22 Sep
2010

Posted in: Dreamscapes, Hobgoblins' Playground, Night Photography
By Ian Plant    2 Comments

Dreamscape . . . or nightmare? Hobgoblins’ Playground, Nevada

Last November I had the opportunity to visit an off-the-beaten-path place deep in the Nevada desert called Hobgoblins’ Playground (it is more commonly known as Little Finland, but I think Hobgoblins’ is a much cooler name). Hobgoblins’ is reached after driving many miles on a 4WD dirt road, literally miles away from nowhere. My trip there—or should I say trips—were in many respects a nightmare. On my first trip to Hobgoblins’, I couldn’t find the sandstone formations that are the area’s main attraction. Crappy directions sent me off to the wrong place, and I spent hours wandering the desert to no avail. My second trip ended with a flat tire, with my jack collapsing right after I got the tire off the car. After some ingenious and creative propping, I was able to get the car elevated again, the spare tire attached, and my butt outta there. Could it be that the hobgoblins didn’t want me around? I began to suspect foul play—hobgoblins, after all, are known for their nefarious pranks and general puckishness.

Not to be outwitted by a bunch of third-rate fairytale thugs who don’t have enough street cred to aspire to full goblin status, I headed back a third time, intent on making some photographs. Armed with better directions, this time I had no problem finding the sandstone formations. I explored the area for hours, assessing the possibilities, and waiting for the sun to set.

"Hobgoblins Playground" - Nevada Desert

I made this image at the very edge of twilight, when there was still some light in the sky just above where the sun had set. When a passing cloud drifted behind one of the sandstone formations, I started my two-minute exposure. I love making photographs during twilight, with its half-day, half-night light. While the sky behind the sandstone formation was fading to black, and stars were beginning to appear, the western horizon still glowed with the last light of day, acting like a giant reflector bouncing a warm reddish glow onto the landscape. Imperceptible to the human eye, the sensor recorded the light during the long exposure, and also recorded the motion of the cloud through the sky. Click on the image or the following link to see a larger version.

The glow, along with the streaking cloud, create an otherworldly look, giving the image an element of fantasy—which, given the subject matter and the location, seems perfectly appropriate. The bright ”star” to the far right—actually a planet, probably Venus—acts as a counterpoint for the scene, adding some off-center interest to help balance the otherwise mostly centered composition. It also enhances the surreal, preternatural mood, something which is a common theme in many of my “Dreamscape” images. Although, as Dali discovered, surreal blends into the realm of nightmare quite easily.  

So as it turns out, the hobgoblins let me off easy that night. I guess they figured I had been punished enough the first two times around. That, or they decided a few minutes in the limelight might do them some good from a PR standpoint.   

Technical data: Canon 5D Mark II camera, 14-24mm lens, ISO 400, f/8, 2 minutes. 

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About Ian Plant  (275 Posts)

Ian Plant's photographs and instructional articles have appeared in a number of books, calendars, and magazines, including Outdoor Photographer and Popular Photography. Ian writes a regular blog column for Outdoor Photographer online, and he is the author of numerous instructional eBooks and digital processing tutorials. Ian leads several photo tours each year.