As though time has stopped, waves of sand stand frozen in the heart of the vast dune field of White Sands National Monument. Photo Details: Canon 1Ds Mark III, 15mm fisheye, f/22, 1/200 sec, ISO 200 While light was softer in the morning to bring out the detail of these sand formations I’ve grown to love this view with the harsher late morning light. The larger view of the patterns in contrasty light reveal a hi
The only thing more serene than a pristine desert landscape is a desert landscape at night. Ironically the desert at night is a little less serene for its inhabitants. The cooler temperatures are preferred by the many nocturnal creatures calling the desert home. For visitors like myself there is no better time to witness the desert than under a full moon. You’d be surprised how bright the moon will light the la
One of photography’s great paradoxes is that it’s the journey that matters most not the end result. The majority of what we read in relation to photography is how to capture an amazing image. A goal we all have no doubt, but… For every outing to a particular location to get “the” photo I find numerous other great subjects to photograph. If I can’t squeeze in a shoot of these new s
One of the more iconic aspects of New Mexico, almost no matter where you are in the state, are the amazing clouds that take shape. This photo best exemplifies how these beautiful clouds can enhance the already amazing landscape of White Sands National Monument. Photo Details: Canon 1Ds Mark III, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, f/13, 1/125 sec, ISO 200, Gitzo tripod Unlike my previous post Yucca Shadow – White Sands National
Tell me a location has no more unique vantage points and I’ll find one. I love a good challenge. While there are an infinite number of Soaptree Yucca plant (Yucca elata) photos from White Sands National Monument in New Mexico it is still possible to create something new and unique. I truly cannot get enough of exploring White Sands and I look forward to returning sometime soon. In the meantime I have intimate p
One of the most attractive things about venturing out and exploring nature is witnessing its raw beauty. Nature’s raw beauty is often put on a pedestal by nature photographers. Nature unadulterated or minimally edited is the intention of many photographers and by all means a noble goal. Yet this documentary style of nature photography is a narrow view. Photographers have the ability to bring their own perspecti
On my recent trip to New Mexico I went out of my way in the hope I could photograph the Egg Factory in the Bisti Badlands under some dramatic lighting conditions. Unfortunately for me the weather forecast changed quickly on my drive from “20% chance of rain” to 100% chance of extreme wind gusts up to 50 mph. This experience was a great reminder that Mother Nature seldom works on your schedule. Unfortunate
White Sands National Monument never ceases to amaze me. Whether lit at sunrise, midday or at sunset its not hard to see the unique and beautiful qualities of the white gypsum sand. This particular photo was taken early in my trip. It should be of no surprise that the textures and patterns of the sand were of particular interest, but I was also drawn to this composition to contrast the unique white sand to the deep b