The Last Light
The Last Light
Great Sand Dunes NP, CO
Colorado is known for its beautiful snow-capped Rocky Mountains and vibrant golden aspens in the fall. However, it is also home to the tallest dunes in North America, which rise over 750 feet at their peak. Even more impressive than their height is their sheer size, as the dunes cover more than 30 square miles. The Great Sand Dunes National Park is a landscape photographer's playground, featuring unlimited curves and shapes visible in every direction.
Through my years of photography, chasing dunes is similar to chasing Aspens - finding the perfect shot can often be elusive. However, under the right conditions, Great Sand Dunes National Park can provide unforgettable abstracts and vistas.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
Trail Difficulty - EASY
I rate the difficulty of this trail between 1 and 5 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The location of this shot is directly off the road.
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
8,113 Ft. Elevation
Photography Tips
Photographing the dunes at the GSDNP is like a kid in a candy store. There are shapes, curves, vistas, and abstracts everywhere you look. Hiking into the dunes is great, but to get away from the footprints and visitors, you will need to hike at least a half mile from the dune entrance area (large parking lot). As the sun dips on the horizon, you need to move quickly to capture your shot under the best lighting.
Another option is to photograph the dunes from the road leading into the park. This vantage point provides excellent views and allows you to scan the dunes for potential compositions more easily. However, the distance from the road to the dunes is at least a mile or more, depending on your chosen location. This means you'll need an extremely long lens, with a minimum focal length of 500 mm, as well as a very sturdy tripod and ball head.
The image above was at 560 mm (400 mm + 1.4 extender), just a few moments before sunset, which allowed for the highlights on the dunes, with a hint of the shadows in the background. With a very long lens, the scene is compressed, which can help to emphasize the wonderful lighting at sunset. Other lighting options include dappled light, which can occur later in the afternoon on an overcast or cloudy day. Moments when the sun peaks through can produce very nice lighting effects.
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to the location of this shot.
From Alamosa, CO - drive east on US-160 for approximately 14 miles until you see the turnoff for GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK on the left. Turn left (on CO 150) and continue for 18.3 miles, where you will see a small dirt pullout on the left side of the road. This is where the image above was taken.
There are several other pullouts on the road (CO 150), which can provide great photographic opportunities. However, the distance from the road driving into the GSDNP to the dunes is over a mile, so a very long lens (500 mm - 1,000 mm) is required.
View In Google earth
EXIF Data
Focal Length – 560 mm (cropped by about 50%)
Exposure – 400th sec @ f 9.0
ISO – 400
Date – June 19th
Time – 8:26 pm
Best Time of Day to Shoot
To produce dark shadows with rich highlights, it is best to photograph toward sunset. However, this lighting is also sometimes produced in the late afternoon with dappled lighting (clouds with the sun peaking through).
Best Time of Year
You can photograph the dunes at any time of year; however, for this specific shot, June is ideal because the sun's position provides the best lighting for this particular spot. Additionally, along CO-150, which leads to the Great Sand Dunes National Park (GSDNP), there are several pullouts where you can capture similar photographs. Depending on the season, different formations can create excellent compositions.
Lens(es) Needed
The image above was taken from a location more than a mile away from the dunes. There are many compositional opportunities available, ranging from wide vistas of the dunes to isolated abstract shots. For this particular image, I used a focal length of 560 mm (400 mm with a 1.4x extender) and then cropped it by about 50%, giving it a 1,000 mm lens equivalent. At this distance and focal length, achieving precise focus is crucial. I initially used autofocus and then switched to manual mode, using focus peaking to ensure the best possible focus.
Birds-Eye View
Permits
The location of this shot is before the entrance to GSDNP, so no permit was needed. However, if you drive into the park an entrance fee is required.
Direction of the Shot
The direction of your shot is north at approximately 350°.
Equipment Needed
To photograph with a very long telephoto lens, you need both a sturdy tripod and a VERY STURDY BALL HEAD. The slightest movement at 500 mm + will cause camera shake, resulting in an out-of-focus shot. Also, this shot is close to a 90° angle to the sun at sunset. Using a lens hood helps to reduce the chances of a lens flare.
Finally, in the summer toward sunset, there will be a ton of flying bugs (mosquitoes or biting flies). Wearing spay or long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, and a hat will help make this less unpleasant.
Number of Other Photographers to Expect
The GSDNP is a popular destination for tourists during the summer months, and visitors are always driving to the park. However, at the pullout where this shot was taken, I was the only person there at sunset.
Weather
Cell Service
I have Verizon, and there is cell service in most of the park. There are a few places where service is limited to no cell service.
Area Guides and Workshops
A GREAT resource for photographing The Great Sand Dunes (and all things sand dunes) is the “How to Photograph Sand Dunes of the American Southwest” written by Rob Strain. This 188 page e-book provides great information on planning your trip to the dunes, composition, safety, checklist for equipment, post processing and maps to The Great Sand Dunes and 11 other sands dunes in the US.
A must have when shooting dunes. ..