I have been confusing: Vertical versus Horizontal, Fall-offs versus Run-offs.

The confusion was fruitful because you all have helped me to understand more about what I am doing.

I am looking at a photo that Ginger emailed me taken at a popular place where the dune slope is more user friendly allowing people to descend. She did what you suggested, using people as perspective cues.

Finding perspective cues where the ‘Run-off’ and ‘Fall-off’ photos were taken is difficult. There are no boardwalks and no other people , unless I bring them with me. My penchant for being off the beaten track.

During early morning hours shadows are very black against the glare of the summer sun on this high plateau. Will keep checking it out during other weather conditions.

I have learned from these comments: Flat versus 3-D.

The pictures today were taken at some distance to the edge. Pictures 1 and 3 of Fall-off and the photo of my daydreaming sister attempt to show the slope of the dune.

Hitch up me britches and weigh in here. I copied picture one and tried running it through the perspective tool a couple of times. The dune scape just refused to tilt downward. But it helped if I got rid of the sky line, leaving just the water. Yes, me and the sky again.

Like June, I like the abstract look and the colors. If you take David’s advice, then depending on the lighting and how deep you make the shadows, you might either get a more complex abstract with dark shadow areas, or a more 3-D realistic depiction, with graded shadows revealing the form of the dunes. That may help with an impression of depth or distance. Even more helpful in that regard would be providing a close foreground object (or objects), possibly with similar objects (stones, people?) in the distance. The difference in size between foreground and background will emphasize the geometry of your space. For example, imagine a boardwalk and stairs receding down the slope; that would be an extreme case.