First Light

First light on the sand dunes. image shot at the Eureka Sand dunes section of Death Valley N.P.

Getting a bit of elevation on the dunes before sunrise offers more possibilities to catch the first light contrasting with the rest of the dunes still in he shade. Also, in shooting downward and eliminating the sky, you can preserve detail in the shadow area.

Cresting the wave

This image was taken near sunset at the small dunes, about a mile north of the Stovepipe Wells airstrip. I felt like a surfer cresting a wave.

I like the small dunes area. It offers solitude and an almost complete absence of footprints. The hihest dunes are about 30 feet tall, which is enough for a good variety of shots. The desert terrain surrounding the dunes is also quite interesting

Great Sand Dunes panorama

The majestic Great Sand Dunes of Colorado are the tallest in the United States and are truly magnificent. What also makes them unique is the presence of a year-round stream at their base. This evening panorama shows the dunes with the Sangre de Cristo mountains in the background.

Intrusion

While walking on the Great Sand Dunes early in the morning, I stumbled upon these human footprints, which had been covered overnight by a multitude of insect tracks

Heart of the dunes

This panorama taken from far inside the Great Sand Dunes shows the vastness and height of these dunes.

The thin red line

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes, southeast of Zion Nat'l Park in Utah are beautiful little dunes made of finely ground Navajo sandstone. It happens to be a very pinkish form of Navajo sandstone. The strong winds that blow through the Mocassin Gap make for particularly fine particles. The area is popular with families and ORVs, but come off season, during the week and after a storm and you'll have a magical experience.

Ripples

Under the rigt conditions, the sand at Coral Pink Sand Dunes can turn an incredibly deep red during the last 30 seconds before sunset.

Little duck floating in the waves

Sand dunes offer wonderful patterns that challenge the imagination. In this image, I saw a little duck floating in waves. You'll need a low sun to reveal these sort of whimsical patterns.

Fox tracks

Fresh animal tracks in the sand are fun to observe and follow. I caught a glimpse of a small brown fox high on the Eureka Sand Dunes one early morning. I climbed in his direction until I found his fresh tracks.

Veil of light

The Eureka sand dunes, in the northwestern section of Death Valley Nat'l Park, are the highest dunes in Calfornia and only second to the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. This early morning shot against the light creates a cool bluish atmosphere.

Koan

The delicate shadows and gentle curves evoke the brush strokes of Japanese calligraphy. The fragile stem emerging from the stark-naked sand reminds me of the famous Zen Koan (riddle) of the Mu, or great void.

Storm on the dunes

A sudden storm caught me in the heart of the White Sands of New Mexico with my tripod in hand. I left the tripod in place and ran a respectable distance from it to avoid beoming a lightning rod. Suddenly the sun broke though the clouds. I ran back and was able to catch this intriguing evening light basking the sand.

Twilight

The white color of the White Sands and the interesting surrounding vegetation create an eerie landscape at twilight.

Lone blooming yucca

Many people ask me if the sand is really white at White Sands Nat'l Monument. Well, you can judge this for ourself. This lone Yucca strikes an amazing contrast with the pure white color of the dunes.

Lone dead yucca

A dead Chihuahuan yucca emerges from from the side of a sand dunes in the early morning light.

Zen garden

Rain had been pelting the dunes during a stormy evening, erasing the usual sand ripples. The ground looked like it had been raked by a priest in a giant Zen garden.

Nuclear blast

The nearby presence of the Alamogordo missile testing grounds, whuch are adjacent to the monument, evoked in me the ominous vision of a nuclear blast.