Sometimes a shot just needs to be taken. This one I noticed a day earlier and,at the time regretted not seeing it an hour earlier as the sun had moved so that most of the scene was in shade and it lost it's impact. The next day the lighting was about as perfect as it was going to be, so out for a few minutes of shooting.
The joy of instant gratification due to digital photography.
Today, Jan 21st, I realized why this shot called out to me. Normally snow does not provide any contrast on it's own. Everything is a shade of white or very light grey and the only contrast is provided by other subjects or shadows cast by them. In this case the snow formations themselves are providing the physical shapes to cast shadows and provide some form of reference for the shapes involved.
This is the overall view of the backyard where the "dune" shots were taken. It's all in the perspective and, in this case, removing all other references.
Jeff.
