Flowing DUNES

I was hiking across the Namibian desert at sunrise, and even though it was winter, the temperature was already ninety degrees Fahrenheit. I was headed to Dead Vlei, a photographer's dream location with dead trees, blue skies, and 300-meter dunes. The light was still low in the sky, and despite the heat the quality of the light was beautiful. These three dunes caught my attention, the light was creating contrasts with each dune. The textures on the closest dune contrast with the silky smooth quality of the second dune. The third dune is still in shadow, providing a contrast in light and dark. The flowing lines of the dunes, as well as the textured lines on the first dune are the things that excite me the most about this photograph. As well as that small branch lying in the sand.

Being in the desert like this, is a little like being that proverbial kid in the candy shop. Everywhere you look there's something amazing and spectacular to grab your attention. The difficult part is taking this amazing location and the feeling of being lost in a sea of endless dunes, and translating that into a photograph - distilling a feeling through the camera lens and eventually into a print that graces your wall. Some of those feelings I experienced were awe, excitement, inspiration, and also an immense sense of freedom and serenity. My Winds and Time series was born out of this project and goal.