/// Wild Tracks - Landscape Photography by Eduardo Gallo

WILD TRACKS

Passion for Landscape Photography

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Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO, USA

September 2010

Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO, USA

Canon 5D MkII & EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/45s f/8 ISO400 @28mm

Google Earth for this photo
CONTRAST

Inland dune fields require three things to form: lots of loose sand (usually from ancient sea or lake beds), wind to transport the sand, and an obstacle (usually a mountain range) that causes the sand to lose momentum and settle on the dune field. All three are common in the US Southwest, and hence the region contains several dune fields. At 30 square miles, the one protected by the Great Sand Dunes National Park is not only huge in extension, but also contains the tallest sand dune in North America (750 feet). What makes these dunes unique, however, is not their size but the fact that two mountain streams capture the sand that drops at the bottom of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and carry it around the dunes to deposit it back on the valley floor. The lush vegetation bordering the creeks provides an unusual contrast against the encroaching sand dunes.

I enjoy hiking on sand dunes because they provide an easy opportunity for solitude (the soft sand makes for difficult walking conditions, so you are nearly guaranteed to be alone when moving fifteen minutes away from your vehicle). And with the only caveat of the incessant sand loaded wind not being the best friend of your camera, photography in the dunes can be very rewarding, especially during the golden hours, when the shadows induced by the low sun emphasize both the dunes themselves and their individual sand ripples.

I arrived at the park on the early afternoon and after setting camp walked in sandals along the sandy bottom of Medano Creek, which at the time ran two or three inches deep, enjoying the cold water running by my feet. On the evening I put my boots on and entered the dune field with the objective of being on top of the highest ones by dusk, taking abstract pictures of the dunes along the way. Watching sunset from the top while drinking your last water in complete solitude, with mile after mile of sand in all directions, is an unforgettable experience that easily compensates the effort required to get there. After an exhilarating descent in the dark, I slept for a few hours and got up very early to be on the same spot for sunrise. It only occurred to me that it would have been smarter to sleep on top while I was struggling up the steep dunes, soaked by my sweat, and worried that I was not going to make it by first light. I finally reached the top and was rewarded with the wonderful show depicted in the picture above. I took all the pictures I wanted, ate my breakfast, relaxed for at least an hour, and only then decided to hike back to camp.

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