“Sedona Storms” ~ Sedona, AZ
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposures (3): iso 100, f/14, 4 sec / 1.3 sec / 0.4 sec
Notes: Simple exposure blend to control for dynamic range.

Like most wise people, I too usually avoid the desert in the summer months. But I was invited to give a talk at the first annual Sedona Photofest this July, so off I went… into the furnace of the Southwest. I’m not exaggerating when I say its hot out there – it was 115 degrees at 9pm in Needles when we passed through. Being hit in the face with a dry 115 degree blast of wind is like opening the door to a glass melting furnace. Fortunately they have $22 motels with air conditioning! I drove out there with friend and photographer Steve Sieren and spent several days meeting some great photographers including Jack Dykinga, James Kay, Laurent Martres, Tom Till, and so many more. After the symposium we took a few days to do some photography, of course.

Top on our list was to get to one of the viewpoints of the Grand Canyon. The last time I had been was when I was 8 months old… needless to say I don’t remember that very well, so it was about time to see it again. Most of the Grand Canyon viewpoints don’t actually let you see down into the Colorado River, but if were going to the Grand canyon, we wanted to see the actual canyon in it’s fullest Grand glory. So we decided to make the long drive out to Toroweap – an incredible view at the end of a 60 mile long dirt road on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Here you can stand on a rock and literally look straight down into the Colorado River 3,000 feet below! It’s a heart-stopping view. I wish I had gotten a recording of the reaction by the one other visitor there when he walked up to the edge for the first time. This Huntington Beach surfer dude’s reaction was on par with that of the ‘double rainbow’ guy on Youtube (if you live under a rock and haven’t seen that clip, do yourself a favor and watch at least 20 seconds of it). I’m pretty sure he used the word ‘dogtacular’; even urbandictionary.com doesn’t know what that word means!

“The Grand Monsoon” ~ Grand Canyon, AZ
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/14, 1/125th
Click for Larger View!

As the afternoon monsoons built up I watched peregrine falcons zip past as the sunny spotlights danced around the canyon walls, waiting for just the right moment. I wanted to capture the feeling of vertigo and the incredible size and scale of the canyon, though to truly understand the grandness of the place you’ll have to make it out there yourself one day. The following morning the clouds had cleared off entirely, allowing the sun to bathe the red rock walls in glorious warm light.

“The Grand Sunrise” ~ Grand Canyon, AZ
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/18, 0.5 sec
Notes: I took a second exposure, blocking the sun with my finger, to remove the majority of the lens flare

Unlike the Pine Creek trail I had climbed a few weeks back, the trail to Bishop Pass is rather scenic most of the way. In fact, just a few miles in the trail takes you past one of my favorite mountains, Mount Goode. Several years ago I had the good fortunate to experience some fantastic light here from the shores of Long Lake; seeing that mountain again brought back some great memories.

“Golden Sierra” ~ John Muir Wilderness, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D, 50mm, tripod, polarizer
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 0.3 sec
Notes: 3 exposure panorama

The snow levels were much higher this year (143% of normal, thanks Michael!) – in fact the region was 2-3 three weeks behind what I had seen in my 2007 trip (for a direct comparison you can compare my Mt. Goode image above, taken 7/13/2007, and the image on Michael’s blog, taken 7/11/2010). I had memories of our destination, the Dusy Basin, being a lush and green meadow teeming with mosquitoes and flowers, but this year the snow was just finally melting off and grasses had yet to sprout. On the way up to Bishop Pass one patch of snow was so deep that the local horse outfitters had shoveled a five-foot deep trench through it so that they could get their clients through! While the late start to the summer meant we wouldn’t see any flowers in the basin, the ‘forests of mosquitoes’ also hadn’t hatched quite yet, making for an unusually pleasant mountain experience (lower elevations were a different story!).

We managed to set up our tent just minutes before the afternoon rain showers started. It was refreshing to hear that pitter-patter of raindrops on tent again – I think it’s been over a year since I was out in the mountains for some rain… that’s California for you! Over the next two hours an incredible sunset played out to the west of our camp, unfortunately the best views were to the east. Just in time for the last rays of light, however, some mist rolled in, surprising us with some very special conditions for the Sierra Nevada.

