Metallic Dunes

Gallery: LandscapePosted June 18, 2013615 views22 comments

Lencois Maranhenses Sand Dunes, Brazil.

This particular evening had the most extraordinary light! The sun was setting through layers of clouds, and beams of light would break through and sweep across the ridges and valleys of the dunes creating a spectacular metallic sheen over the sand. This was my last night out there and my favorite day of the trip.

You can see from the images I posted previously that the quality of the light here is amazing and it's changing all the time.

Thanks for the generous comments on my other images.

Mike

Comments

22 comments

Comment posted by Gabi Lach on June 18, 2013 at 1:11 PM

Spectacular, Michael. Love the simplicity combined with dramatic skies. Great light and colors too.

Registered on May 1, 2007, 101 Posts, 3187 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on June 18, 2013 at 1:24 PM

This is gorgeous! Wonderful light and a unique dune view. It looks quite surreal.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Gary McGhee on June 18, 2013 at 2:37 PM

It's another great shot Michael, it looks a fascinating place.

Gary.

Registered on April 15, 2010, 142 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on June 18, 2013 at 2:57 PM

Mike,

Amazing how you can keep topping the previous image! This is just spectacular. Looks like you didn't even move between image, just let the light and time go by (but taking a few second looks, the vantage points are different.) The light is glorious, but one of the more subtle elements really adds to this image, and that is the blowing sand at the bottom creating some streaks of blowing sand.

Thanks for bringing these fascinating locations to us!

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on June 18, 2013 at 2:58 PM

Mesmerizing sweeping lines created by the sand and water way. Maybe some sand blowing toward the camera perpendicular to the main sand ridges? While the pink colors in your previous post was more eye catching, I like the balance of light in this shot. My eye tended to ignore the right side of your previous post, but not in this one. My only suggestion might be to try and open up some of the clouds on the right to more closely match those on the left. Is that fresh water or salt? Would make for a nice place to take a dip on a hot day.

Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on June 18, 2013 at 3:05 PM

Another completely different and still amazingly beautiful view of this place. What an experience it must have been. The color and light are extraordinary for sure.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on June 18, 2013 at 3:19 PM

Sick light indeed! The top of the clouds being cut off bugs me but oh well. I see a sweet abstract by cropping out the sky actually. Nice work again sir...one day I'll make it down there :)

aF

Registered on October 26, 2009, 399 Posts, 2789 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on June 18, 2013 at 3:48 PM

Extraordinary is RIGHT!!

Oh, my! GOTTA get past the thumbnail on this one and then feel the jaw hit the table! What a masterpiece. Print it huge-- an entire wall in a hotel lobby or airport would cause people to miss their check-in!

They'd be stopped dead in their tracks for a gaping-mouth l-o-n-g look! Congratulations, Mike, on a winning image and what must have been a great experience in the field.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Nathan Apodaca on June 18, 2013 at 4:27 PM

Ooooooh! I was NOT expecting this from the thumbnail. So glad I checked it out! The light, clouds and water are amazing... The angles are really unique here, especially near the middle of the frame on the opposite side of the river. That line that is near vertical keeps playing with me (can't decide if I love it or hate it). I think I like it because it's not expected? Anyways, I would love to see this LARGE! Thanks for sharing this one

Registered on November 16, 2011, 67 Posts, 1127 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on June 18, 2013 at 4:34 PM

Awesome!! Beautiful work, Michael!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on June 18, 2013 at 6:39 PM

Outstanding, Mike. What a collection of images you have from this place!

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on June 18, 2013 at 7:48 PM

This is my favorite so far Mike. The dappled light on the dunes and in the clouds is just stunning and the diagonal lines in the sand and water just draw me.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Coskun on June 19, 2013 at 3:33 AM

Another masterpiece from these dunes. The quality of light you get here is quite surreal. Everything just flows together here.

Registered on October 31, 2011, 170 Posts, 1240 Comments

Comment posted by David Edwards on June 19, 2013 at 6:19 AM

Another beauty Mike. Amazing place. I like the introduction of the slight coppery color along the water lines.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on June 19, 2013 at 7:27 AM

i love all the series Mike, each one has own mood and light

very well done man

Registered on June 1, 2009, 372 Posts, 2282 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on June 19, 2013 at 8:57 AM

Stunning light and comp. In particular, I like the faint shadows trailing across the fg dune perpendicular to the patterns in the sand. Coming off the highlighted ridge like that they add a subtle energy to the scene. Excellent!

Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on June 19, 2013 at 2:43 PM

This is such a serene and sensuous composition - simplicity at its finest. Absolutely gorgeous Mike.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on June 20, 2013 at 3:23 PM

This is soooo cool!

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Navin Sarma on June 21, 2013 at 1:43 PM

Beautiful. Do you find any wildlife in the shallow lakes? Reminds me a little of the Whitsunday Islands which have stingrays everywhere brought in from high tide

Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Anderson on June 21, 2013 at 8:09 PM

Hi Navin,

The only wildlife I encountered out there were birds and a few small fish live in some of the largest lakes. The lakes are freshwater. The dunes are dry much of the year, then during the tropical rainy season, the depressions between the dunes capture the rain that comes in heavy downpours and the lakes develop. I asked the locals if there were snakes and they said no. There are no stingrays or other salt water wildlife. Thanks for the comments on these images. It's a truly amazing place in person.

Registered on January 31, 2006, 228 Posts, 3072 Comments

Comment posted by Navin Sarma on June 22, 2013 at 10:34 AM

Awesome, thanks for the reply, Mike! A really fabulous location.

Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments

Comment posted by Thomas Haney on August 17, 2013 at 3:51 PM

Beautiful image Mike, wish I was there to experience it. My only critique would be that I think I would have included more of the sky, the composition seems a bit bottom-heavy and the clouds look so interesting. Well done.

Registered on April 7, 2013, 138 Posts, 537 Comments