White Sands National Park, New Mexico, Sacramento Mountains in the background, Nikon D750 + Carl Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/2 ZF T*
As further south we drove in New Mexico last October as more grew my excitement about a destination we had pinpointed on our route. White Sands National Park preserves half of the worlds largest gypsum dunefield, located in the Tularosa Basin, between the San Andres and Sacramento Mountains. It is a fascinating landscape that offers so much for any photographer and nature lover.
Colors in the desert, Nikon D750 + Nikkor 70-200, f/4 , @70 mm
I took only two lenses with me while we walked and hiked in the dunefields during two late afternoon trips in the national park. Most of the time I had the Nikkor 70-200, f/4 on camera. Without switching lenses I was able to make quick decisions between scenes that included the curves and structures of the dunes or detail shots, like solitary trees or yucca plants. The other lens was the Carl Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/2 ZF T*, a manual focus lens that I love to employ in landscapes like White Sands NP because of its excellent sharpness and color rendering. The lens changes were not so critical as in other desert areas we have been before. Compared to other dune types the gypsum dunes remain moist even during a long drought. However, we avoided to go there during a sand storm the day between our two visits. Sand in the gear is bad news!
Dunefield near sunset, White Sands NP, New Mexico, Nikon D750 + Carl Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/2 ZF T*
Soaptree Yucca, Nikon D750 + Nikkor 70-200, f/4 , @130 mm