Dalriada50
FollowOregon Dunes National Recreational Area
Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area
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3984
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Contest Finalist in Frames Of Nature Photo Contest
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
People's Choice in Landscape at its best Photo Challenge
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Capture Stillness Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Landscapes And Sand Photo Contest
Winner in The power of sunlight Photo Challenge
Featured
Contest Finalist in Shadows Photo Contest by Focal Press
Contest Finalist in Landscapes Photo Contest by dPS
Staff Favorite
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Exceptional Contrast
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Jaw Dropping
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
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birdlover54
April 30, 2014
WOW! This is absolutely breathtaking! Love the shadows and different textures! Looks like a piece of wood! Best Wishes for a win!
richgreene
May 01, 2014
Very nice texture, shadow and light here. If I hadn't have seen your title first, I would have guessed them to be the Ocean Dunes on the Central California coast.
lebar54
May 04, 2014
Absolutely beautiful shot! The world has such an endless variety of beauty...great job!
NatureLoverJJWal
November 29, 2020
Congratulations on your People's Choice in Landscape at its best photo challenge!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I shot this at Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area near Florence, OR.Time
It was late afternoon because I wanted the long shadowsLighting
I think the lighting is what makes this shot. Without the dramatic shadows, I think the shot was have been much less visually exciting with little center of interest or contrasting tones. The skimming, late-afternoon light also highlights the ripple effect on the dunes, which would have likely been lost at an earlier time of day.Equipment
Hand-held Nikon D300 with 80-200mm lens. No flash. I used a long lens to "stack" the dunes.Inspiration
The camera, of course, doesn't record exactly what the eye sees, but I somewhat previsualized the deep afternoon shadows that the camera would record. The scene had sort of "another world" look to it that caught my eye. I was fairly certain that I could get the deep shadows that I wanted out of the scene.Editing
I darkened the shadows a little to accentuate them. I spent a LOT of time cleaning up spots on the image (see below under "advice").In my camera bag
Nikon D300; short Sigma zoom; medium & long Nikkor zooms; 55mm macro Nikkor. My longest is a 400mm Nikkor. I carry an assortment of UV & polarizing filters for all the lenses.Feedback
Try to avoid changing lenses on a sand dune. My camera sensor was filthy after this shoot...even when I was trying hard to keep the open body covered while changing lenses. Dust and sand were always in the air there, even when you don't see it. I would recommend a medium zoom and keep that one lens on as much as possible.