Great Sand Dunes, Alamosa Colorado

this is an amazing shot.

The image, sitting here in another window for closer examination is beautiful in color, density, texture. (Aint Velvia a charm) The composition is excellent. It is abstract from afar, yet familiar close up. The sand rising off of the dunes ads nicely to define the image and creates a "liquid" atmosphere. In general, excellently executed. Now all you need is one done with the sun beating down on red sand, and you've got a fantastic pair for contrast and critique. Exhibition away.

 

One thing, I don't know wether I would have liked it better had that extra curve on the left been a straight line, but it would have probably been better had it been a more subtle curve. It is a large splotch of white for the eye to deal with, and might be what sinks the photo if anything can.

 

God Show, and good choice ya 'moder's'

I think it's a beautiful composition. Something

which u capture once in a lifetime.. great work

terrific, unique and very well thought out. I wish I had this one.

I think this is a great picture, not only because it's really nice vissually, but also transmits the magic of a scene like the one you captured

 

I like it a lot

Like those above I really like this picture. I'll explain why. The effect of the sand being whipped up off the dune ridge is enhanced by ignoring the rule of thirds, which would have been easy to enforce on this scene. By raising the two horizontal components above the "natural" thirds, the entire picture seems to be raised up, as if the dunes themselves are elevating along with the sand grains. Not everyone will see this or care about this, but I did, and this of course confirms that different people will see different things in an image. It is this quality of the composition that holds my attention.

Although I think this is a great image, I have a few problems with it. First, the ratio is NOT 645. What was cropped? Second, would B&W have been a better choice of film? The deep blue doesn't quite do it for me as empty space. Lastly, I would have composed the highlights closer to the foreground and have some sky or bigger dunes in the background. Nonetheless, this is still a very strong image.

I disagree with Kiet. The deep blue color (which is close to black) really enhances the impact of this image. Great work.

Wow! This is the third (or, fourth) week now that Photonet had gone mainstream. Keep it up!

 

As for the picture, what can I say? It showed us patience is virtue in a photographer. Be patient and wait for the right timing, then a great image. Job well done.

Haunting. Thank you.

Presumably the things you have no reason to see. Asking what was cropped is like asking what was excluded from the viewfinder. I don't see why anyone would criticize a piece because the aspect ratio of the finished image doesn't match the film.

Help! The Black Border Police are dragging me away! Aieeeee!

I actually like the twist on the left. A straighter line will take away from the fluidity of the picture

Beautiful.

This is stunning.

just great

At first glance a lovely picture with an ambience created by the flow of lines and the sand blowing off the back ridge.

 

I wonder if it was hard on the equipment, sand filled wind and all that.

 

However back to the image.

 

After an initial look over I went back to the image and started picking out the variations in the sand and became unsettled. After all they are all that's left in the image as it really has no area of focus or other content

 

The best part of the picture is the sand blowing off the back hill with the dark and bright bands of light.

 

I feel a tighter crop (with black borders - if Matthew would oblige - out on parole provided he keeps his motordrive down to 2.5fps) taking out the right hand curve coming towards the viewer and take off a good wad of the dark stuff at the bottom. Such an abstract would be more powerful to my eye.

 

Just my thought. If I knew how to do it I'd upload my idea but I don't know how......

 

Now Matthew about this border problem you have....

I was there this spring just after the fire. I had hoped to see something like this but the sun was in the wrong place. Good vision & technique with a pleasant composition. I'll bet this image probably has a greater impact as it is enlarged so it kind of "comes over on top" of you.

 

I might have cropped differently if I had more negative. I find the left most truncation of the curl distracting.

 

I admit I am a bit of a purist and do not like cropping images. The ratio is exactly 3:2 (to the nearest pixel) in this one though, and all the other photos in his gallery were taken with Canon 35mm stuff. I suppose its absolutely impossible for the Canon to have been mixed up with the medium format Mamiya here? And for the photo to actually have been taken with 35mm? Probably, but a biggish coincidence.

 

The image does not have the dynamic range of the original, of course, and yet you can still make out detail in the shadowed surfaces of the dunes. By exposing in this way, the highlights were made slightly brighter than they would have been had the exposure been such that the dark areas contained no detail.

 

And, of course, the 14KB JPEG is dismally inadequate for the task at hand, whether MF or 135. Its a shame that Ive gotta gripe about this every week. In the lower ridge, you cannot discriminate the compression artefacts from the blowing sand (Ive a suspicion there was very little sand being blown above the lower ridge). So onward to the stuff that matters...

