Dunes and Shadows

Dunes and Shadows
Low angle light casts shadows across sand dunes, Death Valley.

Dunes and Shadows. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Low angle light casts shadows across sand dunes, Death Valley.

Sand dunes provide a virtually infinite range of photographic subjects, from the shapes of the tallest dunes down to the footprints of tiny creatures. In many ways, they are canvas on which the light paints, creating changing patterns of light and shadow and changing colors throughout the day. Sometimes the changes are very slow and the scene can appear static, for example during the midday hours. At other times the light changes so fast that it is easy to miss.

I photographed this dune scene when the sun was low in the sky, casting long and deep shadows across the large and small patterns. Not all dunes are so extensive, but these stretched away into the far distance.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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