“Sierra Mists” ~ Kings Canyon NP, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/14, 0.8 sec

The following day we took it easy, relaxing by the lake and enjoying the mosquito free paradise. Now if only we’d had a fly fishing pole… there were so many good sized trout swimming just a few feet from our toes that we could have had quite a feast (well, I could have, Raghu is vegetarian). We were again treated to some fantastic light that evening as late afternoon clouds played in the winds above the Palisades. I abandoned the composition I had picked out earlier to focus more on the dynamic light and was fortunate to find some fascinating streaks of pollen in a small tarn near the base of the peaks.

“Palisade Pollens” ~ Kings Canyon NP, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposures (2): iso 100, f/16, 0.3 sec + 1/5th sec
Notes: two exposures blended for dynamic range

After two nights and a lazy day at 11,400 feet we were starting to feel comfortable with the altitude, and decided we were ready to tackle Mount Agassiz – a 2,000 foot climb over talus (piles of big rocks) to a final elevation of 13,891 feet, the 20th tallest peak in California. We stashed the nonessentials under a rock near the base, and then started the arduous climb. Imagine climbing the staircase of a 200-story building, except where the stair steps vary between one and three feet, are never even, and sometimes move.

Mount Agassiz ~ Route, seen from below Bishop Pass

“Talus” ~ Kings Canyon NP, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod, thermarest for shade
Exposure: iso 100, f/14, 1/6th sec
Notes: split color balance processing to enhance the cool/warm tones of the reflected light

Along the way we saw more wildlife than I’ve ever seen in a single day in the Sierra! We passed a molting White-tailed Ptarmigan, a giant hare bounded past us, Pikas popped up behind rocks here and there, Rosy Finches made us jealous by flitting effortlessly up and down the mountain, and even a hummingbird zoomed past at 12,000 feet. Between the giant granite boulders Sky Pilots (Polemonium eximium) were blooming (yes – there were more flowers up here than down in the basin!), and filled the air with an intoxicatingly sweet smell (which, apparently, I’m allergic to). Eventually we made it to the top, and found ourselves the only flat rock in the area, which happened to be just 10 feet from where I decided to shoot for sunset.

“Sierra Summers” ~ John Muir Wilderness, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod, polarizer
Exposures (3): iso 100, f/22, 0.5 + 1/4th + 1/8th sec
Notes: 3 exposures blended for dynamic range, polarization on the foreground only by exposure blending, Tony Kuyper Luminosity Masks for light balancing.
Click for larger view!

“Camp Agassiz” ~ John Muir Wilderness, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposures (2): iso 400, f/16, 1.6 + 1/8th sec
Notes: 2 exposures blended for dynamic range

In case it’s not clear from the images, let me tell you, the view from up there was positively incredible! We could see across nearly the entire Sierra Range, out over the White Mountains, and down into Owens Valley 10,000 feet below us. Hands down the most inspiring campsite I’ve ever had the fortune to be at. After watching the blood red crescent moon sink below the horizon we were awoken by a curious rodent that tried to steal our cookies and trail mix. I’m still not sure what it was – it looked like a Chinchilla (an incredibly cute softball-sized Pika-like critter, with a small bushy tail, big ears, and big eyes) – but Chinchillas live in the Andes, not the Sierra. If any of your readers has any suggestions I’d love to hear them! The following morning we watched the sunrise over the Palisade Crest, home to the largest Glacier of the Sierra: the Palisade Glacier. What a morning – absolutely worth the strain on our knees and lack of Oxygen!

“Sierra Backbone” ~ John Muir Wilderness, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposures (3): iso 100, f/16, 0.3 + 1/6th + 1/13th sec
Notes: 3 exposures blended for dynamic range
Click for larger view!

Liability disclaimer: climbing and camping on an exposed 13,000+ mountain is not something to be taken lightly. Altitude can take an incredible toll on the body, and it is critical that you understand what is happening to yourself or you might well end up unable to safely hike back down (Acute Mountain Sickness). Storms can roll in unexpectedly, and there’s no form of shelter up there. Having 23 years of mountain experience and Wilderness First Responder training helps me make safe and intelligent decisions in these environments. I hope my images inspire you to get out and explore, but please, be safe!

“Sierra Diamond II” ~ John Muir Wilderness, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposure 1: iso 800, f/18, 2 min
Exposure 2: iso 3200, f/2.8, 20 sec
Notes: Two exposures blended for image quality, while maintaining the stationary look for the stars

Of course, the Sierras (and the rest of California) are known for their ‘good’ weather – ie. cloudless sunny summer skies and baking heat. While it can be somewhat torturous during the day, once the sun sinks and you can finally take off those glacier glasses you can lie out on the polished granite and marvel at the stars as they dance across the sky.