 

Starting with... Yui Cheng commented that this photograph demonstrates the virtue of patience in a photographer. I dont really know what patience was required - the photographer probably just waited as it got dark, firing off a roll of Velvia at ten minute intervals, bracketing the entire roll, of course. Not that I think theres anything wrong with this approach. If there had been a backlit camel on a ridge (thats too typical for this image, but you know what I mean) it would have required more patience (perhaps even several days at the spot).

 

I am not keen on high colour saturation films in general, and Velvia in particular. Obviously some pros use it, but they know how to avoid abusing it also. Within the ranks of amateurs, I think Velvia could be considered a bit of a consumer film, with everyone using it as a remedy for otherwise poor shots. However, as regards this photograph, the scene has been intensified by using the high contrast Velvia, so making the highlights appear more pronounced. You could argue whether or not this intensification actually improves the effect, of course. I agree that this would have potential as a B&W image, but Im not sure that it doesnt as it is, even when using the dreaded Velvia. If B&W was used, the scene would have to be more subtle and subdued. Maybe this photos strongest point is its awe factor, contributed to by the use of Velvia. Its a bit of a change from the norm, anyhow.

 

Paul Ashtons point about the breaking of the rule of thirds, with the elevating impression that this creates, is accurate as far as Im concerned. What I dont understand is why this enhances the effect of the sand being whipped off the ridge. Generally, things are enhanced by contrast with something else. If the dunes appeared to be *lower*, IMO the uplifting sand would be enhanced. All personal preferences, for sure.

 

Another rule that was broken was the need for a readily apparent subject in every photo. This is, as John so delicately put it, unsettling, IMO. There is no subject/environment interaction or contrast, as there is no subject as such. What is there to contemplate or enjoy after the preliminary viewing? I guess you can theorize about sand dune migration, if thats your kind of thing, but for the average Alex Photographer, the picture becomes uninteresting after a short while.

 

One other thing that this photograph lacks is a sense of scale. Now, I dont live in Colorado, and Ive never seen these sand dunes. I really dont have any inkling as to how large they are. I can guess by judging the height the sand is being lifted above the upper dune, but beyond that, I dont have a clue. If the photo hadnt got a title, Im not sure I would have even recognized the dunes for what they are. If this this photograph is meant to be abstract (Im never sure with these things!), I would like something to get a foothold in the photo, to better understand what feelings are meant to be conveyed to the viewer.

 

Could all the one-liners please be a little more accommodating by providing justification for their hitherto enigmatic comments, such as beautiful and great and terrific and stunning and strong and liquid and magic and haunting? Some of us dont quite see it in those exact tints, and would appreciate any forthcoming elucidation. Thanks.

 

Remember, this is just my 2p (2.96 US cents, as of uploading, although its American value may be less than this due to unforeseen variations in the global opinion market). Contradict or disagree as you may, but please dont write me off as a recurring artistic disaster.

The wispy sand blowing atop the dune reminds me of the clouds I touched in the wild blue as a pilot flying F-4s and A10s for 20 years. I 'shot' many a photo and spent time cropping and re-cropping until *I* turned blue.

 

For my personal use, I captured this fine photograph and performed minor alterations. First, I cropped about 25% off the bottom, then imported it into ArcSoft PhotoStudio 2000. Next, I 'enhanced' it about 75%. What I discovered made me realize that we are all most likely missing in the digital rendition: from the tight circle's point at the left, a 20-30 degree dune line makes its way down to bisect the lower horizontal ridge. In my mind, this ties the upper and lower planes visually, making it quite striking. Thank you for offering this image for all to comment and enjoy.

One thing I learn in college is you can always find the negative of a picture, before you find the positive....and every photograher is the best in there eyes...

 

And so, the curvature of the dune, and leading lights makes me scan the whole picture... from left to right, leading me to end on the top of the dunes where you can see the sand lifted by the wind. It gives me the feeling of how the evening might have been like. I feel that if a photographer can get the viewer to get the feeling of what he saw through his picture, well then he's accomplished a great photo.

 

I imagine that the photo taken before this one (note, if taken in intervals) I would of perfer better. Even though I find this picture to have great detail, it has none when it comes to the definition of what the picture is. If I was a viewer I would of never guess that it was a sand dune, until I read what it was. Perhaps this is what the photographer was after.

 

Overall the picture is breath taking...

 

Ann Tobin

 

 

Sensual, haunting, fluid...I love it. It makes me think...what a planet we have here.

this is the most fantastic piece of work I have ever seen this really makes you think of what it is like to be alone and in pain it put a hole different perspective on life brilliant work well done

Had I not read the caption, I would assume this is snow. Fantastic composition, beautiful colors.

I came here to look at New Mexico not Color1ado hellooooooooo

Beautiful magic. Perfect condition. And the infamous curl - leave it. ;-)