Death Valley Dunes, Morning. Death Valley National Park, California. March 28, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Black and white photograph of the Death Valley Dunes in early morning light.
This photograph was made on a late-March morning when I had wandered out around the west end of Death Valley Dunes, near Stovepipe Wells, and entered them from close to the back side. I often approach the dunes this way in the morning since it means crossing much less deep sand and because fewer people tend to go this way. (The latter seems to be even more true now that the NPS has installed and “official” parking lot – with restrooms! – along the road near where most folks traditionally stopped to make their direct approach to the tallest dunes.)
I was in an area of lower dunes mostly shooting nearby sand textures and the long shadows cast by hills and plants in the very early light. However, it is hard to ignore the amazing curves and textures of the dunes as they rise towards the east, especially when they are side-lit like this. So I spent a few minutes pointing the long lens int that direction. When I made the photographs I was sort of disappointed that I couldn’t keep the footprints in the bright foreground sand out of the image, but in retrospect I think that they actually improve the photograph.
This photograph is not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
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Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM at 400mm
ISO 200, f/11, 1/40 second
keywords: death valley, national, park, california, usa, north america, nature, scenic, travel, landscape, dunes, sand, mesquite, folds, shadow, light, pattern, hill, peak, foot, prints, mountain, morning, stock
Steve, thanks for dropping by. You’ve been posting some really wonderful “springtime California” work recently – great stuff. The “shoot far from Star Dune” is pretty much what I was thinking. I actually like shooting from behind the dunes over on the “left” side, and I’m also a big fan of the smaller but very remarkable transverse dunes to the east.
Good point about summer. I’ve always made it a policy to completely avoid summer in DEVA. (Crazy European tourist aside, there is no way I want to go there in the extreme heat when the winter is so lovely!) However, you may have just given me a reason to tear myself away from the Sierra long enough to try a short summer visit. Maybe.
Dan
Dan,
The footprints do add a few extra directional lines to your seen and even add some extra texture to the ridges. I’ve always walked out the same way to the dunes mainly to avoid lots of foot prints but in DV’s busy season it’s pretty unavoidable with out wind cover up so many of them. It seems the best way to avoid them if you are trying to do that is to shoot far from Star Dune. The crazy man who visits in summer time can be pretty rewarded with out the footprints or by waiting out an April sandstorm.
Steve