New Mexico's White Sands Photo

Photographer’s Note

Here's my 3rd photo about the White Sands Nat'l Monument in New Mexico. The plants that grow here are called Yucca. They're in constant battle with the sands - the sands try to bury them, and the Yucca plants elongate their stems to avoid burial.

The sands here BTW are gypsum. They don't absorb heat...that means you can walk barefoot on the sands even on a hot day. Tks for looking.

danielswalsh, edytungkal, ViktorVaughn, Dyerco, bakes888, alainh, macondo, daddo, qpochet, Floydian has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

BLO (180) 2008-01-13 20:15

Good POV and perfect colors(with this white sand a can imagine that was not easy)... sand really looks white, like a snow in my backyard.
TFS
Inta

danielswalsh (13306) 2008-01-13 20:16

Great shot Alford!!!

The levels are JUST perfect! I love the shadow detail in the ripples, and the plant is the icing on the cake. Excellent sharpness- this is a real winner of a shot.

One small suggestion with your framing which I think would make it even more dynamic. I think you'd benefit from a black pin-stripe before adding any of the white border. This highlight the end of the image so it does not seem to run into the white border... just my opinion.

Well done Alford!
- Dan

angela926 (1882) 2008-01-13 20:25

Hello Alford,
absolutely stunning! excellent composition and pov, terrific sharpness and very good depth of field, beautiful colors and lovely contrast. very nice!
Angela

nivaldo (12982) 2008-01-13 20:28

Hello Alford
A grat shot! I was also there in 1971, when I lived in Albuquerque,NM.There are beautiful places to be seen in the State os New Mexico!
Brazilian Greetings,
from Recife,
Nivaldo

aadilj (17950) 2008-01-13 20:29

Thats a lovely shot that you have captured with tremendous talent and a sharp eye. I love the composition and the colours along with the textures

edytungkal (4519) 2008-01-13 20:42

Wow...what a perfect shot..
Every details are perfect and beautiful.
Well done Alford..and tfs

daniel

testmaniac (12032) 2008-01-13 20:56

Very nice landscape Alford, great composition and colors.Very good photo quality!

TFS and regards,
Philip

vral (54) 2008-01-13 21:24

Hello Alford,

Lovely shot.Very nice compo,color and sharpness.Yucca's triumph is one more lesson from nature.

TFS
-vral

Tibo (1842) 2008-01-13 21:25

Hi Alford. I had never heard about this white sand desert in New mexico... That's so beautiful. The green of the yucca and the sand/sky contrat make a nice game of colours. Tibo

indoka28 (5183) 2008-01-13 21:36

Hello Alford,

If this green shrub was not here , I would have taken this to be snow..!!! wonderful composition and colours..the sky looks just a bit unnatural..did u play around with hues just a bit..!! but its looking great..the contrast and the colours..!!! loved the way you have positioned the shrub here..!!

Tfs
Regards
Indro

rminkow (1566) 2008-01-13 21:37

Hi Alford..this is a beautiful shot. Nicely composed, great colors.

Roger

ViktorVaughn (1517) 2008-01-13 21:43

Not much to say here, just an absolutely lovely shot. You have beautiful lighting, and the inclusion of the green yucca plant is the key to this photo.

Excellent work.
David

Dyerco (9008) 2008-01-13 22:11

A very nicely composed image. I have been here and these Yuccas are truly amazing at how they survive. One question was the sky this shade of blue?

TFS
Phil

bakes888 (18055) 2008-01-13 23:18

Hi Alford. Great photo. I love the colours and the way they contrast the sand. Well composed also. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

alainh (35357) 2008-01-13 23:25

hello Alford
the colour of the sand is splendid. very nice composition. i like this cloudy sky and how you managed the light
have a good day Alford
alain

macondo (13067) 2008-01-13 23:50

Remarkably well exposed for such a hell of a lot of whiteness!
Terrific shot and thoughtfully composed, given the absence of objects which could break up the white expanse. Your positioning of the one piece of vegetation (and it's contrasts so well with the smooth patterns in the sand) is superb. Nice areas of shade and eye-pleasing curves. A wonderful shot, Alford.
Regards,
Andrew

abettine (429) 2008-01-14 0:05

Bonjour alford
la composition et la réalisation de cette photo sont remarquables. Un très bon rendu sur le sable, des jeux d'ombres intéressants, et cette plante, parfaitement bien placée. La profondeur de champ est parfaite. Ca parait simple, mais c'est surtout intelligent.
Merci du partage,
Antoine.

andr3w (559) 2008-01-14 0:21

Hello Alford,

Superb clarity and well composed photo. Just a beauty to look at.

TFS,

Andrew

DKarine (3852) 2008-01-14 0:41

We are so in the habit of seeing dunes of sands yellow, now, orange-coloured, which to see whites that countered totally improbable it is really magic, the shadows are beautiful, the sensational colors, streak them on the sand quite as in a dream thank you for the magic!

Karine

daddo (11277) 2008-01-14 0:53

Hi Alford. Very elegant composition. Perfectly placed yucca, the sole green thing in this sea of blue and purple. Lovely work. There is a sense of purity to it. Regards. Klaudio.

miketelemark (2353) 2008-01-14 2:28

Beautiful image Alford! I would tone down the blue saturation just a little, but otherwise VERY well done. Those foreground sand ripples are super cool with excellent contrast.

qpochet (1378) 2008-01-14 2:31

Hi Alford,

Very nice shot. I like the simplicity of the composition and the very nice contrast between the white sand, the green grass and the blue sky. I also like the texcture of the sand.
Well done!
Quentin.

Floydian (30970) 2008-01-14 8:38

Hi Alford,
I was there 14 years ago, the only day during that trip that i had cloudy weather and you need some sunshine there, so all my pictures from that time are gone, not good enough.
But seeing this it reminds me on beautiful it can be. The strong and bright whites and a dark blue sky on top...wonderful, truly wonderful.
One day i have to go back...thanks for this reminder...i like it a lot, perfect shot.
Regards, Henk

hgupta (1320) 2008-01-15 4:02

I can only say one thing....Superb....this picture is amazing. Just perfect.
Regards,

Hemant

bucanas (2209) 2008-02-06 11:06

Hi Alford,
Fantastic,colors,place,composition.....congratulation.
Best regards,
Ralf