Sand and Sunflowers

Got an email from a GSD friend informing me that the sunflowers were the best there in 10 years--all i needed to hear to make a quick dash out to the park. Heres some highlites:
1)Godly rays nearing sunset. Ive found many cool spots outside the usual tourist view from High Dune, and this is one of them. (another view on ESS)

2) the flowers, of course!

3) The light screamed B&W yesterday!

4) My main flower target

5) Wide view of the dunes nearing sunset

6) Another flower

7) More of my fav flower grouping...

8) Obligatory night shot. I love this place...

These are all great Stan, but they don't compete with that beauty you posted over on ess.

#3 is really smooth!! In fact it's great shootin' all around. One idea on the great B&W might be to process for some deeper blacks in the shadows. Just an idea. Nice series! I like how #8 has sunflowers in it.

Thanks Stan for sharing your feelings for "this place". Each one of your images reflects your feelings. Like all of them with #1 a favorite.

Bill Brennan

Great stuff Stan!!!! I'm partial to #3.

You are Stan the Man, when it comes to these dunes! 3 then 4, no wait, 4 then 3, no wait......

Stan, you've taken your game up to another level, really like 1,2,3 and 4

Makes me want to jump in the car and go there, NOW! Super images. Too many good ones to have a favorite.
Joe Rogers

Man, you are breaking the mold of everything that's ever been done out there, Stan. Groundbreaking stuff for sure!

What Todd said!

#3 for its awesome range of textures and tones, and # 6 for the visual surprise of the sunflowers at the bottom are my favorites.

Awesome all around, including the ESS shot! I agree with Eric that #3 is really beautiful, but the one that hits it out of the park for me is #4. The depth, the layers, the twilight color, the parallel lies, and with a perfect row of flowers too: damn!

3, 4, 6 are my faves. But that ESS version really blows.

3 and 4 really do it for me, Stan. Great work!

Stan, these are terrific! Love 1, 3 and 4. I am leaning towards 1 being my favorite, but 3 is sure close.

This set is a beauty Stan but the one in ESS is really mindblowing.

ESS shot first then 3 (I'm a sucka' for BW) followed really closely by 4. But I would love to have any of these shots in my gallery. Glad you were able to get some sharp flower shots with the wind out there.

#3 is very nice, and the ESS shot is the best by far.

#4 and 7 are awesome, Stan! Another great series!

#1 is awesome, I like it better than the ESS one. More interesting formations/textures in the foreground, and I like seeing where those god beams start from the clouds.

But #4 is the one I'd want on my wall. Definitely the pick of the litter imo! Sweet, sweet light, and colorful flowers.

Thanks, folks! Aleks--i got plenty of blurry flower shots too, like the night one! Pretty much impossible to freeze movement with 30-40 mph winds... I shot a lot at ISO 400-800

Pretty flipping sweet shots Stan. You have a monster portfolio of stunning dune photos, very cool!

You've convinced me that I need to take a trip out here someday soon. How's this place in the winter? Is camping on the dunes permitted?

It's brutally cold in winter--way below zero at night (not coicidental that nearby Alamosa is one of the coldest places in the US), windy too, and that keeps the tourists away--which is why Winter is my favorite time of year there, Mid January! You can camp anywhere in the Dunes.

Totally sweet! Thanks for the info Stan, maybe I'll run into you up there sometime. ;]

Ah, another great set of images Stan. #3 and the ESS post are my favorites.

From now on you are going to be called Sand Rose. I'm partial to #6 but all of them are nice.

- Dan

Wow Stan, these are really exceptional. I think 3, 4, 6 are real standouts for me. What a great trip down there!!

Love the wide angle view in #6! #1 is very dramatic. LIke how you still have some details in the dunes.

I like the composition in #6.