White Sands
White Sands – Like No Place Else on Earth
The term “sand” is a bit of a misnomer as the material is not silicone but rather gypsum instead. The glistening white sands in New Mexico are a natural wonder engulfing 275 square miles of desert making it the world’s largest gypsum dune field. Having the grain structure and texture is much softer than silicon sand, the surface is constantly being sculpted by wind. Surfaces take on everchanging patterns while the dunes can reach 18 meters (60 feet) in height. The White Sands National Park in New Mexico experiences little rainfall, so what grows there are mainly different species of cacti such as the yucca in this image. The plants make a stark contrast to the harsh terrain from which they grow. To achieve a more dramatic perspective that would include the cloud formations, I laid on the soft, white sand with the tripod-mounted camera only a few centimeters off the surface.
White Sands
White Sands – Like No Place Else on Earth
The term “sand” is a bit of a misnomer as the material is not silicone but rather gypsum instead. The glistening white sands in New Mexico are a natural wonder engulfing 275 square miles of desert making it the world’s largest gypsum dune field. Having the grain structure and texture is much softer than silicon sand, the surface is constantly being sculpted by wind. Surfaces take on everchanging patterns while the dunes can reach 18 meters (60 feet) in height. The White Sands National Park in New Mexico experiences little rainfall, so what grows there are mainly different species of cacti such as the yucca in this image. The plants make a stark contrast to the harsh terrain from which they grow. To achieve a more dramatic perspective that would include the cloud formations, I laid on the soft, white sand with the tripod-mounted camera only a few centimeters off the surface.