Landscape

Egypt's Western Desert No single name should really be applied to the vast area of desert that runs all the way from the Mediterranean coast of Egypt to the Sudanese border some 1,000km (600 miles) to the south. This massive area of sand and rock, in fact, contains many different deserts with different names, and topography that varies from smooth, windblown flats of sand to massive rocky escarpments to sinuous dunes of golden sand. Far from being empty wastelands, these deserts are rich in wildlife and contain several towns, some of which have been inhabited since Pharaonic times. Long ignored by all but the most adventurous tourists, the western desert is now becoming increasingly popular as facilities improve and word gets around about spectacular landscapes, hot springs, palm trees, and unexplored ruins.

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Sand Dunes

Dune types A barchan (pronounced bar-KAN) dune, sometimes known as a crescentic dune, is a crescent or U-shaped dune that has its "horns" or tips pointing downwind or away from the wind. Barchans arise where sand supply is limited, where the ground is hard, and where wind direction is fairly constant. They form around shrubs or larger rocks, which act as anchors to hold the main part of the dune in place while the tips migrate with the wind. Barchan dunes occur widely in deserts around Earth. A parabolic dune is similar in shape to a barchan, but its tips point into the wind. Its formation is also influenced by the presence of some type of obstruction, such as a plant or a rock. Just the opposite of a barchan, a parabolic is anchored at its tips by the obstruction, which acts to block the wind, while its main body migrates with the wind, forming a depression between the tips. Because of this formation, parabolic dunes are also known as blowout dunes. A linear, or longitudinal, dune is one that forms where sand is abundant and cross winds converge, often along seacoasts where the winds from the sea and winds from the land meet and push the sand into long lines. These high, parallel dunes can be quite large: Scientists have recorded linear dunes reaching 655 feet (200 meters) in height and 62 miles (103 kilometers) in length. The crests or summits of linear dunes are often straight or slightly wavy. A transverse dune also forms where sand supply is great. This dune is a ridge of sand that forms perpendicular to the direction of the wind. The slip face of a transverse dune is often very steep. A group of transverse dunes resembles sand ripples on a large scale. Deserts in Egypt encompass all these types of Dunes, especially in the Western Sahara.

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White Desert

The White Desert (known as Sahara el Beyda, with the word Sahara meaning a desert). The White Desert of Egypt is located 45 km (30 miles) north of Farafra. The desert contains a white, cream color and has massive chalk rock formations that have been created as a result of occasional sandstorms in the area. These wind-sculpted forms look deceptively close to a gallery of ice-sculptures amidst this very hot desert backdrop.

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Fine art photography refers to photographs that are created to fulfill the creative vision of the artist. Fine art photography stands in contrast to photojournalism and commercial photography. The world is brimming with moments of emotion and meaning that are able to be captured through the lens of a camera. For example, through this subtractive process of selecting subjects from the world, the photographer chooses exactly how subjects interact, how they are placed in context to the shape of the photograph, and how they are portrayed their surroundings. Through creative combination of these methods, the photographer can convey emotions or abstract ideas. In a visual composition, be it a photograph or a painting, one can utilize the elements of design in a way that can be compared to language. The elements of design are our visual vocabulary. Color, line, form, shape, value, and texture make up the elements of design. Balance, gradation, repetition, depth, contrast, dominance and unity make up some of the principles of design.