Sahara Sunrise
Sunrise in the dunes of Morocco's Sahara desert
Sunrise in the dunes of Morocco's Sahara desert
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Jan, 2017Views
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Absolute Masterpiece
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo is the payoff for sleeping cold in a humble tent in the Sahara desert during the coldest Moroccan winter in a decade. The dunes are near the village of Merzouga in Morocco, the gateway to Erg Chebbi, a massive expanse of sand dunes about 8km from th Algerian border.Time
I had woken before most of the camp to photograph the sunrise in the dunes. Suddenly this small train of camels appeared out of nowhere and crossed my path.Lighting
I took advantage of the natural backlighting to create the interesting and fairly detailed silhouettes.Equipment
The appearance of the camerals was so unexpected I didn't have time to set up a tripod and shot this hand-held.Inspiration
It was just an amazing opportunity after the disappoinment of the night before. I had actually gone into the dunes to shoot some star trails but had forgotten the settings. There was no phone signal of any kind so I hadn't been able to get online help and was feeling pretty blue.Editing
I upped the saturation of the sky fractionally, otherwise the photograph is as I took it.In my camera bag
When I'm travelling, I take as little as possible because I have to carry everything. My Canon 80D with 18-135 mm lens is a must, as is a tripod. Also something to keep my equipment dry, cleaning stuff and a lens hood. That's all as I don't own any filters. When I'm shooting back home I take everything I own photographically. Just in case :-)Feedback
For me photography isn't only about skills and good cameras, but also about being in the right place at the right time. Make the effort and get up early, even if it is icy outside. In this instance I was cold and sleep-deprived. An icy wind had been lashing the tent entrance throughout the night making sleep near impossible. The appearance of the train of camels made all that discomfort very worthwhile :-)
