September 2016

Singing Sand Mountain #4
Dunhuang, China
2016

The leading edge of the dunes near town are pretty tracked up with tourists like me walking around, and others on camels, dune buggies, etc. I would love to be dropped in the interior of the 25 square mile dunes to view an unbroken expanse of dune shapes and curves. Or, A similar pristine view can be had with less effort by simply waiting until after a wind storm smooths out all the tracks near the parking lot.

Singing Sand Mountain #3
Dunhuang, China
2016

Here, by accentuating the shadows, I tried to make a string of tourists on camels on a one-hour tour look like a true caravan out for months on the Silk Road (which ran right through this area).

Singing Sand Mountain #2
Dunhuang, China
2016

Singing Sand Mountain #1
Dunhuang, China
2016

These sand dunes are so-named because of the audible noise they make when the wind is blowing. It was calm when we were there so we did not get the opportunity to hear them sing, but then we avoided breathing in the blowing sand so there is that to be thankful for. Here I’ve created an image reflecting how I imagine a strong wind and blowing sand would affect the view on a blinding hot day.

Four Times Loving You
Yumen City, China
2016

It just made sense to create this tetraptych from some photos I took the other day given that one of the photos they are exhibiting in China this year is this triptych called Social Media #1 I put together a few years ago:

Waiting
Dunhuang, China
2016

Dang, That’s Purty
Dunhuang, China
2016

That’s a pretty goof-ball title for this shot of a pagoda on the Dang River. I blame it on all the confusion from the goof-ball schedule (or lack thereof) they have us on. That, and my natural tendencies for such things.

Selfie
Jiuquan City, China
2016

Getting High
Qilian Mountain, China
2016

I’ve been in China almost a week now and finally got a chance to sit down and work on some of the many photos I’ve taken already. (Too many hours traveling by bus plane and train with early wake-up calls, nights of four hours sleep, and full schedules each day to get to it sooner.)

This photo from earlier today was taken at 14,300 feet at the base of the July 1, 1971 glacier on Qilian Mountain. (Yes that’s the glacier’s real name.) It was a pretty easy hike, if you can call walking at that altitude for any distance easy, as we started at 12,800 feet.

Rodeo Faces #4
Crow Agency, Montana
2016

It isn’t always just the riders whose faces can be quite expressive; their fellow riders and handlers can get pretty animated when watching them as well.