Interesting Photo of the Day: Dunes of Death Valley

Interesting Photos

The Death Valley desert in Eastern California is one of the hottest places on Earth during summer. It is not somewhere you’d want to wander around, let alone take pictures—especially during a sandstorm. However, the latter was exactly what astro-photographer Daniel J. Stein found himself doing when he was caught in a sandstorm in the Death Valley. And as you can see in the picture below, the result is divine:

“Dunes in Death Valley During a Sandstorm” by Daniel J. Stein (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

The image is a single exposure that Stein shot with his Nikon Z7 and 70-200mm lens at f/2.8, 1/160s and ISO 64.

“The blowing sand created this beautiful soft haze and when backlit by the rising golden light of the sun… chef’s kiss.”

When you get to see such a beautiful scenario somewhere as harsh as Death Valley, it really changes your perception of the world. Being at Death Valley feels like you’re standing on the surface of some other plane—somewhere that would threaten your life if you tried to stay. But the story is completely different here.

The gradient from brown to gold appears surreal. It’s as if you’re witnessing one of the best sunrises in the world. Even the edges of the dines line up perfectly to draw us right into the glowing halo.

A masterpiece indeed!