This photo was taken last December during a geological field trip in the interior of Oman. The landscape is barren and arid, with flat terrains covered by weathered rocks.
This vast interior of the country is crossed by many wadis, or dry riverbeds, that have their origin in the Hajar mountains to the north. Wind, sun, and occasional rainfall have sculpted this landscape for millions of years. Our group had camped the night before at the foot of a few small hills; the following morning I woke up before sunrise to take some photos.
I walked around for a while waiting for the sun to come up and looked for interesting compositions. With me I had my light photography kit, consisting of the Fujifilm X-E5 and Voigtlander 27mm manual focus lens. I find this the perfect combination for such trips, light but with plenty of quality.
I noticed this minor sand accumulation in a small gulley, where a few shrubs managed to survive. This small island of life was surrounded by rough, rocky terrain. Apart from the plants, I could be on Mars.
As the sun was coming over the horizon, I got down on my knees and framed the small sandy island against the surrounding low hills. I wanted to shoot against the light, to convey the feeling of the place, attempting to record this soft moment in harsh land. I took several other photos that morning, but this is one of my favourites. After a while, the coolness of the early morning gave way to increasing temperature, as the sun climbed in the sky, beating on the landscape once more.
