GSDNP - late afternoon mtn view

[Jon Buffington]

From back in the early summer of 2014, I was up in the dunes at Great Sand Dunes NP trying to capture light and shadows. I turned around to see this. Captured on a 5dmkii and a 24-135 (tamron I believe) zoom lens. Conversion in LR.

 

[AlanLichty]

Perfect light on the sand and no tracks. I like your processing for this scene.

 

[Jon Buffington]

Perfect light on the sand and no tracks. I like your processing for this scene.

Thank you kindly, Alan

 

[JimFox]

Love those ripples in the sand! Glad you turned around. The B&W really helps to emphasize the shadows.

One of the nice things about the Great Sand Dunes is that's it's so huge, there is a good mile or so of a main entry point and people generally get spread out really fast. As opposed to say Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley where everyone is starting out from one main entry point, and while they spread out a bit they tend to all follow the same paths. So in Mesquite you have to really work to find areas without footprints, or go out early in the morning after a strong wind.

 

[Jon Buffington]

Love those ripples in the sand! Glad you turned around. The B&W really helps to emphasize the shadows.

One of the nice things about the Great Sand Dunes is that's it's so huge, there is a good mile or so of a main entry point and people generally get spread out really fast. As opposed to say Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley where everyone is starting out from one main entry point, and while they spread out a bit they tend to all follow the same paths. So in Mesquite you have to really work to find areas without footprints, or go out early in the morning after a strong wind.

This was early in the summer/late spring and I believe was mid week. Not many people at all. However this was pre pandemic in 2014....the parks seem to be flooded with folks now. I was the only one out in the dunes that afternoon. Earlier in the day there were some folks though not many.

 

[Jon Bev]

FFFantastic eye-stopping image, four layers complement each other, I don't think it would work in colour. I like it.

 

[Jon Buffington]

FFFantastic eye-stopping image, four layers complement each other, I don't think it would work in colour. I like it.

Thank you very much!

 

[John Holbrook]

Very, very nice image!

 

[Jon Buffington]

Very, very nice image!

Thanks!

 

[Jameel Hyder]

The sand ripples are a nice lead in to the scene. Nice work.

 

[JimFox]

This was early in the summer/late spring and I believe was mid week. Not many people at all. However this was pre pandemic in 2014....the parks seem to be flooded with folks now. I was the only one out in the dunes that afternoon. Earlier in the day there were some folks though not many.

Thanks for the added info. I have come close to stopping by there a few times in the last year as it's not often too far out of my way on my travels around Colorado and New Mexico. Things just always came up, or I didn't like the weather. I do need to make another trip back there.

 

[Jon Buffington]

Thanks for the added info. I have come close to stopping by there a few times in the last year as it's not often too far out of my way on my travels around Colorado and New Mexico. Things just always came up, or I didn't like the weather. I do need to make another trip back there.

Nov-March is best time, just avoid holidays and Fall/Winter college break schedules to have even more added seclusion. Take your 4x4 as there are fantastic 4 wheel drive only roads to really get you back into wilds. The River Rd is 70 miles of remote 2 track along the Rio Grande. You may pass 1 vehicle all day if your lucky. The other must do is Old Ore Road which you will want to stop and do the short hike out to Ernst Tinaj. Fantastic photo opps.

Did I mention there are hot springs and petroglyphs there as well?