While boondocking near Yuma, Arizona, I had the pleasure of sharing one of my favourite photo locations with a photographer friend of mine. It’s always fun to share a great photo spot with like minded people!
The spot is called North Algodones Sand Dunes and it’s actually in California. You may have heard of Imperial Sand Dunes where ATVers go for some serious dune buggy fun. Well, it’s fun for them, but it ruins the dunes for photographers who are looking for pristine wilderness.
But, right across the street is the North Algodones Sand Dunes where no vehicles are allowed. The only marks you’ll find in the dunes there are human footprints and animal tracks.
Whether you’re going to the dunes in Oregon, California, Colorado, or even somewhere exotic like Namibia, these tips will help you come home with more dramatic sand dune photos.
1. No Changing Lenses in the Field
Blowing sand!! Need I say more? You don’t want that on your sensor.
Be prepared by taking more than one camera body so you can have two lenses to choose between. Get your cameras and your lenses set up before you venture into the dunes. I usually take a regular lens like my 18-55mm and a telephoto lens like my 55-210mm. I don’t usually use a wide angle because they make the dunes look small and insignificant.
2. Find the Perfect Dune
Lots of walking is required, and it’s not easy to walk on the dunes!
Sometimes it’s nice to have footprints in your scene if they lead the eye along the edge of a dune and off into the distance or something like that, but more often than not footprints ruin the scene. You’ll need to do lots of walking to get away from the nearest dunes, which are sure to have tons of footprints on them from other visitors.
Watch where you walk yourself! Think ahead about the dune you are about to walk on and what it might look like from the other direction. You may kick yourself for ruining your own scene!
3. Look for Shapes
While walking around looking for the perfect pristine sand dune, think about the shapes and lines the dunes will make in your photo. You want to find nice curves, sharp edges, and strong angles to make a photo with impact. If your sand dune is just a blob it wont be very impressive in the photo, even it if looks cool when you are there.
4. Sidelight
Sidelight is the best light for sand dune photography because it makes the texture in the ripples in the sand stand out and create a strong foreground. Also, the back of the dune will be in the shade which helps to define it’s shape.
Sand dunes are a good place to photograph in the afternoon when you have strong sidelight because it will create interesting shadows. But the best time to photograph, like any landscape photography, is at the edges of the day.
5. The Magic Minute
I know it’s usually called “The Golden Hour” but more often than not in the desert I find that the magic light lasts only a minute and you have to be ready for it. Go early and spend lots of time looking for your composition (see #3), get yourself at a good angle to take advantage of sidelight (see #4) and then wait for that magic moment when the last of the day’s sun lights up the dunes. You might be surprised how much the colour of the dunes change during this short moment in time.
Here’s an example: the photo above was taken while I was doing steps 3 and 4; then I waited, and when the magic moment came I got these photos:
I like them all, but I find the last two photos in this series to be more dramatic and drama is what is I’m looking for.
I hope these tips help you on your next sand dune adventure!
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Great comments. I love photographing in the dunes and agree that the light changes minute by minute at dawn and the sky can dramatically change the entire character of the image. When I have shot dunes, I typically take a long exploration hike on day one and then re-visit every morning in the pre-dawn the spots that seemed best on the scout trip. If you are lucky enough to get rain, it can be the experience of a lifetime.
I don’t think I’ve ever shot the dunes in the rain! I’ll have to keep that in mind next time I am over that way. Thanks Loren!
Absolutely beautiful,
Thank you very much Sharmla, much appreciated!
Hi Anne,
Thank you for the awesome tips. I agree with all your points. You took some beautiful photos there. I went on a similar adventure a few weeks ago. In fact, I want to go back to the sand dunes because I didn’t have much luck with light and clouds playing hide and seek, I did give similar advice on my blog and on the YouTube video I created.
Keep the blogs coming Anne, I like reading them. Here is a link to my sand dune story if you want to read. The video is right at the end, I feel blessed to be living in Cape Tow, you will like the sights…
http://www.mujahidurrehman.com/sand-dunes-platboom-beach-cape-point/
Thanks for your visit and comments, Mujahid, much appreciated. I tried to visit your blog, but I got an error. It’s probably temporary and I’ll try again later.
🙂 you are welcome. I wonder why it didn’t open. I tried and it opened. Sure, try later. Cheers.
My wife and I will be in the North Algodones Sand Dunes within the next couple weeks for a bridal photoshoot. Do you have a recommendation for a starting location might be most ideal. Its so vast and i hear quite a lot of no parking areas. Thank you so much!
Hi Kevin,
Yes, when you are driving through on Highway 78, one side of the dunes is where the ATVers go, and the other side is wilderness. There is a large hill in the middle and at the top of the hill is a parking lot. You can’t miss it. Park there and walk across the street to the wilderness side. You’ll have lots of large and small sized dunes with no tracks on them to work with. That would be a great spot for a wedding shoot! Good luck. I hope this helps.
Gorgeous photos. Did you need a permit to shoot out there? If so, where did you have to go to get it? We are looking to shoot out there within the next couple of weeks and i keep finding conflicting detail.
Hi Rick,
At North Algodones? No, not at all. You need a permit to ride your ATV and you have to pay for camping (both on the Imperial side). But you can go and photograph in North Algodones all you like. I’ve been there many times. I hope you enjoy it!
Wonderful photos Anne and good tips! There are actually some cool sand dunes on Cape Cod in Massachusetts where I live, so now you have me motivated to visit them for photos!
Hi Chris, excellent! I’m always happy to hear when my tips motivate people to get out there and photograph. Thanks for your comments.
Hi! Do you think it’ would be ok to use those non flammable colored smoke bombs at these dunes? I don’t want to get in trouble , there’s nothing other than sand so I’ve always felt it’s the best place to is them.
Hi Lizett, I really have no idea about that. I’m sure each of the parks has different regulations, so you should check in with a ranger. In Imperial Sand Dunes, there are different regulations for the two sides of the park. One where you can 4 wheel, and the other is a wildlife protected side. Let me know what you find out!