July 19 // 6:10AM
Death Valley // California
I was laying in my sleeping bag looking up. The stars were so bright, they dotted the entire sky. I watched several shooting stars whizz across the sky – it’s so still and dark in the desert at night, it’s impossible to miss them. The wind would pick up every now and then, and swoosh through the scrub. A coyote in the far distance on occasion. Suddenly, the moon popped up over the mountains and seemed as bright as the sun. I could see everything around me in the valley and the shadows that came with it were as sharp as midday. I followed the heavy texture of the rocks around me that continued for miles all the way up the mountainsides.
According to my journal from the day- I was ready to leave the area after several failed attempts to make photos. Before heading out, I decided to have one more go at the dune field.
In the sand dunes, you have an abstract canvas to catch the light in whatever way you see fit. But if you dont plan correctly, it’s possible you leave with no image. Some of these dunes are quite large, and it can take longer than you think to get from the top of one to another. So, if you find that you’re not on the right dune when the sun lights up the ridges, then you likely won’t have time to move to fix your mistake before the light changes.
I’ve been making photos on these dunes for years. My first attempt wasn’t successful. But I learned from it. I hoped the weather was better than it had been the evening before. The warm winds in the valley floor were whipping and blowing sand everywhere, sand flew everywhere.
I didn’t get up as early as I had hoped, and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it in time. Just arriving at the dune field doesn’t mean you’ve made it. The hike out to your spot can take 20-40 minutes. There’s a magic few minutes when the sun first hits the crests of the formations and light them up, giving you an opportunity to put together beautiful compositions. But, it only lasts a few minutes.
But I did make it. And the light did hit. And I left the #mesquitedunes feeling like I had finally conquered them – I had finally, after years, gotten a few images that were decent.