Sony A77II
Sony 70-400G @ 400mm
ISO 200, 1/80 @ f8
Great Sand Dunes NP
One of my favorite things is to shoot hikers on the dunes with my long lens. This group got off to an early start on their way to the top. It had rained overnight and had been windy so there were a lot of interesting wet spots and few footprints to contend with. I also liked the blue predawn light and how the group was silhouetted against the patch of light sand. The first image is more like what I remember while the second has been brightened up a bit. All comments welcome. >=))>
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@Bill_Fach This is an interesting photo. It captured my attention and kept it while I formulated a story in my mind. Interesting is always good in my opinion. The location helps. I love the textures in the sand.
I like the high key version but wonder what it would be like about halfway in between?
Thank you for sharing this. 
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Nicely done, Bill. I am liking the earth tones of the color palette along with the textures and details when opening the large version. I think I like the high key version better as the first looks a little dark; at least to me. I also like the placement of the hikers in the image and they provide a nice sense of scale. Great eye to spot and isolate this scene.
I much prefer the tonal range in the brighter version. The inclusion of figures for scale is good, however, my preference would be for a single figure, or the group spread out so that the individuals don’t merge into a “blob”. An early start makes that hike so much more enjoyable!
Bill,
Great use of the long lens to isolate just a piece of the dunes and to tell a story. the more intimate view brings out the texture and details; I especially like the patch of frosted? sand by the hikers. In fact, I like the cool tones that are more prevalent in that area in the small thumb view.
I’m inclined to prefer the darker, cooler version. I think it sets a better mood, and reflects the wet sand from the rain and the frost. Of course the lighter version works too!
Lon
Bill, I think I actually prefer the darker image. It goes against the grain so to speak. The color pallette is unique for a sand dune image.
Really unusual and good dune image. Of the two, I prefer the darker but I might lighten it just a touch. Funny, I prefer the lighter at the small size, but the darker in the large.
This is a wonderfully unique take on sand dunes. The colors are unexpected but still look OK. The human element creates some nice perspective. This is nicely done.
I like the crisp detail and tones in the lighter version Bill. I also like your use of the telephoto which captures the human element and demonstrates perspective and sense of scale. Unique presentation of these dunes.
Bill, this is an interesting and unique take on the dunes, it looks more like an aerial view than one usually sees. The inclusion of the group of people against that bright spot was inspired thinking, it takes the image up several notches for me.
I would like to see a rework that is closer to the first image, but with the highlights brighter to accentuate that light patch. The high key version loses the impact of the bright patch for me. I’d try something like this perhaps…
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Bill, this is a terrific graphic with it’s shapes, textures, highlights and the group of hikers. I like the dark tones and extra blue in the first view, but agree with others that some dodging of the highlights would be good.