This was my second try in the Mesquite Dunes.  A few of us got up early to catch the sunrise highlight the dunes while the others caught up on their sleep.  As the sun broke the horizon it cast soft shadows and warm highlights.  The contrast was very subtle.  This morning was a learning experience for me.  My objective was to see the contrasting shapes and lines, not necessarily capture that one great image.  Chuck Kimmerle gave us a few very good starting point insights, then took off over the dunes.  I followed his footsteps across the valleys and ridges, watching were he stopped shuffled around, put his tripod down (or not), then racing off to the next stop.  At these stopping points, I took my time looking around trying to pick out something that peaked my interest. Sometimes an image appeared, sometimes it didn’t.  It was a great morning just to be out and enjoy a wonderful landscape.

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Where to start … the grand vista?, shapes?, colors?, details?, shadows? … too many choices!!!  As soon as I walked into Mesquite Dunes, my eyes and mind shot around in every direction.  There were just too many opportunities and a very narrow window to capture the light of the setting sun.  I quickly dropped behind our workshop group as I saw one thing after another.  I went after it all!  When I reviewed my images, I was pretty disappointed.  I ended up with a lot of “snapshots”.  Lesson learned here … don’t be greedy, let the image come to me.  Be patient, let my eyes and mind wander … the image will come.

This was one of the few images that did “call out”  I saw it in the distance and walked around several minutes before I found a perspective that “clicked” for me.  The curve shadow and bright highlights on the ridge separated the dune from the distant mountains.

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