The following day I decided that my ambitious itinerary was probably going to be too much, what with all the off trail snowy talus I would have to cover. So I settled for a short trek from my camp over to Granite Park instead. There, under the blue-green frigid waters of a no-name lake, the dark cracks between the submerged slabs of granite appeared to be harboring mysterious alpine lake monsters. Fortunately, as the sun played peek-a-boo with some lingering clouds the following morning, they decided to remain silent – perhaps it was still too cold for them? Pictured here are Feather Peak (left), and two un-named peaks (so far as I could find).

“Granite Park” ~ John Muir Wilderness, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod, polarizer
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 1/5th
Notes: two exposure blend (rather than using a grad ND filter)

What had taken me 8 hours to ascend with my ~65lb pack two days earlier took me a grand total of 3 hours to hike back down that morning. Perhaps it was the promise of a cold beer in Bishop, but more likely it was my fear of being discovered by the first few mosquitoes of the season. One did find me, but one bite isn’t so bad for a few days in the mountains! I’m sure I’ll get a lot more when I return later this month.

"Mysterious Mists" ~ Ruby Beach, Olympic NP, WA
The Tech: Canon 5D, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure 1: iso 400, f/14, 1/400th sec
Exposure 2: iso 50, f/20, 1.6 sec
Notes: The clearing mists took my by surprise, so I grabbed the first exposure handheld before the conditions disappeared. Then I set up on my tripod and quickly took the second, longer exposure, for the water action, and did a simple blend of the two in post. In order to bring further depth to the otherwise monochrome image I adjusted the color balance to warm the highlights and cool the shadows.

In Southern California we get similar weather patterns with the summer mist and fog, though not as dramatic as in the northwest. Often it just results in a gray marine layer that blocks out any sunlight, but at the same time doesn’t provide any interesting atmospheric effects. In Pasadena we call it the “June Gloom”, though I must say, I prefer those overcast days to the alternative of 100 degree heat, which kicks in starting July. Anyways, I was able to catch a break in the Gloom a few weeks back to photograph some fascinating sandstone patterns along the shores of Palos Verdes not too far from home. As the waves moved in and out they refracted the sunlight into intriguing patterns on the rocky surface.

"Refractions" ~ Palos Verdes, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, handheld
Exposure: iso 800, f/5.6, 1/250th
Click for larger view

This past weekend the mist also stayed out of sight and it made for some hot days at the beach in Montana de Oro State Park. The bright sun in fact caused all the Sea Anemone’s to retreat into their fleshy bases except for those lucky enough to have a shady home, like this one I found hiding under a forest of sea grasses. It’s important to remember that at the edge of the sea is one of the most productive habitats on our planet – the tide pools. These tiny little oceanic oases provide homes for countless brave creatures that choose to risk predation and suffer the relentless pounding of the changing tides, all for a chance to take advantage of the rich tidal interface. This should come as no surprise – symmetry breaking interfaces like the tidal zone (a constantly varying transition between water, land and air) are typically where exciting things of all kinds happen. On the most basic level, consider the spontaneous growth of crystals, which typically occurs on the irregularities of the base surface. It is quite likely in fact, that life itself began on such an interface. Next time you go out for a walk, take a look around and look for some of those transitions – be they physical ones, or temporal ones such as seasonal effects – and see what you can find! If nothing else, you’ll be exercising the very same mental muscles that you use to spot interesting subjects, transitions, and contrasts for photography.

"Tidal Forest" ~ Montana de Oro State Park, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, EWA Marine Housing, handheld
Exposure: iso 1600, f/20, 1/30th
Note: see the Hermit Crab next to the Anemone?

“Life Among Giants” ~ Sequoia National Park, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D, Canon 24-105L f/4, tripod, polarizer
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 2.5sec
Notes: I used a second exposure taken at a higher iso to prevent any motion in the deer
This may be a familiar image to many of you... I took it in 2008, and it was selected as a runner up in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition last year, and has since been published in Germany's Geo Magazine.

Instead, as I ambled down my favorite canyon with my dad, I wondered up in amazement, as always, at the sparkling Dogwoods. This year they were actually relatively scarce, since the cold spring we’ve had delayed the blooms by up to two weeks. But as we descended in elevation a few trees were putting on quite a show. One stand in particular caught my eye, and I decided to try to capture that magic, again, but this time everything seemed to come together.

