Photograph White Sands National Monument

White Sands National Monument (WSNM) is located in the south central part of New Mexico and is one of those unsung places that, unfortunately, doesn’t receive the glamourous coverage given other national monuments and national parks in the western U.S.

Situated in the Tularosa Basin, WSMN owes its white sands in part due to the fact that this is a closed basin, in other words, no streams flow out of the basin. When Anglo settlers first moved into the area, it was reported to have been a rich grassland area, with grasses as tall as a horse’s shoulder. Severe overgrazing from cattle ranching changed all that, and the effects are still clearly visible. Today the area is considered desert scrub land dominated by creosote bush. So much for that medium rare T-bone.

WSNM is located less than 20 miles southwest of Alamogordo, and sits at a surprising elevation of 4,235’. It was created in 1933 by President Hoover, with a dedication and grand opening the following year. Less than a decade later the Secretary of War gave his blessings and approval of White Sands Proving Ground.

That was on February 20, 1945. Within weeks rockets were being tested in the area. Rumor has it that the Secretary of Peace was excluded from any discussions or decisions regarding the new secret testing facility. However, another rumor has it that one of the testing facility’s goals is helping in the establishment of global peace.

Perhaps more famously known than the national monument is the highly secretive White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). This rocket range is the largest military installation in the U.S., consisting of almost 3,200 square miles of military equipment testing facilities. Do not for a moment think that there aren’t strange lights that go BOOH! in the region’s night skies. If you’ve ever driven the lonely roads of southern New Mexico at three in the morning, you’ll know what I mean. If you’ve ever seen what appeared to be a shooting star in the western night sky simply vanish with an explosive effect, you’ll know what I mean. If you’ve ever tried to research the facility, you’ll know what I mean. Yes, decent paying keywords are available. Little else is.

While standard testing is a standard procedure here, it’s a safe assumption to say that among all the equipment testing procedures, there are various aspects of aviation testing that occur on a need to know basis in this highly classified installation. Radar testing, satellite testing and various aspects of communications testing are SOP.

One of the latest additions to the testing development program of WSMR (do not confuse this with NO MSG) is the Launch Complex-32 site for the Orion Abort Flight Test Launch Complex. Little else is know of this project other than the fact that our tax dollars are at work. At the same time many oil producing countries are quickly approaching peak production and many others have joined the U.S. in being beyond peak production.

It’s amazing how, as we’re driving down those lonely and desolate roads, the mind sometimes goes off course. What really began as a hub on beautiful photography at WSNM somehow got sidetracked. Suffice to say that you don’t want to photograph in the noon day sun. Your images will be completely blown out (pardon the pun). Much more satisfactory results will occur by photographing very early in the morning, and sometimes even after the sun sets. This is when the white sand takes on an almost alpenglow quality.

Some basics of photography are required to photograph at WSNM. Be careful of blowing sand in your camera equipment. Bring along your personal vision. Oh, and forget the fact that you’re being watched.

BOOH!