This is probably the classic notion of what a desert looks like — fields of wind-formed sand dunes stretching into the distance. In truth, such dunes typically cover only a very small fraction of the desert landscape. That’s certainly true in Death Valley National Park, where large, impressive dunes are only found in a handful of locations. We visited one of them on the final morning of our late February trip.
For photographers, sand dunes are infinite playgrounds of texture, shapes, light and shadow. There is never just one single potential subject — instead every fold, texture, hollow, and small hill calls. Here I was attracted by the remarkable (and untouched!) patterns formed by the wind blowing across the dunes and forming “aeolian bedforms.” (Yes, that was a new term to me.)
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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” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
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