Tag Archives: sand

Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Dunes and Shadows

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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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Photographs: Death Valley, Photographs: Desert, Photographs: Nature

Dune Patterns, Evening

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Dune Patterns, Evening
Evening side-light highlights the textures of san dunes, Death Valley National Park.

Dune Patterns, Evening. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Evening side-light highlights the textures of san dunes, Death Valley National Park.

What photographic visit to Death Valley would be complete without at least one photograph of sand dunes? I did not devote much time to that subject on this visit, but I did spend an evening among the dunes, arriving before sunset and continuing to photograph into the early dusk, when I could work with softer light.

In this location the direct light ends a bit before the actual sunset time, since a range of tall mountains stands to the west, casting long shadows across the dunes. After photographing there for years, I’m still surprised when these shadows arrive and suddenly the light is gone. I made this photograph during the brief window of golden hour light just before that happened.

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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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: Birds, Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Wildlife

Sandpipers and Surf

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Sandpipers and Surf
A flock of sandpipers feeds at the edge of the surf, coastal California.

Sandpipers and Surf. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

A flock of sandpipers feeds at the edge of the surf, coastal California.

Sometimes conditions work out just right and surprise me with an unexpected photographic opportunity. This was one of those times. I had been photographing a distant subject in wonderful light — unusual colors, haze, and some high clouds. I looked down at the beach directly below me, perhaps 15 feet away, and noticed fascinating patterns of sand textures, water draining back into the surf, and soft reflections of the cloudy sky. Without warning, a flock of sandpipers landed at the water’s edge. The scene may look quiet and still, but photographing it was anything but!

The photograph is (yet another) reminder that while preparation and adaptability are important, so much in landscape photography is entirely outside our control. While we have the ability to see and make choices about what we do with “it,” we do not determine the underlying conditions. And while I’m thinking about it, here’s hoping that you find plenty of “it” moments in 2023!

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 | Twitter | 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

Sand Patterns

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Sand Patterns
Varied sand patteres on a fold in dunes at Death Valley National Park.

Sand Patterns. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Varied sand patterns on a fold in dunes at Death Valley National Park.

One of the myths about sand dunes is that their features are in motion, being blown across the landscape by winds. The fact that so many features — ripples, waves — remind us of water reinforces the illusion. But here the fluidity is of a largely static sort, and these features tend to remain in much the same place over long periods of time.

The reasons that dunes come into existence begin to be obvious when ou get to know them. They tend to be in windy places where natural features obstruct, divert, and slow the winds, causing them to drop their load of airborne dust and sand. While these broad features are easy to understand, I remain mystified by the smaller scale features like those seen in this “intimate landscape” photograph — the waves, ridges, valleys, drop-offs that also tend to remain fixed.

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.