Photographing White Sands National Park, New Mexico
White Sands National Park (formerly White Sands National Monument) is a 275 square mile, gleaming white gypsum dune field in southern New Mexico. The area is popular with families for its fantastic dune sledding, hiking, and camping.
Photographically, White Sands is truly one of the most remarkable landscapes in the American West. Its dunes aren't yellow, orange, or beige like other dune fields, but brilliant white. So bright they look like fresh snow. I've photographed White Sands multiple times, and have learned a lot about the park itself, plus the best times and methods for capturing it.
Getting there
If driving across the American west, White Sands is a fantastic detour — even for just a few hours. If flying, El Paso is an hour-and-a-half drive away (and closer than Albuquerque). There is no public transportation, so you'll need your own vehicle to get there.
Accommodations and camping
White Sands is situated between the towns of Las Cruces to the west and Alamogordo to the east. The latter is a quick fifteen minute drive away. Both towns offer small motels and privately owned Airbnbs.
Airbnbs in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Airbnbs in Alamogordo, New Mexico
Camping overnight in an RV or camper van inside the park is not allowed. Rangers make the rounds at closing and clear out the parking lots. Backcountry camping in the dunes (with a permit) is not available at the time of this writing, but could be available again by the time you read this. Check the White Sands camping page for the latest permit information and availability.
Opening and closing times
White Sands has firm opening and closing times with a single, gated entrance and exit by the main road. Park rangers open and close the gate at fixed times. Though rare, the park also closes for missile tests from a nearby military base.
For photographers, the park's opening and closing times can conflict with golden hour and blue hour photography. Just when the light is getting good at the end of the day, it may be time to pack your camera and leave.
There are however a few ways to work around this.
One, plan your visit when the park closes an hour or more after sunset. For example, when I visited in late summer / early fall, sunset was at 7:30pm, and the park closed at 9pm. This provided plenty of time for me to capture golden hour, blue hour, hike back to my vehicle, and drive out before the gates closed.
Two, in summer, White Sands hosts one full moon watching night per month where the park stays open a couple of hours later (eg, 11pm instead of 9pm). When that day is depends on the full moon cycle, and park management. Check the White Sands website for calendar dates.
Three, as mentioned earlier, White Sands also offers a limited number of camping permits to spend the night in a designated area inside the dunes. This option would be fantastic for astrophotography and capturing the dune field at sunrise, if permitted.
Four, White Sands offers paid permits to arrive early and stay late. These aren't cheap ($75 per hour last I checked, plus a permit application fee), and you have to apply for a permit at least a month prior to your planned visit. A permit could however be a lifesaver to get the best light during months of the year when the park opens after sunrise and closes before sunset.
Hiking the dunes
White Sands has two official hiking trails: the Backcountry Trail and the Alkali Flat Trail. The latter is a five mile loop that features the tallest dunes in the park. Both trails are sporadically marked with tall metal posts to help guide you along. There is no requirement to stay on either trail, or use the trails at all. You're free to hike and wander anywhere you please.
Dunes on these trails, near the road and picnic areas will be heavily trampled with footprints and sled marks. If however you hike a mile or so further into the field, the dunes will be much more pristine. The further you go, the better the dunes.
If you do wander off the marked trails, remember that the San Andreas mountains are to the west, and the main road and parking areas are to east. I recommend checking the horizon from time to time to reorient yourself while hiking.
Better yet, bring a phone with GAIA GPS or AllTrails installed to record your hike and track your GPS coordinates. These apps are free, and will record how far you've hiked and how to get back using digital breadcrumbs.
Most importantly, remember that White Sands is a desert. There is no shade, and the sun can be hot and intense when reflecting off the white gypsum. Sand is also more physically demanding to hike through, so consider your physical health and stamina before venturing too far.
I recommend bringing the following:
- Sunscreen
- Sun-hat. The wider the brim, the better. Boonie hats are perfect.
- Sunglasses
- Comfortable hiking shoes
- Trekking poles
- Long-sleeve, lightweight hiking shirt
- More water than you think you'll need
- Snacks to munch on
What to pack in your camera bag
When packing camera gear for White Sands, don't bring every lens you own. I would first pack a medium telephoto lens (24-70mm or 24-105mm), then a wide-angle variable zoom (eg, 16-35mm). A third telephoto lens (70-200mm) could also be helpful for distant shots to compress the dunes against the San Andreas mountains, or tightly cropped abstract shots, but I'd only bring one if you have space and don't mind carrying extra weight. Also pack and use lens hoods to help mitigate flare and bright reflections.
