White Sands, New Mexico
“A Simple, Slightly Curved Horizon Line” – White Sands, New Mexico – Eric Kotara – Featured Photographer
“K.I.S.S.”- Keep is Simple, Stupid! I try to remember this when I am out shooting. As Eric shows in this wonderful photograph less is definitely more. Sky, sand, shadow, beautiful woman and that is it. As Eric talks about below, the woman becomes part of the landscape. White on white. If you look back through our archieves you will notice some of our most compelling features are of subjects with very simple backgrounds. So today’s tip is to “Spring Clean” by removing all of the clutter from your image before you snap the shutter.
If you are lucky enough to live in Austin, TX and plan on getting married soon Eric could be your photographer. View his portfolio here http://www.erickotaraphotography.com
You can also view a portion of his portfolio here http://500px.com/EricKotara
Enter Eric:
My wife and I like to travel. We both got bit by the wanderlust bug whilst studying in Rome, Italy in College. This need to see new places continued once we got married and has carried us to many wonderful places, near and far.
One day my wife came home from work and announced she now had an unscheduled long weekend starting the following day. I thought for a second to myself and then said “let’s go somewhere”. Living in central Texas, our options were limited to places within a day’s drive and White Sands, NM seemed like a perfect place. So we got a short night of restless sleep, overfed the cats, overfilled the litter box, took out the garbage (learned that lesson before!), turned the thermostat up and took off. At the last minute before we left, Susie asked if she should take her wedding dress with her. I said “HELL YEAH!”
Back story, ever since we got married we have travelled with her dress on occasion to take more and more pictures with her in it. I was not a wedding photographer when we got married, not much of a photographer at all, really. So having the opportunity to make more bridal images of my wife is always something that interests the both of us.
So off to Alamorgordo, NM we went! It was late spring and everything was beautiful on our way out. We arrived to White Sands in a sandstorm kicked up by a thunderstorm and saw some of the best storm scenery we’d ever seen. We shot landscape that evening in the park to familiarize ourselves with the place before heading back into town to rest. We had no reservations anywhere, but ended up at the Best Western; which happens to sport some swank honeymoon suites with hot tubs in the bedrooms 
It was worth the extra $20 a night.
The next morning we set out to the park with her dress. This was one of the first images I captured. The sun was low, the dunes fresh and windswept, the sand…. was white, and the composition just came together with ease. I saw a dune not far from the shanty bathroom she used to change and asked her to walk out to a certain spot and pose. The sun cast a long shadow and controlling the highlights on her left side left the sky nice and dark. What is really amazing, and something that many people mention when viewing the photograph, is that shadows on the white sand are the same hue as the sky. I cloned out her footprints for this version to have her appear as if she belonged there, like a permanent fixture in a desolate land.
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This is what I call Art! Ann
Now that is minimalism! Superb!
truly an inspired photo
It’s just too bad Eric lives in Austin. I could recommend a move to, say, College Station. Gig ‘em, Aggies! lol
lovely photo, but I think if you scaled it down as to just focus on the woman and a little area of the sand around her, it whould be great, that’s just my take, but it is a very nice photo
Keeping it simple makes the best shot.
That definitely makes a statement!
Wonderful photograph!
Beautiful
Ooooo! I like!
Wonderful! Love that white sand!
“like” Simply beautiful!
Love the simplicity of this shot
Wow!! Can I say anymore??!!
gorgeous!
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I love this too!!
Beautiful!
Beautiful color and composition.
Lovely photo — and what a fun way to travel!
Striking photo — amazing what these little last minute decisions can do to put wow-factor into pics. Lovely!
The minimalist approach allows for great “uh” focus!
What a great composition
Beautiful …………………………
Wow. WOW!!!!
I looove this !!! infact loved every single pic on this page .. I cna spend hours here .. [ one reason i come here weekly
]
As they say, less is more! Beautiful shot!
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Simply elegant! I guess the simple composition fills the eye.
A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN
If married to God is all I’ll ever be, I understand:
that this is where I want to be, even if there’s sand -
even if there are storms that buffet me and fill my nose
I said yes to God the day I felt His Love propose.
Wow! Bridal Planet?
Minimal compositions with off-centre subjects and loads of negative space are my favourites, always.
Elegant.
Absolutely gorgeous, thanks for sharing.
Really great shot – well done!
Lovely!
A fabulous photo! Looked at it for a few moments, the shadow does indeed match the sky. Excellent!
Absolutely beautiful! love it!
This is really an amazing photo and a great brief explanation.
Great photo and thanks for the explanation of the footsteps – I was wondering how she got there…
Oh, I love it! You have an eye for beauty! Thanks for sharing!
Take about white sand – same whiteness as the dress. Stunning shot …
Thanks for sharing. I love it.
loved the pic!