Sand Storm, Dunes. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.
A landscape of wind-blown sand dunes disappears into the distance during a desert sand storm.
The landscapes of Death Valley National Park sometimes can seem almost alien. There are places where there is little or no apparent vegetation and the scene appears lifeless. While the truth about sand dunes is more complicated — there’s actually quite a bit of life there — when a big sand storm comes up these places look and feel like something from another world, one that is not particularly friendly to humans carrying cameras!
Recently someone asked if I worry about my equipment in these conditions. The answer is yes, but there are ways to manage the risks and make photographs. In this case I worked with a longer lens and positioned myself upwind of the dunes with the wind more or less at my back. As a result, even though my subject was a scene full of blowing sand, there was little sand where I stood, and it was coming from behind me.
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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Thank you for answering my question! It always feels like somewhat of a balancing act between capturing these fleeting, maybe-never-seen-again moments, and worrying about damaging (maybe beyond repair) your much loved gear.
I hear you! When it comes to photographing in dust storms I always have to balance the photographic potential with the potential risks to equipment and my own health. There are things you can to do reduce the risk:
I avoid lens changes in these conditions. If I must make one, I try to do it in my vehicle, though very fine dust eventually permeates everything, even a vehicle with all the windows closed.
I prefer zooms lenses over primes for landscape photography for several reasons — and having access to a range of focal lengths without changing lenses is one of them.
I often choose to use a long lens and shoot into the maelstrom from outside of it, ideally with the wind at my back if possible.
When I do enter the blowing sand I keep a lens cap on until I actually make a photograph, I work handheld so that I can operate quickly, I try to keep the wind at my back.
Dan