How to shoot sand dunes

[Deepak Kumar]

Hi,

I plan to visit Jaisalmer, Rajasthan (India). I want to shoot sand dunes there, specially in B/W. I use Ilford FP-4film for my 4X5 B/W.

Despite being very close to Rajasthan I have never seen sand Dunes or desert before. I need your advice for filters I should carry with me.
Any other important advice regarding exposure or shooting in desert in general is very much welcome.

thanks

[Stephane]

You'll need good shadows, so early morning or late afternoon. Otherwise you will not get any textures and separations.
Now, if you shoot on the sand, you might want to set your tripod on plates to provide stability and prevent the tripod to sink in.
Sand dunes in active field are quite amazing and form generally in a windy place. Most wind and flying sand on the crests of the dunes. Less wind and flying sand in between dunes where hard ground is present. Keep in mind the dunes move, so where there's hardground you might find bone fragments/teeth of animals that died a long time ago, and which have been coverred by the moving dunes. Depending where you are (dont know if it will be there), you can find stones in circle where people made fires hundreds of years ago, or even artifacts. Look for wind carved stones. You might even see root casts (remaines of roots sticking out from the ground). After some rain (yes it happens), the wind will carve out and expose the patterns from the internal structures of the dunes.

[Pierre Kervella]

The advice from Stephane are all very good. If there is wind, I would recommend that you take a cloth or bag to protect your equipment from the flying sand. For instance, fine sand particles can enter the shutter mechanism and cause serious problems.

[Larry H-L]

Dunes are all one color, therefore very flat in tonality, even when in bright sun. Expose and develop using your setup for N+ or N++.

[r.e.]

Early morning and late afternoon are great times in the desert, and not just for making photographs, but this was shot mid-day and worked out fine. I probably had a polarizer on the lens.

As you can see from this photograph, deserts are like anywhere else. Sometimes it's windy, sometimes it isn't. Personally, I'm not interested in taking photographs in a windstorm, and I think you'll find, if you look, that most photographs of sand dunes have been taken in calm conditions.

As Stephane says, if you pay attention to the ground you are liable to find all kinds of artifacts. In the Middle East and in North Africa, pottery fragments are everywhere, and local people can show you places where people have carved images or words into rocks. It wouldn't surprise me if India is the same. You may also come across very small flowers, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, low to the ground.

[Ken Lee]

Red filter. Orange filter.

[Walter Calahan]

You may wish to use an incident exposure meter as well.

[Brian Ellis]

Black and white or color? For black and white no filter is needed. If you want that typical b&w dunes look with deep shadow and bright highlight patterns meter for the shadows as usual, stop down two stops (Zone III) then meter the highlights. If dunes in India are like the ones in the U.S. (e.g. Death Valley, Oregon coast) you'll find surprisingly little difference early in the morning, only about two stops. Which means the highlights won't be bright enough with normal development, you'll need to develop at least plus one or plus two. Assuming that's the look you want of course.

For color, I don't know. I've never photographed dunes in color.

[Bruce Pottorff]

I use the lids from those plastic storage containers as plates on the feet of my tripod. Cut a small hole in the middle, push 'em onto the spike, and you're good to go.

[Bill_1856]

Edward Weston's advice to Ansel Adams for shooting the dunes in Death Valley was to use a medium yellow filter, but don't use any filter factor.

[civich]

Don't dismiss shooting in windy conditions. Dunes are a product of wind and during a wind storm (30 mph+) they become a very dynamic environment with sometimes other-worldly lighting. The problem of course is keeping the equipment secured and finding a pocket of relative protection. I suggest a sand stake or two with which to tie-off your tripod center column and an assistant with a very robust umbrella. And bury those tripod feet deeply into the sand. Or - you could retreat to the mini-format. ;)

[Roger Thoms]

The wind can be interesting, I've been at the Death Valley Sand Dunes when the wind conditions created a layer of blowing sand about 1-2 feet of the ground. You do have to watch the wind, my friend had his Ebony blow over on the same trip. Luckily he had a back up camera. When my friend got home he had to buy a good micro screwdriver set and partially dissemble the Ebony to get all the sand out of it. Luckily he was in the process of changing lenses, so no lens went in the sand.

Also if you are going to be walking very far from the car a good dusk mask and goggles might be a good idea. Or at least a bandanna and wrap around sunglasses.

Have fun, sound like a great trip.

Roger

[jeroldharter]

Oblique lighting and shadows help a lot to bring out texture and detail in desert shots..

