The textures of the desert just screamed to me. Not to mention since I have started playing with B&W I do take a quick second to convert a lot of my pictures and see if it evokes any emotion. You will probably recognize some of these from the previous White Sands posts. The texture of the black and white just has to be separated from the enlightened colors. When I take a picture down to black and white I am really looking at textures. The beauty of the colors is gone so can I feel the beauty of the picture by the textures and contrast in it. Does it cause me the same or more emotion and feeling as the color picture. It can have a tendency to completely alter the picture into something abstract or even just give that historical feeling. White Sands lent itself perfectly to these shots because you are surrounded by texture, history, contrast, and abstract landscape.

“Both the grand and the intimate aspects of nature can be revealed in the expressive photograph. Both can stir enduring affirmations and discoveries, and can surely help the spectator in his search for identification with the vast world of natural beauty and wonder surrounding him.”
― Ansel Adams