Wildflowers at Bruneau Dunes

Horizontal orientation. Canvas prints are available with optional barnwood or hardwood floating frames hand-crafted by the photographer, making a truly unique and one-of-a-kind piece of art. Please see images for details.

The events surrounding the capture of this image are in hindsight a little comical. Bruneau Dunes State Park has quite a reputation for strong winds. I was asked to help with an overnighter for some boys aged 11-13, and we decided on the dunes. During the night the winds picked up rather strongly. They woke me very early, and I assumed that no one else would be up for a while, so I grabbed my camera gear and headlight and started out to the dunes to catch the sunrise. I tried for a couple of hours to photograph the blowing sand and sunrise. I was ready to call it quits but happened to turn back for a last look at the dunes. To my surprise, the final colors of the sunrise had lit up the clouds in pinks and purples that made them look like tufts of cotton candy! I snapped a few quick photos, including this image with some wildflowers in the foreground, and then headed back. At the campsite, the winds had blown my tent up against some nearby trees, and the tent that the boys were sleeping in had just collapsed on them. They were frantically trying to get out, not realizing that it was worse outside! We ended up taking the boys out to get breakfast and go home!