Form and line are abstracted in the shape of a sand dune as in few other palces. The dunes of Death Valley have attracted many photographers. Weston left us supurb views of the dunes at Oceano. On this 1999 trip to Death Valley, I was challenged to explore how I could work this this often photographed subject.

The shadows cast by a rising or setting sun are always important parts of the composition. I was up rather early on this day. I should have gotten up even earlier so that I would have had more time.

As the wind moves the sand along, always covering and exposing, the flow of the dunes as they move across the desert is arresting. It might be too easy to read metaphors of life and death into this. It is maybe better just to look at the line and form.

This is one of the "been there and done that" photographs. I find it interesting in two ways. One is the scale of the dune, dwarfing Lumi as she walks. The other is that fact that her foot marks no long show across most of the photo.

As the sun rose higher, it made different patterns in the wind waves in the sand and the crossing shadows of the dying shrubs. Again, any sense of scale is lost on an empty desert floor.

The problem of selection at Zabriskie Point.