“Gift of Life” ~ Kings Canyon National Park, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, handheld
Exposure: iso 100, f/22, 1/50th sec
Notes: I tried using a tripod, but the composition here depended on millimeter precision of camera placement, and when you’re wedged in between trees, that’s not going to happen with a tripod!
Click for larger view

The hot weather that weekend really pushed the plants into action, and as we hiked out the following day it seemed as though twice as many flowers were out! The flowers weren’t the only things that were enjoying the sun – the ladybugs that spend their winters roosting in the canyon had awoken and were swarming everywhere… thousands of them! It’s a difficult experience to capture in a still image, but perhaps the pair of these images – them roosting, and having taken flight (the streaks are ladybugs zipping by), will convey the sheer magnitude of the phenomenon. I also took a little video, which you can see here: ladybug video.

Ladybugs ~ King’s Canyon National Park, CA
Notes: the right image is a stack of about 10 exposures layered to increase bug density, as I could not use a longer exposure as the light streaks then began to disappear. Exposures were on the order of 1/10th second.

The sun really is one of, if not the most important ingredient for life. The other, of course, being water. And there was plenty of that to go around this year. In fact, the spot I camped last year was hardly recognizable as where there had previously been a dry creek bed, was now a rushing river! There was so much water that the waterfalls and mossy rocks I’d been hoping to photograph again were too inundated with raging white water to be photogenic.

“Underwater Bubbles” ~ King’s Canyon National Park, CA
Notes: this image was mostly just for fun, and a learning experiment. I took this, and many other, compositions completely blind, handheld, in the fast moving current with my EWA marine housing. I hope to do a lot more shallow underwater work this summer!

It might sound strange for a river to suddenly appear (I’m not talking about a little stream, I’m talking about a 2 foot deep 10 foot wide river), and it is… but it’s actually a well-known phenomenon here. The riverbed follows a the 17 mile long limestone and marble cave network of Lilburn Cave, which is known for its bizarre ebb and flow cycles. Just a hundred feet downstream from our camp was one of the entrances to the cave system – Big Springs, where a river simply emerges from the mountainside. Let me tell you, that water is cold! If I’ve piqued your curiosity, I wrote a little more about this magical spot last year: camping in paradise (opens in new window).

Me in Big Springs – the emergence of frigid cave water! Courtesy Wil van Breugel.

The water levels this year were really quite something, thanks to the incredibly wet winter and spring we’ve had, and the start of the hot weather over the past few weeks. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to catch the waterfalls in Yosemite at their peak flow. Naively, I assumed that most of the campers would be leaving the valley on the Sunday afternoon… wrong. I was again reminded why I never come here, despite the incredible beauty of the valley. My dad pointed out that we are in fact some of the very few people that have seen the valley when it was devoid of just about any other human beings. Oh, how I wish I had those memories from a decade ago. We had been backpacking, and happened to exit into Yosemite the day after the entire park was evacuated due to wildfires. Anyways, during my brief afternoon visit I was able to find some peace beside the raging waterfalls of Tamarack and Cascade creek confluence. Just imagine how hard those trees have to work to hold onto their precarious rocky homes for the few weeks that the water is raging like this!

“Spring Flood” ~ Yosemite National Park, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/14, 1/8th sec
Click for larger view

With all this water and the summer sun, it will be a fantastic year in the high country of the Sierras. In a few weeks the snow will start to melt off of the high lakes, and soon after the flowers will burst into bloom, and the mosquitoes will descend on the brave souls that venture out into the wilderness. I can’t wait to get out there again; I’ll be sure to bring some pictures back to share!

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“Station Fire” ~ Station Fire, Angeles National Forest
Taken from the 9th floor of the Caltech Library
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 500mm +1.4x tc, tripod
Exposure: iso 1600, f/5.6, 8 sec
Processing: 3 exposure panorama stitched with PTGui

Last year in late August and early September the largest wildfire in the history of the Angeles National Forest raged on for six weeks (Aug 26 – Oct 16), burning 250 square miles of land, killing two firefighters and injuring 22 others. It ranks as the 10th largest fire in the history of California since 1933. Of course, the fact that it was burning right at the edge of the second largest city in America makes it stand out that much more. I’m sure everyone that was in the greater Los Angeles area at the time will never forget that fire. For about two weeks while the fire burned within a few miles of my home in Pasadena the air was so full of ash it was uncomfortable to breath – I had to take a few trips to the coast to taste some fresher air!

