Great Sand Dunes

Took a day trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park yesterday. Four hour drive there, spent five hours there, and four hours back. Brought with me the E-M1 and E-PM2, with 11-22 f/2.8-3.5, m.Zuiko 40-150 f/4.0-5.6, and OM 50mm f/3.5 macro.

Full selection of photos here: http://www.photoklarno.com/piwigo/index.php?/category/28

Got to the top of the Star Dune, the tallest sand dune in North America (rising 750 feet over the valley floor, which is a greater prominence than some of Colorado's fourteeners and probably a more strenuous climb just because sand doesn't believe in traction). Then I did a no-no: After getting frustrated with the lens I needed most not having a viewfinder on it, I (gasp) swapped lenses between my cameras! Popular wisdom says not to do that if there's visible dust within a mile, and I did it in a lull between gusts of sand-filled wind. My sensors seem to be just fine.

I really wouldn't say no to a reasonably priced dust sealed telephoto zoom, however-- I'm still trying to blow grit out of my 40-150's zoom helical and I'm fresh out of duster. The 40-150 f/2.8 will probably be priced out of my range. The existing 40-150 is still, IMO, pretty much unbeatable for its light weight and great optics.

I could try to find a deal on the 50-200, but then I'd lose out on the light weight of the 40-150. I also ought to pick up either the 50mm f/2 macro or 60mm f/2.8 macro, as I got some unpleasant sounding sand in the helical of the 50mm f/3.5, and it would give me an intermediate lens to put in my landscape kit which usually omits a lens capable of close focus.

Some sand got under the wheel and Fn button of my E-PM2 but it worked itself out.

Toward the end of the day the light was so low and the winds were so high that it was difficult to get a sharp telephoto shot, even on my tripod (Markins Q10 + Manfrotto 055XPROB). Blocking the tripod from wind as much as I could with my body, as well as using touch shutter seemed to help some. Maybe next time I'll try removing the lens hood.

Because of the large size of the dunes in Great Sand Dunes, you'll generally be hiking along the dune crests, and that's generally better for telephoto compositions (and if you go into the valleys between them your calves will learn to hate you, because you almost always have to climb back up to get out). I haven't done telephoto in White Sands, but as the dunes are much more modestly sized there which makes low details more easily accessed, and makes wide angle lenses more useful (plus the gypsum sand at White Sands is water-soluble and very soft, so it's less of a problem when it gets into your everything).

And if you go here, bring lots of water. Generally in the desert you're to budget on a full gallon of water per day, per person. I went through about 2 liters in 5 hours and this was a relatively cool day.

Full, edited selection of photos here: http://www.photoklarno.com/piwigo/index.php?/category/28

That's an excellent series-- I really enjoyed it.  I've been in the sand dunes of the PNW many times, so I know how hard it can be on equipment.  Best of luck there.

JL

Beautiful imagery, a panoramic format would look very effective.

very informative andrew, lovely abstract curves when I viewed your slideshow. Were you the only person there?,, I see no footprints, or are they quickly covered up by the blowing sands? If you were doing it over again, what is one thing that you might have changed, either equipment or time of day?

Maybe these dunes are great, but your photos are greater - all, without exceptions. Nevertheless, I have my favorites - 3 and 4 for sophisticated selection of frames with intricate play of shadows, half shadows, and highlights.

Thanks for the pleasure of whatching

Brad Ross wrote:

Were you the only person there?,, I see no footprints, or are they quickly covered up by the blowing sands?

They're pretty quickly covered up with all the high winds. I saw some of my own footprints significantly dulled within half an hour, so I'd bet that in the dry season, most of the footprints are gonna be gone within the day. Most visitors don't go beyond the short dunes above the valley floor, and the furthest the rest go is the Star Dune, which is about 1.5 miles in.

If you were doing it over again, what is one thing that you might have changed, either equipment or time of day?

I didn't get too much mileage out of the 11-22, so I might have done something else instead-- such as the 14-54 (for its close focus ability) or possibly went with nothing but the E-M1 and 40-150. I might look into picking up the 12-50 for situations like this. One of these days I'd like to get a backcountry permit and camp in the dunes so I can catch the morning light.

Other than that, I just need to figure out a solution for my muscular lower back pain which I used to only get at work but now manifests when I'm doing things that I enjoy...

Some nice images, but IMO desert images are much more interesting at sunrise, if you can make it... plus, just before/at sunrise, the wind is normally not so strong, much more quiet conditions.

I remember shooting with a Canon 1V and 17-40 L lens in 2004 in the Empty Quarter of Oman; the sand gets everywhere, and even in the 1V, the shutter button stopped working normally, it would only work with the 2 second timer...

Klarno wrote: Took a day trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park yesterday.

Nice photos.

I was there last week as part of an 1,100 mile road trip between Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes and Black Canyon National Parks. The setting of the dunes sandwiched between 2 of Colorado's 14ers is pretty amazing.

I didn't go onto the dunes, but rather hiked the high country in the park and preserve, which most visitors to GSD never see. Believe it or not, you can be in sand and snow on the same summer day!

The high country hiking is mostly in the preserve - Mosca Pass (9,737'), Music Pass (11,380'), Upper (11,745') and Lower (11,473') Sand Creek Lakes, and Medano Lake (11,518') to name several. The Sand Creek trail even goes on to Milwaukee Peak at 13,522'.

Loved your dune images.  The play of shadows/light is terrific.  And I can appreciate your physical aspects... we were just in the Oregon Dunes and learned the mantra "one step up, 3/4 step slide back".

John.Laninga wrote: Loved your dune images.

Thanks, but they weren't mine, they are the OP's.

My wife and I were there about a month earlier last year and very much remember those winds. As you top a dune crest, the blowing sand stings every exposed skin surface. We made it to the top of Star Dune, but I only got a few good shots, as my wife dragged me back down pretty quickly.

Nice work.