CraigBILL

Death Valley is a severe and unforgiving place. Within this National Park you can find some very mysterious and isolated terrains. One area that I visited was the “racetrack”, where rocks move by themselves across a deserted flat plain. Another area, Badwater, many miles South rests 282 feet below sea level - it features the lowest, driest, and hottest location in North America.

One location I have wanted to photograph for years is the main central Death Valley Sand Dunes. I had traveled there on several trips hoping to get great shots of this expansive terrain. But each time I had to give up. Why? Was it the wind, searing hot Sun? Maybe storms? No. It was all the footprints! Everyday, people explore the these dunes in all directions leaving footprint pollution! Unless you catch these dunes right after a wind storm, it is almost impossible to photograph!

Finally this day: strong winds almost stopped me from even taking the camera out for fear that sand will get into it. But the footprints were gone and there was a small lull in the wind speed! I took the chance and at last these Death Valley Dunes gave me my elusive image. I love how you can see the sand storm in the background. Abandon is one of my favorite sand dune photographs because it shows the sand dunes alive and in action.