“Choking on Ash” ~ San Gabriels, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-353mm, tripod, SinghRay Vari ND filter, a handful of ash
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 5 sec
Notes: I used the Vari ND filter to achieve a 5 sec exposure, during which I through a handful of ash into the scene to get across the choking and sickly feeling.

“There Be Witches” ~ San Gabriels, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-150mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/16, 30 sec

All the way from Long Beach you could see the Pyrocumulus clouds billowing for four miles up into the sky. Of course, I didn’t think to take a photo of it at the time, so you’ll have to use your imagination. You may have seen some of the photos here in earlier postings, but I wanted to share the full story now that we’re finally starting to see the recovery of the area.

“Aerial Burn Study” ~ Station Fire in the San Gabriels
The Tech: Canon 50D, 24-105mm f/4, handheld
Exposure: iso 800, f/8, 1/200th

“Aerial Burn Study II” ~ Station Fire in the San Gabriels
The Tech: Canon 50D, 24-105mm f/4, handheld
Exposure: iso 800, f/8, 1/125th

A little while back I posted a series of images of flowers taken from the air – well, we had to fly over the San Gabriels to get there, so I took some photos to show the extent of the burn from that unique perspective as well. It was remarkable to see the clear delineation of the burn zone along some of the ridges, and downright depressing to see how barren those 160,000 acres of former forest look like now. The keen reader will notice that I took these aerial shots with a 50D. No, I don’t own a 50D. Apparently my 5D2 does not agree with extended periods of cold 100 mph winds that you experience when flying a Cessna with the window open, and I got some weird errors (which have never since returned). My pilot, David Werntz, graciously let me use his camera body for these shots, thanks!

“The Burn Line” ~ Station Fire in the San Gabriels
The Tech: Canon 50D, 24-105mm f/4, handheld
Exposure: iso 800, f/8, 1/250th

The southern California landscape evolved to burn regularly by small wildfires. While some fires start up throughout the summer, it’s not until September, and even October, that the fire danger really peaks. Around that time of year the summer heat has had a chance to dry out any moisture we were gifted earlier in the year, and the westward blowing Santa Ana winds start up.

“Beauty that Was” ~ San Gabriels, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-353mm, tripod, 2-stop hard GND
Exposure: iso 200, f/14, 0.5 sec

These strong, dry, and hot winds blow out of the desert as a cool high-pressure system builds up over the high deserts of the Great Basin (ie. Nevada) in the late fall and winter. This cool air descends along the gravitational gradient of the landscape, descending 1-2 miles as it finds its way to the Southern California coast. As the air is forced down it compresses and warms up at a rate of about 30F per mile, the relative humidity drops, and the airspeed picks up as it is channeled through the passes and canyons. In short, they are incredibly efficient at drying out the chaparral landscape as well as fanning the infamous wildfires that invariably start up. Fortunately the fire last year was a bit early in the season for the Santa Ana’s or it could have been an even bigger disaster!

“Rebirth” ~ San Gabriels, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, handheld
Exposure: iso 200, f/18, 1/40th
Notes: I was in the process of grabbing my tripod and a cloud covered the sun… that one brief window ended up being the only moment of good light that afternoon!
Processing: some small clouds cloned out.

Suppressing these natural fires over the last several decades has caused a large build up of dry fuel, so when an arsonist decided to set the forest ablaze last August, it quickly went up in flames – large, and hot flames. In much of the burned area the fire left nothing behind but blackened skeletons of trees, reducing everything else to several inches of ash. Like volcanic ash, this ash is incredibly fertile, and without all the leafy trees blocking the way of the sun it was party time for all the fast growing plants that could take root. The wet and cool spring we’ve had this year helped these plants jump into life even more. It was such a wonderful transformation to see all the flowers and hear the birds chirping in a place that just nine months ago was a moonscape completely devoid of any sign of life whatsoever. Before too long it’ll be hard to tell that a fire had at one time devastated such a vast expanse of land… the resilience of nature is a miraculous thing!

“Grunion Spawning” ~ Doheny State Beach, CA
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod, headlamp
Exposure: iso 6400, f/5, 1.6 sec

This was one of the most challenging photos I’ve ever taken, as I literally had one wave cycle to set everything up and get the shot… in the dark. No time to focus or compose! Once the fish sense that you’re there they start wriggling back to the sea and with the next wave most of them will be safe in the water again. Of course, it didn’t help that the second time I wanted to use my flash this year, it refused to even turn on. Oh well, I was able to get much more even and naturalistic lighting with my headlamp at the sacrifice of some sharpness.

