White Sands National Park is Otherworldly

White Sands National Park is Otherworldly

AWARD WINNER: 2021/22 South Downs National Park Astrophotography Contest: Living Dark Skies Runner Up

What makes a limited edition special, you ask?

All my limited editions represent rare, fleeting moments. They’re also the shots I’m most proud of. They represent the top 0.1% of all the photos I shoot. To reflect that they’re one-of-a-kind, I’m only printing small batch, and that’s it.

White Sands National Park is truly an otherworldly place. I should have realized this immediately when I drove among the impossibly white dunes and saw a camel holding court near one of the parking lots. Or when I hiked the Alkili Flats to the giant sign reminding everyone that a big part of the park is a missile testing range.

This was my first time taking photography in New Mexico. It was definitely a challenge trying to find interesting contours that photographed well and weren’t marred by criss-crossing footprints. There’s only one road into the park, and it was fairly dense with people sledding down the gypsum sand. Many stuck around for a gorgeous rosy sunset, and a bit of stargazing. I was able to catch this fellow dark sky chaser taking it all in.

This photo is extra special - it took runner-up in the Living Dark Skies category of the South Downs 2021/22 Astrophotography Contest. The contest celebrates their annual dark sky festival. The South Downs national park is one of 19 International Dark Sky Reserves, and is located in the U.K.

Add this awe-inspiring moment to your home decor. With this milky way galaxy wall art, you’ll be able to experience the park’s wide open dark skies every day.

This White Sands New Mexico photography was part of a cross-country road trip to visit 14 national park sites. The aim was to capture the beauty of our public lands at night. I shot it after dark in the New Mexico landscape during February. The gypsum reflected the pale starlight and moonlight. My skin was a little agitated after a day of bright sun and stinging sand. The salty taste of sweat and sand lingered on my tongue.