window of a car shooting car to car.
Linhbergh sported a cowboy hat and aviators while John Brooks sported a Erwin Rommel desert fox look. Two solid race photographers in one place made for some epic images. Two very different styles and opinions made for excellent conversations.
Mr. Brooks took us by Wendover Air Base- he had explored the previous day. Turns out they trained and tested for the Manhattan Project and Enola Gay bomber unit out of the base. Kind of chilling. Its one of the few WWII air force bases still standing today. Its extremely isolated.
Turns out the roof of the control tower is slanted- don’t try to climb the ladder to get on top. I did and realized there was nothing to grab onto while 60+ feet up – little scary.
There is a US Marshall transport plane outside of one of the old hangers. Con Air all the way.
This hanger was locked up- but is stacked with old blue angels planes and other old jets. The Adams bros are probably geeking over this image. I was geek’d standing there looking through the crusty window. Wendover Air Base is beautiful.
Linhbergh’s new header and profile picture. Glad I could get him staring out of the control tower. It was a great viewpoint.
1.2 bokeh man.
Until next time. Save the Salt. Push those Flatheads. Keep on.
by Will
2 comments
link to this post email a friend