April and May are the peak months, and is also the ‘closed season’ for fishing them. Yes, that’s right.. during other months with a fishing permit and your bare hands you’re allowed to ‘fish’ for these 4-6 inch fish. Some people say they have a great fatty taste, kind of like freshwater smelt. I guess I’ll have to head back to the beach in the summer sometime to try one! You can find more information, as well as predicted ‘run’ times here: www.grunion.org.

“Sand Waves” ~ White Sands National Monument
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 100-400mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/16, 1/10th sec
Notes: 4 exposure horizontal panorama stitched with PTGui
Click for larger view

In southern New Mexico lies one of America’s most surreal and moving landscapes: White Sands National Monument. In addition to (somewhat ironically) being part of America’s largest missile test range (tests happen about twice a week – we didn’t see any when we were there), White Sands is home to a 275 square mile expanse of psychadelic white dunes composed of tiny shimmering gypsum crystals. It’s such a brilliant white you could easily mistake it for fresh snow, except that it’s warm and silky to the touch. I had been here once before, a long time ago, and have wanted to go back ever since. I finally made the trip out there last weekend with a friend of mine and camped out in the dunes for two nights.. it is without a doubt one of the most incredible places I have ever been.

“Camp Surreal” ~ White Sands National Monument
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 400, f/16, 0.4 sec
Notes: The iso 400 was not entirely necessary, though it was rather windy at the time.

“Blowing Sands” ~ White Sands National Monument
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 200, f/16, 1/50th sec

We arrived in the afternoon after a storm system had dumped a significant amount of rain on the dunes, and as it cleared over the course of the evening and throughout the night the high winds swept the entire place clean of any tracks. The combination of rain and wind also created a variety of interesting patterns in the sand beyond the usual dune ripples. In fact, it was as if you could see the beginnings of the beautiful striated sandstone structures of the fossilized dunes found throughout Utah and Arizona such as at ‘the wave’. In the last few minutes of sunlight the white baby sandstone even took on a beautiful orange tint, taking it just one step closer to what I would expect to find only on the Colorado Plateau.

“Birth of Sandstone” ~ White Sands National Monument
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 400, f/16, 1/4th sec
Notes: The iso 400 was not entirely necessary, though it was rather windy at the time. Fortunately noise and sand are almost indistinguishable in an image like this, not that the 5D2 has much noise at 400.

While the windy conditions made for some great photographic opportunities it also made for a long and restless night – but the insomnia was worth it! The brilliant white sand was left in a spectacularly pristine state, disturbed only by beetle and lizard tracks.

“Tracks” ~ White Sands National Monument
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/18, 1/4th sec

The most common critters out there were by far the darkling beetles, which aimlessly wandered the sand in search of who knows what. You’d think a black beetle like that would be easy prey out in the sparkling white dunes, but I suppose their defense mechanism of raising their rear and emitting noxious gasses, as it was doing in this photo (I couldn’t smell anything, though), is enough to keep them out of most harms way.

“Darkling Defense” ~ White Sands National Monument
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 24-105mm, handheld
Exposure: iso 800, f/16, 1/160th sec

The sand is so reflective that even at night under a half full moon we didn’t need any lights at all to see. Of course, during the heat of the day that brilliance could probably give you “snow blindness” if you’re not careful! All dunes seem to do a wonderful job at reflecting colors at sunrise and sunset, but these white sands reflected even the subtlest of palettes – in particular a lot of cool tones from the clear blue skies overhead.

“Sea of Gypsum” ~ White Sands National Monument
The Tech: Canon 5D2, 16-35mm mkII, tripod
Exposure: iso 100, f/18, 1/4th sec
Notes: Using various selection methods I brought out the warmth and pinks of the sand a little extra to enhance the visual color contrasts.

Most of the photographs you will likely see of White Sands seem to focus on the lonely Yuccas that struggle to call this place home. While ordinarily I love such lonely subjects and compositions, I focused all of my attention of this short trip on capturing the elegance and purity of the unmarred whiteness. There’s a certain spiritual quality to it that while I know I did not capture completely, I hope that I’ve at least managed to share a glimpse of this special place and perhaps inspired you to make the trip out there yourself one day.

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