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Dune and Sky
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Dune and Sky

by Bill Chambers

Gallery: LandscapePosted November 15, 2009306 views26 comments
Shot this late yesterday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, with cool temps and a nice breeze - great to be outside! I was attracted to this scene primarily by the textures in the sand and the grass blowing in the breeze. The sand was just beginning to take on the nice golden glow of the late afternoon sun. Please view the larger version to fully appreciate the textures in the sand.

D2X w/ Tokina ATX 12-24 @ 18mm
1/15 sec @ f/11 - MLU and mc-30 remote release
100 ISO
Singh Ray Circular Polarizer
Tripod
Capture One 4, CS4, TK's Luminosity Masks, Marc's web sharpening

Critiques, suggestions, and comments are welcomed and always appreciated. Thanks for looking.

Comments

26 comments
Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on November 15, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Gorgeous light, and amazing details, Bill. Very nice!

Chris
Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments
Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on November 15, 2009 at 1:05 PM
The sand is well captured and presented here. Love the light and the texture on it. A typical Bill Chambers photo with all the great trademarks.
Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments
Comment posted by Rick Lundh on November 15, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Love how the sand really looks like powdered sugar, and the blue sky w clouds.
Registered on April 28, 2004, 774 Posts, 4351 Comments
Comment posted by James Donald on November 15, 2009 at 1:54 PM
I like the way the arcs in the sand reflect the arcs in the clouds. Nice composition.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 0 Posts, 10 Comments
Comment posted by Reed Bowman on November 15, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Bill, the larger image really sealed the deal for me. I love the texture in the sand. There are also some repeated shapes in the sand and sky that add to the image. Well done.
Registered on March 2, 2009, 166 Posts, 1058 Comments
Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on November 15, 2009 at 2:16 PM
Compositionally, I like how the patterns of the wispy clouds are also echoed in the sand. Excellent work.
Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments
Comment posted by Daniel Ewert on November 15, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Beautiful scene, Bill. I'm pretty sure I saw you shooting with your tripod when I was driving along Pensacola Beach yesterday towards my sunset destination. I love the curved imprints in the sand from the blowing grass. Great stuff here.
Registered on June 2, 2009, 103 Posts, 1500 Comments
Comment posted by Steve Sieren on November 15, 2009 at 3:22 PM
Wow Bill, this is some sweet light. Pretty soothing to look at too. :toast:
Registered on January 2, 2008, 360 Posts, 5321 Comments
Comment posted by Lon Overacker on November 15, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Bill,

Gorgeous lighting and I too love the texture and details in the sand. I especially like the patterns from the blowing grasses creating the circular patterns that surround them. My only nit would be the clouds - or perhaps remnants of contrails. And after seeing the beautiful details in the large view, I might be inclined to crop about half the sky. But even if you don't, the light on grasses and sand trumps the sky anyway... :smile:

Lon
Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments
Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on November 15, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Nice to see a post from you, Bill. You certainly haven't lost your touch. I really like this comp. The patterns in the sand mimic the clouds and the color of the sky finds it's way into the sand. This, BTW, is a scene I think I could walk right by and never realize it's potential. You, however, make it look like a great shot. Good job!
Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments
Comment posted by Vicki Kadow on November 15, 2009 at 5:21 PM
This just sweeps me into the photo and I want to run up the dune! Beautiful!
Registered on April 16, 2009, 9 Posts, 34 Comments
Comment posted by Benjamin Olson on November 15, 2009 at 7:24 PM
Wonderful! The gold/yellowish light is spectacular. I like how the curvature of the clouds matches the curves near the base of the plants. :toast:
Registered on April 7, 2007, 169 Posts, 725 Comments
Comment posted by Rick Gomez on November 15, 2009 at 8:02 PM
Very nice all around! no nits from me! :toast: :jump:
Registered on March 3, 2007, 206 Posts, 1853 Comments
Comment posted by Brad Mangas on November 15, 2009 at 10:40 PM
A wonderful clean look, the light looks perfect. Well done Bill.
Registered on November 9, 2007, 94 Posts, 568 Comments
Comment posted by Pramod Viswanath on November 15, 2009 at 10:57 PM
Gorgeous light and a fantastic frame, Bill! I love the sky patterns blending so well with the tall grasses.
Registered on December 4, 2008, 60 Posts, 697 Comments
Comment posted by Kurt Budliger on November 15, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Great shot Bill! I love the textures in the sand as well as the perspective, isolating the dune against the sky. Great repetition of the shapes in the sand in the sky. :toast:
Registered on June 11, 2006, 113 Posts, 2116 Comments
Comment posted by Nathaniel (Nat) Al on November 16, 2009 at 12:08 AM
No criticism, just praise. Well actually, I do have a suggestion, to crop the bottom half way to depression in the sand, on the right. I think that will strengthen the composition by making the leading lines more evident. Just a thought.
Registered on October 3, 2009, 9 Posts, 80 Comments
Comment posted by Dan Baumbach on November 16, 2009 at 11:03 AM
With all the movement in this, it's still very quiet. Nice.

- Dan.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 473 Posts, 7980 Comments
Comment posted by Robert Domm on November 16, 2009 at 12:45 PM
very cool Bill, I, too love the textured sky complimenting the texture of the sand. Nicely lit too!
Registered on July 2, 2009, 17 Posts, 81 Comments
Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on November 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Bill, you definitely have an eye for these beautiful little scenes, right down to the very last detail. Such a tranquil scene, I could sit here and look into it for hours. Beautiful work.
John
Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments
Comment posted by Phil Pogledich on November 16, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Looks great . . . like others, I quickly noticed that the patterns in the sand mirror the patterns of the clouds in the sky. The nice warm light tops it all off.
Registered on August 24, 2009, 123 Posts, 3099 Comments
Comment posted by Morris McClung on November 16, 2009 at 7:07 PM
Beautiful texture, color, and light, Bill. Very well done.
Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments
Comment posted by Igor on November 16, 2009 at 7:31 PM
Love the composition here.

Circular sand patterns combined with circular grass blades combined with circular clouds.

Lots of energy and peaceful at the same time.

Wonderful light and sharp throughout.
Registered on February 22, 2009, 12 Posts, 618 Comments
Comment posted by Elliot Johnston on November 16, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Superb composition. That soft blue color in the sand is wonderful. Not only does it mimic the color of the sky, but it also mimics the shape of the whispy clouds. You've caught some really great light in this image. Lovely shot.
Registered on November 11, 2009, 23 Posts, 288 Comments
Comment posted by Wade Hardy on November 16, 2009 at 10:46 PM
I've missed these dune shots Bill. Beautiful!
Registered on May 2, 2006, 121 Posts, 1824 Comments
Comment posted by Bill Fach on November 21, 2009 at 8:13 PM
Bill: Thought I would take a short cruise through your gallery and glad I did. What a beautiful shot. 2 thumbs up. >=))>
Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments