Swirl—The Story
It was late on an April afternoon. I was exploring the Alkali Trail at White Sands but a storm was quickly moving in. I paused to survey the location, placed my camera viewfinder to my eye, and just started scanning the landscape, slowly, deliberately, savoring the moments. Suddenly this view (Swirl) filled the viewfinder. My heart skipped a beat. The air left my lungs. The emotional impact was huge. I knew I was seeing something that was going to affect my life! I took the shot and could hardly wait to get home to download it and gaze on it some more. What a joyful moment!
Pristine
Storm Clears
S —- The Story
From the look of things, these S shapes in the dunes are really catching my attention! Here’s another! I’m just calling it “S”. It is simple, direct, and clear. And in the simplicity there is comfort, calming, and relaxing feelings that emerge as I continue my hike in the White Sands. Just my kind of place.
Regal Yucca
Dawn Breaks on the Dunes —- The Story
There’s something almost spell binding that happens as dawn breaks at White Sands. What are these colors? They seem so out of place. But they are gorgeous, intense, captivating. They change rapidly. If only I can capture them faithfully, then get them on display. I especially like watching the many shades of blue, from a pale Baby Blue, to a medium Turquoise, then to a deep Royal Blue. And then the pinks and oranges start! That’s just a a good old New Mexico sky!
Golden Morning Light — The Story
Just a few minutes later and the deep blue of the dunes is now looking closer to what we are used to. Almost white. A wash of golden yellow, from the warm tones of the early sunrise. All is quiet as the day begins.
Rolling Dune Waves, White Tipped—- The Story
Change happens rapidly at sunrise. The sky had now lost most of its pastel shades. But look at those dunes! A mass of huge, rolling waves! The very top edges were crisp white as they caught the stronger rays of morning sun. Down slope on one side was getting lighter while downslope on the other side was still in deep shadow. Do you see white capped Sierra Blanca in the distance? It was easy to be so caught up in the changes in the light that you could forget to take a photo!
Sunset at White Sands—The Story
Twilight started to happen and the fading sunlight began to change the colors on the White Sands. They took on special beauty. The Soaptree yuccas seemed to stand out and dominate some areas. They are plants that have adapted to the special climate found in the dunes and are essential to the cycle of life in the desert, providing food for other creatures. They stand as guardians in the beautiful sunset colors.
Sculpted Dunes—The Story
Walking along the Alkali Trail again—one of my favorite places—I stopped every so often, as the time felt right. Then, these giants—sculpted, deeply shadowed, dunes—came into view. They seemed like moving giants, moving slowly but steadily. Undoubtedly they will eventually fill in and cover the nearby wetland. Nature’s cycle of life.
Dune Wetlands—The Story
Look around the corner. Is that a wetland? It’s pretty large. Yes, there is a wetland in the desert. The water table is nearer to the surface here so plant life can get a start. Growing, thriving, feeding the birds and animals of the desert.
White Sands, Blue Mountains—The Story
It was another of those compelling, late afternoon hikes along the Alkali Trail at White Sands. I stopped every so often to gaze around, observe, pause, grow quiet, watch, wait. Trying to take it all in, absorb it all, remember it all, forever. Then these giant depressions in the sand dunes popped out at me, grabbing my attention. They almost looked like parts of a giant game board, holes waiting for game balls to roll in. In the distance the fine details of the blue mountains framed and accented the giant depressions. There is just a hint of desert vegetation. The wind has gently marked the edge of the dunes with patterns that look like ocean waves. Always changing, always nature’s beauty. It will remain a favorite place, full of beauty and stories.
Riffles—The Story
Wind action moves the sand, each tiny individual grain of gypsum sand, one at a time, wind blowing them, tumbling over each other, to form shapes that look like waves on the ocean. An ocean of sand. Caught in time. Until the wind comes again and starts the process all over.
Solitary Footprints — The Story
It was getting late and an afternoon storm was moving in, getting closer. I had a couple hours of hiking ahead to get back to the parking lot. But the views were dramatic, compelling, and even with the threat of a drenching rain storm, I had to stop and look around. I was drawn to the lovely pastels at the horizon, the rolling dunes that made room for a wetlands, and then the solitary footprints that just sort of started from nowhere. A mystery!
