This is the moment when brilliant light arrives - cutting through the night and ushering in morning. In this case, the Eureka dunes of Death Valley National Park provided the perfect spot to showcase this handoff in dramatic fashion. 

The wind in this remote area creates the perfect shapes to expose the moment the night ends.

It was my first time visiting this place with a camera and I was simply blown away by the immensity, simpleness, and beauty, I saw in every direction.

I've dreamt about this image, with it's extreme contrast, sharp lines, golden tone, and radiating ripples for probably 4 years. Living in Oregon, we do have dunes, but the scale is very different. The texture and color has a different vibe and the way they form creates very different shapes. I don't remember where I first saw my first dune shot from Death Valley, but I remember how it made me feel. And from that moment, I started planning a visit.