When I was very young my grandfather first brought me out to the Salton Sea, on one of a handful of fishing trips.  Back then the Salton Sea was a completely different environment, still a vacation spot for some, or a fishing destination for others.  Since those days it has transformed into a very eerie and (at least for me personally) magical place to observe and photograph.  If you have time I recommend checking out the Wikipedia article written about the area that briefly outlines the history.  It’s one of the most alien landscapes I have personally come across, and the mix of the ruins of structures on the shore, with the beauty of the water during certain times of days makes a fascinating contrast.  The following images are from two trips, one shot in 2007 at and before sunset.  The other images were shot in late 2009 much earlier in the afternoon.  I have never been extremely happy with the shots from 2009, and I definitely think if you are going to the sea to take photos that arriving about an hour or so before sunset is critical.

– Josh

P.S. If you like Val Kilmer he did an interesting movie titled, “The Salton Sea” in 2002.   It’s not really a story of the sea exactly, but it does make an appearance or two.