Sunrise Dunes, Desert Mountains
Sunrise Dunes, Desert Mountains. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.
Sunrise light highlights the forms of sand dunes against a backdrop of desert mountains.
Some of my other recent Death Valley dunes photographs have featured a wild wind and sand storm — a very dramatic scene that was not easy to photograph. Here I switch to almost the opposite sort of mood in the dunes, the quiet moment when the first sunrise light comes to them. The light changes with incredible speed at this time of day, going from the soft blue tones of pre-sunrise to the bright and harsh daytime colors in moments. I made this photograph during the first moments of direct light, when the distant mountain remained almost entirely in shadow.
It is hard to convey the experience of the dunes at this moment. Sometimes it feels like there is a dissonance between the profound quiet and stillness and the rapidity of the visual changes. We continued to photograph a bit longer, then the magical light was gone.
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.
Sunrise Dunes, Desert Mountains
Sunrise Dunes, Desert Mountains. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.
Sunrise light highlights the forms of sand dunes against a backdrop of desert mountains.
Some of my other recent Death Valley dunes photographs have featured a wild wind and sand storm — a very dramatic scene that was not easy to photograph. Here I switch to almost the opposite sort of mood in the dunes, the quiet moment when the first sunrise light comes to them. The light changes with incredible speed at this time of day, going from the soft blue tones of pre-sunrise to the bright and harsh daytime colors in moments. I made this photograph during the first moments of direct light, when the distant mountain remained almost entirely in shadow.
It is hard to convey the experience of the dunes at this moment. Sometimes it feels like there is a dissonance between the profound quiet and stillness and the rapidity of the visual changes. We continued to photograph a bit longer, then the magical light was gone.
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.