A little off the beaten path to avoid footprints in the Death Valley Ibex dunes. We hiked about a mile in around 4PM and waited for the sunset. The shadows were quite dramatic not to mention the colors of the dunes as the sun went down.
Are some of the plants a distraction? Would you remove them? All comments and critiques most welcome.
Is this a composite: No
This is a 3-shot HDR
ISO 160
170mm
1/60s
F13, F12, F14
Gorgeous late afternoon light, and you have a very well balanced composition. I especially like the two large shadow shadow areas in the foreground. The way you have composed this image creates some very nice repeating bands of deep shadows as the viewers eye moves into the scene.
These are the ones I would clone away. They are either close to a frame edge, or the middle one is sitting on top of a shadow line, so it gets undue attention.
What a gorgeous scene. The dunes are luscious. I like Ed’s suggestion on plants to clone out. Another small nit - there are a few sensor spots in the sky in the URC. 
Ed, thanks so much! I have removed these distractions. Most appreciated!
OMG! I always remove sensor spots as one of the first things when post processing. For some reason (perhaps my excitement over the image) I neglected to do it this time. Good eye, goo catch! Many thanks.
The colors are amazing. I also find the composition very pleasing, a very nice flow from foreground to background. I think with the cloning and dust spot removal you have a very nice image. Now I’m itching to get back to Death Valley !
Thank you dean! I was just there in December and I too and already wanting to go back. A magical place.