Drones are not permitted anywhere in the park, so don't bother bringing one.
If you plan to hike and take images during normal daylight hours, you won't need a tripod. The bright white dunes and sky will force your camera to use a high shutter speed, which should negate any camera shake when shooting handheld. A tripod is only necessary if you intend to shoot long exposures or in dim light at golden hour and blue hour.
Speaking of long exposures, consider packing a high density, solid neutral density filter. Six stops or higher will slow the camera shutter and add dramatic blur, motion and energy to the sky.
Also know that when the sun goes down, the dunes gets dark. Very dark. If you plan to shoot through blue hour (which you absolutely should do!), bring a strong LED head lamp to illuminate your return hike.
When to photograph the dunes
When the sky is clear, the dunes will be gleaming, brilliant white from late morning to mid-afternoon. Contrast will be harsh, and the bright light may obscure small details and textures in the dunes. Bright and sunny conditions at midday are most ideal for black and white images, in my experience. When the sky is cloudy, the tonal values of the dunes and sky may visually blend together.
In my experience, the absolute best time to photograph White Sands begins two hours before sunset. The sun is then lower in the sky, just above the San Andreas mountains, which gives the dunes more shape and dimension when looking to the north and south (they will likely appear flat to the east and west).
But best of all, the colors produced at this time are incredible. Atmospheric color bounces off the white gypsum, resulting in a variety of hues from soft orange at golden hour to magnificent magentas and pinks to deep, rich blue at blue hour. The intensity of color may change from day to day, but I think the dunes are always at their most beautiful during this time.
When shooting at sunset, remember that the best color and light may be directly behind you! Keep a watchful eye on the environment at all times for best results. Also remember (as mentioned earlier) it takes time to hike through sand, so it's easy to miss the best light when moving around. My recommendation is finding a composition you're happy with by golden hour, then sticking with it for the best possible light.
Finally, once the sun drops behind the San Andreas mountains, you may be tempted to start packing your bags. I highly recommend waiting a little longer, for there might be a final explosion of brilliant color just before the cool tones of blue hour set in. Again, pack a head lamp so you can stay in the dune field as long as possible.
How to photograph the dunes
Compositionally, dunes are all about geometry. Pay attention to their shapes and outlines, and how their edges ebb, flow and connect. Pay attention to how much visual space there is between the edges of the dunes and the mountains in the background. The best perspective could be with a tripod set to its tallest height, or down low on the ground to make the dunes appear taller. The goal is simply ensuring that no lines overlap, which removes depth from a two dimensional image.
Capturing the entire dune field, from a high vantage point, can be challenging. Even when standing on one of the taller dunes, most dunes are more or less the same height, which can cause their outlines to overlap and fold together (which removes depth from the image). More often than not, it can be physically impossible to get a camera high enough to compensate.
I found myself shooting more from the lower, flatter areas between the dunes. Focusing on one dune, or a grouping of dunes, with the mountains and sky as their backdrop. From this perspective, the dunes appear taller and more majestic, especially with side-lighting from the west.
I also learned to love the flats between the dunes. I initially avoided their busy green shrubs and textured patterns, but they can provide much needed contrast and texture. I often look for flats with interesting patterns and lines that mimic the shape and flow of the dunes, like the image above.
It's also important with sand dunes to shoot your way in. Meaning, when trying to find an ideal composition, start by shooting telephoto at a distance (eg, 70mm), then move forward when switching to wider focal lengths. This helps keep footprints out of your shot.
Finally, pay special attention to contrast. The dunes can become amorphous and visually indistinct when the light gets soft. This is especially true when facing east with the setting sun behind your back, low on the western horizon. I had the best luck shooting images facing north and south to help emphasize shape and contrast.
Final thoughts
However much time you spend at White Sands National Park, it truly is one of the natural wonders of the world. Great place for families and casual tourists, but also for photographers looking for clean, minimal subjects. I could spend days shooting at White Sands, and never get bored with it!
Video
Check out my video on photographing White Sands National Park below.
