Sunset Sand Storm. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.
A sunset sand storm partially obscures sand dunes in Death Valley National Park.
This is another photograph from the tremendous wind and sand storm that blew though on our last afternoon in Death Valley at the end of March. These storms are common there, and if you spend much time in the park you have a good chance of experiencing one. If the prospect sounds exciting, well, it is… but it can also be very uncomfortable and even dangerous, and the romantic notion of wandering the wind-whipped dunes during a sand storm is quickly trumped down by the reality of flying sand and dust.
I positioned myself just outside the maelstrom and put a long lens on my camera. The winds were so strong — likely in the 50mph range — that my tripod was useless, especially with the long lens. I resorted to handholding the camera, switching on image stabilization, bracing myself against the nearest solid object, and trying to time exposures for brief moments when the gale diminished a bit.
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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