Layers of Light 💡

Hiking during the first couple hours of the day in the soft light. Hiking up and down the dunes is difficult but worth it as there are all sorts of shapes, patterns, and changing light to catch! I spent three mornings and two of them had decent light. This was my last morning in the dunes and it was getting later in the morning for photographing the good light. I had been up for about 4 hours by this point having to drive an hour and a half commuting in.

Specific Feedback Requested

I am curious if the top of the image distracts too much. I like that it fades into white and fits with the image, but I am curious if the processing mixes well.

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No

2 Likes

The shadows and patterns in the dunes are beautiful. The last large dune, the dark one, belongs in the composition, but I wonder how the image would look if the last dune were not so dark, and the texture of that dune emphasized more. Then, the last dune would naturally fade into the even lighter sky. Maybe more of a progression into the lightness of the sky. It’s almost abstract–very subtle understated details suggest much more. I would be proud to post that image.

1 Like

This image was certainly worth your effort. I really like your processing including the top of the image. I think you have done a great job with the contrast and colors in the image. Some dune photos seem over processed, but this one seems perfectly done to me. Nice job.

1 Like

This is lovely and worth the early-morning drive! I think @John_Hemphill has a good point about that dune. I’d also suggest removing the bright crescent at the top edge (crop or clone).

Next time I’m there I want to bring snowshoes!

1 Like

Nice shapes
Agree with that dark area RUC as well as that white central area at the top
To me this could benefit from bringing out more texture

1 Like

This is a very nice sand dune picture of the area. I think we see so many images of them that we sort of take them for granted a bit. You, on the other hand, have witnessed this personally and it’s more immediate to you. The cool color is a bit different. Most people interpret them with warm colors, or warm/cool, or b&w. I agree with @John_Hemphill about lightening that large bg dune a bit.

Never been there, so for me this is just a beautiful image. Great texture and shapes.
I agree with other posters about lightening the last dune, to decrease the contrast with the BG a bit.
For me, the bright crescent at the top can stay as it is, it isn’t bothering me and removing it might result in unnatural lighting, compared to the other dunes.

1 Like