We finally made it to White Sands NP after 2 days of high winds kept us away. It rained all morning and just as we were about to give up, the sun started peaking through and were were rewarded with this spectacular light. We spent several hours hiking and was in complete awe of the beauty of this place. I chose this composition as is best reminds me of the awestruck feeling we experienced that day.
Specific Feedback Requested
I was torn between including more sky vs. more sand. In the end, I chose slightly more sand since the blue band seemed to be the focal point of the sky. I used a zoom lens at about 77mm. Any wider seemed to diminish the sky too much. Any tips on composition are appreciated.
Well Tom!! I think this is just EPIC!! - I wouldn’t change a thing! Am I done now?
Of course I have seen hundreds (or more) images from White Sands, and only regret I never made it there. You’re right, the blue band is the absolute focus of the scene and I am just delighted it isn’t on the 3rd line!!
I think what you have managed to convey here is a super distillation of isolation and expansiveness. The sense of space is just sublime, the eye flows through the frame freely and hungry for more. The lighter sand areas far in the distance under the deep blue of the receding storm are just icing on the cake.
Really, in my eyes this is perfection. I wish it was mine. Just don’t ruin my illusion by telling me you had to clone out 20 other people!!
And thank you so much for buying my Book - Ai appreciate that very much.
Thanks Alister. I tried a bunch of different compositions (including the classic yucca in the foreground), but they didn’t really work for me. The cloud cover reduced the contrast where I was walking, so I wanted to try capturing the distant highlights against the blue band.
This is so beautiful, Tom. I love the color and tones in the sand, and their contrast with the blue sky. The sand seems to go on forever. Hopefully one day I will see White Sands for myself. This is inspiring!