Pastel Sunset — The Story
I was visiting White Sands once again. It is one of my favorite places in New Mexico. The Park Service folks were leading a sunset stroll near a nature trail, helping us all learn important facts about this special place. Those lovely pastel colors that happen during many New Mexico sunsets had started to happen so I wandered away from the group and started looking for a good composition. This one came into view. A combination of pastels, sand with wind-waves, deep blue mountains on the horizon, and a few Soaptree Yuccas standing guard, some exposed roots. The diagonals of the pastels converged onto the deep blue of the mountains, going from the brighter sky on the left where the sunset was happening to the darker blues on the right, the sky already sleeping.
Deeper Orange Sunset — The Story
As twilight deepened on the White Sands nature trail, the sky turned more toward oranges and reds. The sand itself picked up a blue hue, the mountains, a purple color. It is amazing to watch and take it all in. You almost feel you don’t want to even spare a moment to compose a shot for fear of losing the enjoyment of such vibrant colors. Nature’s palette. As the sun slips below the horizon, there are faint streaks of brighter color reaching up, grabbing the last moments of the day. But then we have the hope of another beautiful day of color just ahead.
Hillock in the Sand — The Story
Once again, I found myself exploring the beautiful and intriguing White Sands. Sunset was bringing its ever-changing palette of colors. As I watched the lovely and delicate colors, my imagination helped me see the plant living atop the hillock of sand right in front of me. I could picture it as a living being, moving right along with the wind driven movement of sand, always changing, never the same from moment to moment.
More White Sands, Blue Mountains — The Story
The beautifully sculpted sand dunes. Smoothly finished in many places. In other spots, the wind has begun to create a mini-sand avalanche. And there off to the right a set of solitary footprints, moving away from that huge mountain of a dune. Maybe the size gave the hiker pause or they wanted to get a different vantage point.
And, More White Sands, Blue Mountains
Storm clouds have parted enough to let sunshine through to highlight the dune edges. Making an effect like a giant piece of modeling clay, shaped by nature into a special dune shape. Winds have begun to create some dune-avalanches here too. No signs of civilization here. How far to the distant blue mountains I wonder?
Pods Full —The Story
It was a sunset walk around the back country camp area. I was checking out the camp sites to plan for a night shoot. The lengthening shadows told the story, sunset was on its way. There was a slight golden light developing. Then I saw this unusual yucca, bent over with very full seed pods. The individual pods almost looked like Idaho potatoes! Maybe a high wind had caused the stalk to begin to give way. The pods were close to opening up. The critters of the gypsum dunes would soon be rewarded!
Rivulets — The Story
Continuing the walk in the back country campsite area, this marvelous untouched dune came into view. Such a perfect pattern of wind blown gypsum particles contrasted with the crusty harder surface of the flat area next to it. The lengthening shadows of the approaching sunset magnified the rivulets. The wispy clouds made me curious, what was beyond the dune?
Pale Lilac Sand — The Story
There is something quite magical about the delicate pastel colors of pink and blue that regularly happen over White Sands at sunrise. I could see the colors from my home and I began to search for ways to capture them photographically. The effort grew and resulted in taking advantage of the shorter days of December, when sunrise is the latest it will be in the year. So even though it was really, really cold on the dunes (18º), I was determined to take advantage of this special light. Here are six images taken over a two-week period and four trips to White Sands. I hope you will find these colors and images just as special as I do!
Pink and Blue Sky at Sunrise
Golden Yellow Appears on the Horizon
Sumac Bush Makes its Pedestal
Fiery Pink Orange of Sunrise
Sun Breaks the Horizon and Another Day Begins
Sunrise Over San Andres Mountains—The Story
I returned to White Sands yet again, pulled back by that gorgeous pink glow that hits the blue-grey light on the mountains at just the right sunrise moment. Who wouldn’t be captivated! The shot was taken across Holloman Lake before entering White Sands.