For B&W, filters can be helpful. For example, using a red filter plus polarizer to blacken the sky or using an orange filter on orange sand to lighten the sand relative to shadows.

I take a space blanket to lay on the ground, and then my pack. I can drape it over the top of the pack for some protection. If it will be windy, consider putting everything in plastic bags.

Travel light - wide, medium, tele plus lots of film. Desert is where Readiloads would be nice. Hiking in sand is tiresome also. Take water.

For some reason, humans have in innate desire to walk on pristine sand. In the US, they also have a bizarre penchant for unleashing dogs to do the same thing. So you might have to work to find spots without footprints. If you are really in the thick of it, a GPS might be helpful for finding your way out after a day of meandering.

[Roger Thoms]

For some reason, humans have in innate desire to walk on pristine sand. In the US, they also have a bizarre penchant for unleashing dogs to do the same thing. So you might have to work to find spots without footprints. If you are really in the thick of it, a GPS might be helpful for finding your way out after a day of meandering.

Another reason for getting out early in the morning especially if it was windy that night.

Roger

[jeroldharter]

Another reason for getting out early in the morning especially if it was windy that night.

Roger

Indeed. Once I went to Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert (a wonderful place, but unfortunately prior to my large format black and white days) and the evening winds had a salutary effect on the dunes. Somehow, when I walk on the pristine dunes everything seems as it should. When someone else walks on the dunes I am convinced that he is a dilettante imbecile who has no business there in the first place.

The mornings are often best because the afternoon winds have scoured away the previous day's footprints and whatever moisture is in the are has firmed up the morning sand. In the afternoon, the sun is hot, the sand is soft, the footprints abound, and the wind whips up. The early bird gets the worm.

[anchored]

As color hasn't been touched much upon: Definitely need a polarizer and gradiant neutral density, and possibly a warming filter (81B).

For B&W orange and polarizer (depending on shooting angle) and also gradiant ND's.

As mentioned several times, most important consideration is to protect gear from sand even when the wind is not blowing... darned stuff gets into everything even in calm conditions. Keep camera bag/backpack covered at all times.

[Deepak Kumar]

Thanks to all of you for your invaluable advice.

But this is not all, I think more gems of wisdom and practicle experience can come out

of this discussion.

Stephane all advice from you are very thoughtful and reminds me that I need to be

bothered about what I am going to shoot not just how to shoot dunes.

Pierre Kervella thanks as I have never thought that dust can get into shutter mechanism.

Brian Eills - If you want that typical b&w dunes look with deep shadow and bright highlight patterns
meter for the shadows as usual, stop down two stops (Zone III) then meter the highlights. If dunes in
India are like the ones in the U.S. (e.g. Death Valley, Oregon coast) you'll find surprisingly little difference
early in the morning.

I think colour of sand in Rajasthan is not that orange as death valley. and I plan to use orange filter
for lighting high lights. I would take a small camel safari to get deep into the desert. Might spent night
on sand dunes as well.

Keep pouring your invaluable advice

Cheer

[J D Clark]

Don't dismiss shooting in windy conditions.

I concur. I haven't really done it myself; photograph in the dunes during windy conditions, but Alan Ross has some spectacular photographs in the dunes in windy conditions, with blowing sands.

John Clark
www.johndclark.com

[Deepak Kumar]

I concur. I haven't really done it myself; photograph in the dunes during windy conditions, but Alan Ross has some spectacular photographs in the dunes in windy conditions, with blowing sands.

John Clark
www.johndclark.com

I would definately shoot the dunes in windy condition but only with my 5D Mark II as

I love my LF camera and lenses too much to be exposed to such hostile condition.

[Deepak Kumar]

I concur. I haven't really done it myself; photograph in the dunes during windy conditions, but Alan Ross has some spectacular photographs in the dunes in windy conditions, with blowing sands.

John Clark
www.johndclark.com

I would definately shoot the dunes in windy condition but only with my 5D Mark II that

too with rain protector cover for protecting it against sand and dust

as I love my LF camera and lenses too much to be exposed to such hostile condition.

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Edward Weston's advice to Ansel Adams for shooting the dunes in Death Valley was to use a medium yellow filter, but don't use any filter factor.

This is exactly how I got started shooting the dunes in Death Valley. The yellow filter passes the light reflected off the nearly yellow (sunlit) sand efficiently, but traps the darker shadow areas that are typically bluish violet in the early morning. That knocks down the shadows a stop which will help build contrast. What you should also consider is placing the highlight value of the sunlit dunes in Zone VI and give N+1 development. This will build contrast on the lighter side of tonal range. This formula has always worked for me.