Jewel of the Arabian Sea by Marsel van Oosten

Jewel of the Arabian Sea by Marsel van Oosten

This was shot on my expedition in Socotra. I had already spotted this scene at the start of our dune hike, but the light wasn’t great. So I decided to return here when the sun and the contrast was lower. I knew I wanted to have my guide in there to give a sense of scale and to provide a strong focal point deep inside the image. I didn’t want any footsteps leading into the frame, because with this type of sand at such a steep angle it would just look messy. So I asked my model to loop around the dune on the left, walk up to that ridge, and then very slowly walk to the end of it. These white sand dunes may not have been my main objective for this expedition, but this happens to be one of my favorite shots from the entire trip. It’s got everything that I look for in my photography: great location in great light, a strong focal point, graphic lines, depth, and simplicity. For me this image proves that a successful landscape image does not necessarily need an ultra wide angle lens, thermonuclear sunrises or sunsets, and a 15,000 ft mountain in the background. [Nikon Z7, AF-S VR 70-200/2.8, FTZ-adapter, 1/200 @ f/16, ISO 500, handheld] Marsel | squiver.com

Marsel van Oosten: Photos