Death Valley Sand Dunes
Death Valley National Park, California
The sand dunes around Stovepipe Wells in the desert of Death Valley are sculpted by the wind into a tapestry of overlapping hills with sharp ridges that can be light in the full sun on one side and dark in the shade on the other. This undulating topography of light and dark is very photogenic, and it's a popular location for photographers. The best time for photography is after a night of strong wind that will have erased the footprints of the area's many visitors. In the distance three hikers can be seen walking along one of the spines, and they help to give a sense of scale to the vastness of the dunes. Photo © copyright by Stephen Penland.