Tag Archives: sand

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Dune Summit

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Dune Summit
Sand slopes leading to the summit of tall sand dunes.

Dune Summit. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Sand slopes leading to the summit of tall sand dunes.

After sharing a lot of color photographs from Death Valley (along with one or two in monochrome), this one seemed to work best in black and white. It might seem counterintuitive to those who associate black and white with old-school “realism,” but monochrome often allows and even demands greater levels of “manipulation” than color and is even further removed from that illusive concept of realism. (Hint: The world is not monochromatic!)

Working in monochrome allowed me to produce a high key version of the subject, a layering of dune lines and curves leading toward the highest peak. Overall the image is rather light, but I was able to emphasize some of the darker textures, too. (Because the image is light, gray can almost imply black.)

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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Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Dunes, Evening Sky

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Dunes, Evening Sky
Evening sky above trackless sand dunes, Death Valley National Park.

Dunes, Evening Sky. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Evening sky above trackless sand dunes, Death Valley National Park.

On our late-March to these sand dunes we arrived late in the day under sky that was starting to fill with high clouds in the west. At times the clouds were thick enough to block the light and lower the contrast to an extent that seemed “beyond subtle.” But as the clouds moved thinner areas passed in front of the sun, and this was enough to give the light at least a bit of directionality. In clearer skies, the sand here would have been extremely bright, and the background sky with thin clouds would have appeared much darker.

In the end, I came away with some files that held enough contrast to work with in post, where I could focus attention on the variations in light and color on the curved dunes. By moving close to the base of the dunes I was able to angle the camera upwards and eliminate everything from the background except for the sky.

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.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Evening Dunes

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Evening Dunes
Low dunes in soft evening side-light, Death Valley National Park.

Evening Dunes. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Low dunes in soft evening side-light, Death Valley National Park.

Rather than being the result of a carefully planned and scheduled shoot, this photograph was a last-minute photograph of opportunity. We had spent the day in a remote location in Death Valley National Park, at the end of a long and rough backcountry road, where we had parked and hiked a few miles further into a canyon. The light in deep canyons tends to be best while the sun is still high in the sky, so we finished in the late afternoon and then drove out. We decided to stop for an early dinner and not worry about evening photography.

We finished dinner and as walked back to the vehicle it occurred to me that there was just enough light to squeeze in a bit of photography if we hurried to a nearby spot. We immediately parked and set up equipment as the last direct sunlight began to fade on the landscape below. I exposed three frames before the light was gone, and the soft light enhances the sensuous quality of all of those sand formations.

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.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Southern California

Morning in the Dunes

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Morning in the Dunes
Soft morning light and subtle colors on sand dunes, Death Valley National Park.

Morning in the Dunes. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Soft morning light and subtle colors on sand dunes, Death Valley National Park.

The quality of the light among the sand dunes makes all the difference. The dunes themselves are, to a great extent, a visual blank slate. The interesting things we see there are defined by that light — its angle, brightness, color, intensity, and more. The same scene could look cold in blue hour light, warm during the golden hour, harsh and almost colorless at midday, or very subtle under soft light — and there are more variations on these themes than I can possibly list here.

We visited several dune areas on this visit to Death Valley National Park. We wandered out into these dunes one morning, arriving before sunrise and then continuing to photograph as the sun rose and the light gradually transitioned towards the less-interesting daylight qualities. High clouds greatly softened the light and decreased the contrast in the scene, and we found ourselves watching and waiting for even slight increases in brightness and directional light.

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.

Blog | About | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

Scroll down to leave a comment or question. (Click this post’s title first if you are viewing on the home page.)

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.